C. Versicolor sling feeding

BreLeche

Arachnopeon
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Feb 27, 2021
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Hi guys, I got a C. Versicolor sling about 2 weeks ago and it hasn't eaten yet. I tried little pinhead red runner roaches and tiny mealworms and it hasn't shown any interest. Has anyone else experienced this? Is anything wrong with it or should I just keep trying different feeders?
 

ApexApinkPanda

Arachnosquire
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Mar 1, 2021
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110
I recently had a .5" sling that didn't eat for 3 weeks. I've also had a lot of luck letting them scavenge. I have 1 I've never seen eat I just find the shriveled evidence when it eats the meal worms and crickets prekill.
 

thatdadlife619

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Dec 24, 2019
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Is the enclosure it’s in the one it came in? Or did you rehouse the day you got it. If so, it can take some time for your t to get acclimated to its new home. I’ve had t’a go weeks, sometimes longer without food after a rehouse.
 

BreLeche

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Feb 27, 2021
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Is the enclosure it’s in the one it came in? Or did you rehouse the day you got it. If so, it can take some time for your t to get acclimated to its new home. I’ve had t’a go weeks, sometimes longer without food after a rehouse.
I rehoused it last week. Maybe that's why it won't eat.
 

emartinm28

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Mar 29, 2020
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Pics of the spider and the enclosure? Could be premolt, could be afraid of its food. You can just prekill the prey, i find that to be easier at this size.
 

thatdadlife619

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I rehoused it last week. Maybe that's why it won't eat.
That’s more than likely the culprit IMO. Be patient. Offer food every few days or so, that little dude will eat eventually:cool: Still listen to what others have to say though!
 

BreLeche

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Feb 27, 2021
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Pics of the spider and the enclosure? Could be premolt, could be afraid of its food. You can just prekill the prey, i find that to be easier at this size.
I've tried both live and prekilled and it isn't interested in neither. I rehoused it into this 4x4x6 Tarantula Cribs enclosure last week so maybe it just needs some time to get used to it.
 

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emartinm28

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I've tried both live and prekilled and it isn't interested in neither. I rehoused it into this 4x4x6 Tarantula Cribs enclosure last week so maybe it just needs some time to get used to it.
That sling’s abdomen looks plump, it’s definitely not in danger of starving and could be in premolt. I would rehouse into an enclosure about 1/4 that size though... that enclosure is huge for such a tiny sling.
 

cold blood

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it will make things easier if you provide a smaller enclosure...otherwise, add a ton of elevated cover to what you have.
 

Craig73

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Jun 2, 2016
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Smaller enclosure would help with prey interaction. If it’s carapace is smaller than those vent holes it could escape also. As others have said, abdomen looks plump so don’t stress on it not eating, just be sure it has access to water. And more foliage on the cork bark higher up will provide anchor points for webbing as well as provide some sense of security. Don’t go too overboard, you still want to be able to observe it while it’s still small.

For reference I give my small slings a 2x4.5” or so amac box. Others do deli cups. I’ve heard 32oz a lot, but never used one so not sure if that’s too big or about right. They have good growth gains with each molt, so in a little time it’ll be ready for your nice enclosure.
 

viper69

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Hi guys, I got a C. Versicolor sling about 2 weeks ago and it hasn't eaten yet. I tried little pinhead red runner roaches and tiny mealworms and it hasn't shown any interest. Has anyone else experienced this? Is anything wrong with it or should I just keep trying different feeders?
Yes
No one can tell you
Keep trying over time
 

The Grym Reaper

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Jul 19, 2016
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That sling is pretty plump so I wouldn't worry about it not eating for the time-being.

As for the enclosure, a smaller one would be better (I use 32oz deli cups set up like below) but if you insist on using that one then you need to provide a water dish (a bottle cap will do, I couldn't see a dish in the pics so disregard if there is actually one in there), you also need to add some plant cover around the top of the bark for your sling to act as cover and for it to anchor webbing to.

Aviculariinae sling setup.jpg
 

Smotzer

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I agree and think it’s too big for that sling, an example for a T that size, amac box somewhere around 4x4x5

 

Arachnophobphile

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Hi guys, I got a C. Versicolor sling about 2 weeks ago and it hasn't eaten yet. I tried little pinhead red runner roaches and tiny mealworms and it hasn't shown any interest. Has anyone else experienced this? Is anything wrong with it or should I just keep trying different feeders?
Best advice I can give you is do not worry about your sling not eating. C. versicolors, (at least mine) are finicky eaters. They will go for sometime without wanting to eat. Then there are other times they will eat.

This works for me, get a porcelain bowl, like small and put a couple dubia roaches in it as they cannot climb those surfaces. Make sure the dish is at least half buried in the substrate. Walk away and let it be.

Your versi will come down and eat when it wants. You don't have to worry about the roach burying itself. This method works great. Or you can put mealworms in it. Redrunners I don't think will work as they can simply get out of the dish. I don't really know about redrunners, never used them as I can't find any here by me.
 

liquidfluidity

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Aug 12, 2020
Messages
193
20210320_100021.jpg I do agree on 3 details in this post.

1. Enclosure size - I have included a pic of mine. They just seem to feel safer in smaller

2. Plump booty - before worrying about eating habbits, check that booty

3. Rehouse - recent rehousing may be the answer to all issues. Just takes time to settle in
 

BreLeche

Arachnopeon
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Feb 27, 2021
Messages
16
Hey everyone, it just molted so i guess that would explain it not eating. Thanks for all of the advice everyone 😊
 

fjb7411

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Oct 16, 2023
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0
I've tried both live and prekilled and it isn't interested in neither. I rehoused it into this 4x4x6 Tarantula Cribs enclosure last week so maybe it just needs some time to get used to it.
Curious to ask… I have a tiny c. versi sling and it won’t eat. When I first got it, it ate 2-3 tiny dubias but it’s been a very long time since it has seemed to eat. I’m quite sure it hasn’t molted either. The guy I got it from told me to keep it in the tiny dram bottle but I feel like it should be in something bigger. Can someone clarify?

That sling’s abdomen looks plump, it’s definitely not in danger of starving and could be in premolt. I would rehouse into an enclosure about 1/4 that size though... that enclosure is huge for such a tiny sling.
A quarter that size? My little versi is in a dram bottle. It feels way too small. 32oz seems huge? I have a little amac box that is about 2x2x3 but its lid is at the top and if the sling built its web up high it would be startled anytime I needed to open it up. Or I have a 2x2x4 that’s meant more for an arboreal… ?
 

sparticus

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Jun 3, 2023
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If the abdomen is plump I would recommend patience. Generally they stop eating when full and it is normal for them to keep refusing food until after a molt. Especially if you fed it heavily early on. More details would be helpful to be sure, though, like photos of the spider and the full enclosure. Generally a dram vial is plenty of room for young slings. I would wait to move it until after it molts unless something is wrong with your setup, as they molt in their webbing and destroying that means they have to get settled in all over again.
 
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