Calcium and its effects on tarantulas

[McSP1D8R]

Also I bloody hate using crickets as feeders, they stink and always ended up moulting and maturing quickly from the food I gave them + high temps in my house then snuffed it. Roaches for the win, if dubia roaches are too large then turkistan/red runners are awesome

 

[The Grym Reaper]

A food storage container with sufficient ventilation, i placed a piece of egg carton inside as a hide, and both water and food are available to them. 3 of the 20 died, not like that's a lot but is that normal?

3 out of 20 isn't horrific, you said you got them from Pet Smart (or a similar chain store) so that probably explains a lot.

The post wasn't buried (it was actually pretty easy to find lol).

Quick care guide for "filthy cricketses".

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/feeding-and-maintaining-feeders.297149/#post-2669113

 

[viper69]

It's just a myth. However too much of anything is bad for an animal. Defining "too much" in a meaningful physiological manner is rarely done for most animals anyway.

 

[cold blood]

While its a total myth....you should still use other food....what you are feeding is a reptile suppliment....just feed kibble (dog or cat) and bits of carrot.

 

[NoahThomas43]

While its a total myth....you should still use other food....what you are feeding is a reptile suppliment....just feed kibble (dog or cat) and bits of carrot.

Yea, I’ve been feeding them fruits and veggies.

 

[CEC]

So that’s how the ‘calcium in take myth’ all began, interesting.

That's how many myths begin. Take your average mites and mold for example. They're often falsely accused for the demise of a spider without proof. People often like fingerpointing causes of death in effort to avoid it in the future but when little is known about Theraphosidae health, presumed causes can easily become myth. Unknown causes are abundant, ambiguous and a part of the hobby. When husbandry and hydration is on point, it's hard say for sure what happened... The more experience one has raising a species, the more likely they will alter their assumption of causes. Once something is deemed the reason for a death by a novice (often ignoring the probability of coincidence) it commonly starts a regurgitation or domino effect of presumptions and falsehoods.

 

[CEC]

Crickets don't live very long after reaching maturity.

Tell that to the male cricket hiding behind my frig that was chirping for what I swear felt like over a month. Lol

 

[boina]

That's how many myths begin. Take your average mites and mold for example. They're often falsely accused for the demise of a spider without proof. People often like fingerpointing causes of death in effort to avoid it in the future but when little is known about Theraphosidae health, presumed causes can easily become myth. Unknown causes are abundant, ambiguous and a part of the hobby. When husbandry and hydration is on point, it's hard say for sure what happened... The more experience one has raising a species, the more likely they will alter their assumption of causes. Once something is deemed the reason for a death by a novice (often ignoring the probability of coincidence) it commonly starts a regurgitation or domino effect of presumptions and falsehoods.

I just want to agree to this about 20 times - at least.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Tell that to the male cricket hiding behind my frig that was chirping for what I swear felt like over a month. Lol

Now that you made that statement I think I underestimated a cricket's ability to live a long annoying life. I know I have had my fair share of run away crickets chirping for what seemed like a month or longer. I even had one escape and find its way to a crack in the moulding on my bedroom ceiling right above my bed. It had a short life though.

 

[cold blood]

Now that you made that statement I think I underestimated a cricket's ability to live a long annoying life. I know I have had my fair share of run away crickets chirping for what seemed like a month or longer. I even had one escape and find its way to a crack in the moulding on my bedroom ceiling right above my bed. It had a short life though.

Last summer I had one escape....that irritating....yeah, lived almost 2 months before I managed to catch him. People kept asking if something was being worked on when the came over because all the grates were removed.

 

[Mithricat]

IMO people are overdoing it with supplementation and it's mostly something that originated in the reptile community that tends to use several of the same feeders.

Tarantulas have been around for millions of years, consuming a variety of prey with different and varied diets. Nobody was dusting or gutloading these insects with vitamins and supplements for millions of years and yet the tarantulas not only survived but positively thrived.

As long as you give your feeders a varied diet (assuming you raise your own) you shouldn't need to worry at all about supplements and vitamins. Nature will take its course and your Ts will grow up healthy and happy. Unnaturally messing with the body chemistry of your feeders is unnecessary and potentially harmful.

 

[darkness975]

Feeding mice to Tarantulas isn't a good idea. Not because of the calcium myth, but because it creates a truly disgusting bolus and the mouse poses a risk of injuring the Tarantula while fighting back.

I give my crickets dry fish flakes, a water dish with a paper towel soaked in it that I change regularly, egg crates to hide in, and dry Eco earth substrate. Even when I purchase them from chain stores I have few die offs.

For cricket keeping the two most important factors are:

1. Do not overcrowd them.
2. Keep their Enclosure dry to minimize the smell.

 

[Goopyguy56]

Any idea why my crickets keep dying? Found another one upside down not too long ago, with minimal movement.

I used to have the same problem. I haven't had any issues since keeping them in larger enclosures