Can I overfeed my tarantula?

[Gracjan]

I got an avic avic about 5 days ago that eats a lotttt. It's about an inch right now, so I gave it 5 crickets that were about 3/4 it's size the first day. I figured maybe it wasn't fed recently from where I got it. I presented some food the next day and it ate again and again. Every day it's just ready to take down as much as I give it. I'm just wondering if I can over do it? I've had a rosy before that ate maybe 5 crickets a week max

 

[Ungoliant]

I'm just wondering if I can over do it? I've had a rosy before that ate maybe 5 crickets a week max

Feeding it too often will make it more susceptible to injury if it falls. (The abdomen is big and swollen and may rupture.) Overfeeding may induce fasting behavior. Lastly, some people have wondered if routinely overfeeding a spider might shorten its lifespan.

When she's not on a pre-molt fast, I feed my Avic about once a week, usually one large cricket or mealworm.

Edit: I missed the part where you said it was a sling (1"). What I wrote primarily applies to larger juveniles and adults. You can't really hurt a sling by overfeeding it. Their goal is to grow out of the stage where they are small and vulnerable.

 

[Gracjan]

Thank you for the fast reply. It seems that it's a commonly asked question Should have done my research.

 

[Rittdk01]

^^^^^its not going to shorten the spiders lifespan unless you have high temps combined with food to increase molting. The op is describing over feeding, not Powerfeeding. You won't cause anything but a fasting spider if you over feed the way you are describing. The exception is a spiderling or sling. You can feed them as much as they will eat. Since slings molt so regularly you won't really risk too long of a fasting period, and any increase in molting at this fragile stage is beneficial.

I feed my big stuff every week or two and the little guys a couple times a week. If a spider has an overly large abdomen I decrease feeding. Keep it simple

 

[cold blood]

It's about an inch right now, so I gave it 5 crickets that were about 3/4 it's size the first day

Jesus, slow it way way down there. One or two crickets a week would be more than sufficient.

. I figured maybe it wasn't fed recently from where I got it.

It probably molted recently...after a molt, all ts are at their thinnest point and they are at their hungriest. Its the natural life progressing of a t....molt, they are thin, they plump, refuse food, molt and the process starts over.

The op is describing over feeding, not Powerfeeding

Yeah, the two are basically the exact same thing.

Now op, its important to note that as Rittdk said, feeding that much won't be detrimental, at least not for a sling....slings are in a stage of their lives where growth takes place quicker...in fact, you cannot over-feed a sling...but what over-feeding will do is get that t to pre-molt well before its body is prepared to molt...this means having a t that stays hidden in a web tub all the time and refuses food for extended periods of time as it waits for its bodily functions to catch up to its massive food intake. In the future once a week (one cricket per feeding) is a much better feeding schedule.

Because of your massive feeding week, you may not see that t for a month or more, and even it is is visible, it likely won't eat till a week after its next molt.

Onto that rosie...5 crickets is like 3 months feed for a rosie....slow that feeding way down, that's actually much more important than the sling. Rose hairs have about the lowest food requirement of any t...you have many years to fatten them between molts....this species is classicly over-fed, which is why long year or more fasts are soooo common with them in captivity.

Thank you for the fast reply. It seems that it's a commonly asked question Should have done my research.

Agreed...but technically, this is part of doing research.

 

[Gracjan]

Both of your answers are incredibly helpful, I guess the care sheets I read are pure garbage. The avic did get a lot of food so I will cut back on that and take your advice. The Rosie has been dead for a while. It was my first pet other than a dog or a cat years back. Like I said I always had snakes but I really want to get into spiders as well now that I have a lot more space, and I got the avic in a pretty good deal.......since I have your attention somewhat. I've read both things about how wet or dry to keep the enclosure. What's your opinion?

Also it's about an inch, is that still considered a sling?

 

[cold blood]

I guess the care sheets I read are pure garbage

That's the norm for care sheets.....garbage.

Also it's about an inch, is that still considered a sling?

Most definitely a sling.


I keep them in a 16 or 32 oz deli cup, with a piece of flat wood leaned and I surround that with plants. Keep a water dish on the ground and keep the substrate predominantly dry. Ventilation also needs to be good.

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• cold blood
• Nov 9, 2016

avic avic

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• cold blood
• Mar 1, 2017

Johnny 2 legs finally got an actual enclosure to enjoy...the recovery process and growth of this...

 

[Gracjan]

Mine came with an exo terra nano. With the substrate being almost completely soaked. Some fake plants and a small bark piece. I took one of the plants out and out in a sturdier one so it could use it as support to webb. It's hot outside and I got a husky pup that doesn't rock with the heat. My ac is on at 73 almost all day , so I put a 4 watt pad that I had lying around that stays at about 78 degrees on the side of the tank and it's been on almost the whole time. That's where the t mostly hangs. Thanks for all your input I rather get info get from people with credibility rather than from randoms

I'll take pictures once I get home from work, I'm also getting a gbb from a buddy that convinced me in spiders soon.

 

[Deb60]

I think my Ts must be members of Slimming World like me as I only feed them once a week , or some get fed once a month if I know they don’t eat very often, ones not eaten for 10 months , she was eating six crickets a week before I rehomed her !

 

[efmp1987]

Technically you cant. Breeders (or some anyway) feed their females until they refuse prior to pairing. The amount of fluid reserves in the abdomen also plays a role in carapace size following a molt. Among other animals, fish, mammals, reptiles, insects, you name it, food intake also contributes to the final adult size, but bigger size IS NOT correlated to longevitiy or lifespan whatsoever. Just because you have access to more food that it means you live shorter. The theory that faster molts mean faster death is just too counter-natural for my taste.

 

[Ungoliant]

I've read both things about how wet or dry to keep the enclosure. What's your opinion?

I live in a humid climate, and I keep my Avics "on" dry substrate. For a sling, you could probably make part of the substrate slightly damp as long as you have good ventilation. (A moist, stuffy cage kills Avics.)

Just make sure she is actually drinking. Although mine have had no trouble finding (and drinking) from their water dishes, some people have stubborn Avics that won't use their water dishes, so they drip some water into the web.

Also it's about an inch, is that still considered a sling?

Yes.

There's no hard and fast rule, but we often stop calling tarantulas slings when they start getting their adult coloring. (Then they're juveniles.)

 

[cold blood]

Mine came with an exo terra nano. With the substrate being almost completely soaked. Some fake plants and a small bark piece. I took one of the plants out and out in a sturdier one so it could use it as support to webb. It's hot outside and I got a husky pup that doesn't rock with the heat. My ac is on at 73 almost all day , so I put a 4 watt pad that I had lying around that stays at about 78 degrees on the side of the tank and it's been on almost the whole time. That's where the t mostly hangs. Thanks for all your input I rather get info get from people with credibility rather than from randoms

your 73 degree home is more than sufficient.

The fact that the t has been on the pad illistrates the dangers of heat pads as they are drawn to it like a moth to a flame....and just like that moth, that t will be in danger. Remove that pad asap.

Dry out the enclosure, if its real wet, change it out. Mid winter when its dry and furnaces are running, then you can add a little water to the sub on occassion....but not now.

 

[viper69]

No

 

[The Grym Reaper]

its not going to shorten the spiders lifespan unless you have high temps combined with food to increase molting.

Even then it's only going to make a noticeable difference in males as they'll hook out faster, in females the difference will be negligible.