Can tarantulas thrive with only mealworms?

cayen

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My dad bought me a Nicaraguan Curly Hair, but won't let me keep roaches as feeders. And since I also cannot keep crickets as they stink, I am stuck with only super worms as their diet and really paranoid if my T can thrive normally with only mealworms as her diet.

I was thinking of feeding her two superworms every week, then hold back to one when she gains unnecessary weight. Would this work, or do I have no choice but to push and buy more insects for variety?
 

Dry Desert

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My dad bought me a Nicaraguan Curly Hair, but won't let me keep roaches as feeders. And since I also cannot keep crickets as they stink, I am stuck with only super worms as their diet and really paranoid if my T can thrive normally with only mealworms as her diet.

I was thinking of feeding her two superworms every week, then hold back to one when she gains unnecessary weight. Would this work, or do I have no choice but to push and buy more insects for variety?
Everything needs a diet with variety in it. Different vitamins, proteins etc
A good varied diet is the difference between surviving and thriving.
 

JonnyTorch

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The answer to your question is yes. You can feed only mealworms (or only superworms when it's a juvenile/adult) and your T will be fine.
 

cayen

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Everything needs a diet with variety in it. Different vitamins, proteins etc
A good varied diet is the difference between surviving and thriving.
I understand the difference and seems like I really cannot exclusively feed them mealworms. would occasionally feeding them roaches- let's say once or twice a month would be fine?
 

The Grym Reaper

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Yes, they do not require a variety of feeders in order to thrive, any of the generally acceptable feeders are fine as a staple diet.

I've raised specimens solely on mealworms and solely on roaches, and in all cases they were no less healthy than those raised on a different type of feeder or mix of feeders.

I was thinking of feeding her two superworms every week, then hold back to one when she gains unnecessary weight. Would this work
How big is the tarantula? Two superworms every week is excessive (one super a month would be plenty for an adult), this is a slower growing species with pretty low food requirements even by tarantula standards.
I feed my slower growing species on the following schedules depending on their size, meals are generally no larger than the tarantula's abdomen (if you feed larger meals then you'll need to feed even less often).

Slings under 1" - Once every 7 days
Slings over 1" - Once every 10 days
Smaller juveniles - Once every 2 weeks
Larger juveniles - Once every 3 weeks
Subadults/adults - Once every 4-6 weeks
 

Finikan

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I dont see why not. Mine are eating meal and superworms for over a year now. I gave up on pesky crickets long ago.
 

cayen

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Yes, they do not require a variety of feeders in order to thrive, any of the generally acceptable feeders are fine as a staple diet.

I've raised specimens solely on mealworms and solely on roaches, and in all cases they were no less healthy than those raised on a different type of feeder or mix of feeders.



How big is the tarantula? Two superworms every week is excessive (one super a month would be plenty for an adult), this is a slower growing species with pretty low food requirements even by tarantula standards.
I feed my slower growing species on the following schedules depending on their size, meals are generally no larger than the tarantula's abdomen (if you feed larger meals then you'll need to feed even less often).

Slings under 1" - Once every 7 days
Slings over 1" - Once every 10 days
Smaller juveniles - Once every 2 weeks
Larger juveniles - Once every 3 weeks
Subadults/adults - Once every 4-6 weeks
The guy from whom I bought my curly hair did not record her numbers of molt, but he told me she's 6 months old and 3 inches long (leg span). I am unsure if she is a juvenile, subadult or an adult, but the super worms are a bit big than her abdomen, so I suppose I'll feed her every month. Tell me if I'm wrong. Thanks for the info everyone!
 

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cayen

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I dont see why not. Mine are eating meal and superworms for over a year now. I gave up on pesky crickets long ago.
Do they become obese? how do you control their food since these worms are plenty of fat, and that's what I am worrying about. I don't want them to become too fat and eventually have health problems because of their diet.
 

Finikan

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The guy from whom I bought my curly hair did not record her numbers of molt, but he told me she's 6 months old and 3 inches long (leg span).
I might be super confused here, but 6 months doesnt seem to be long enough to have a 3 inch DLS t albo from egg sac. Correct me if im just reading this wrong.

Do they become obese?
Nope. I cut up superworms for my smallest slings, giving larger portions to my juveniles, and full (head smashed or cut) for the adults. If i have hornworms ill give those to adults here and there.
Offer food, remove uneaten food. 👍
 

cayen

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I might be super confused here, but 6 months doesnt seem to be long enough to have a 3 inch DLS t albo from egg sac. Correct me if im just reading this wrong.



Nope. I cut up superworms for my smallest slings, giving larger portions to my juveniles, and full (head smashed or cut) for the adults. If i have hornworms ill give those to adults here and there.
Offer food, remove uneaten food. 👍
My bad, I meant the overall body length. Excuse my misuse of the words, I'm very new to tarantula keeping. Anyways, it seems like most of you guys says it is fine to feed T's super/meal worms exclusively. I have started culturing them as well, but I think just to make sure my curly hair gets the nutrition she needs, I'll occasionally feed her other insects. Thanks again everyone!
 

darkness975

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My bad, I meant the overall body length. Excuse my misuse of the words, I'm very new to tarantula keeping. Anyways, it seems like most of you guys says it is fine to feed T's super/meal worms exclusively. I have started culturing them as well, but I think just to make sure my curly hair gets the nutrition she needs, I'll occasionally feed her other insects. Thanks again everyone!
As long as you don't use feeders from outside that is fine.
 

The Grym Reaper

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The guy from whom I bought my curly hair did not record her numbers of molt, but he told me she's 6 months old and 3 inches long (leg span). I am unsure if she is a juvenile, subadult or an adult, but the super worms are a bit big than her abdomen, so I suppose I'll feed her every month. Tell me if I'm wrong. Thanks for the info everyone!
Definitely older than 6 months at 3", I'd wager it takes around a year or so for the Honduran/Hobby form to reach 2" (my female was 2" when I got her but they grow faster than the Nicaraguan form), my Nicaraguan female is about 2.5" and she's nearly 5 years old.

At 3" I'd normally feed every 3 weeks so a superworm once a month would likely be fine, at 3" it would likely still eat regular mealworms though.

Generally speaking, a sling is under 1/3 max size, a juvenile is around 1/3 to 2/3 of max size, and a subadult/adult is over 2/3 of max size, the term subadult is generally reserved for males that are around adult size but have not had their maturing moult yet.
 

cayen

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Definitely older than 6 months at 3", I'd wager it takes around a year or so for the Honduran/Hobby form to reach 2" (my female was 2" when I got her but they grow faster than the Nicaraguan form), my Nicaraguan female is about 2.5" and she's nearly 5 years old.

At 3" I'd normally feed every 3 weeks so a superworm once a month would likely be fine, at 3" it would likely still eat regular mealworms though.

Generally speaking, a sling is under 1/3 max size, a juvenile is around 1/3 to 2/3 of max size, and a subadult/adult is over 2/3 of max size, the term subadult is generally reserved for males that are around adult size but have not had their maturing moult yet.
Is this body length, or leg span. You might have missed it, but somebody pointed out my misuse of word. What i meant by 3" is actually body length.
 

The Grym Reaper

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Is this body length, or leg span. You might have missed it, but somebody pointed out my misuse of word. What i meant by 3" is actually body length.
Leg span, nobody really uses body length as it doesn't exactly give an accurate idea of the tarantula's size, if it's 3" body then it's an adult
 

Xmariokiler

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Thanks for making this thread now I don't need to worry about about feeding my t only super worms 😎
 

yabaidesuyone

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The guy from whom I bought my curly hair did not record her numbers of molt, but he told me she's 6 months old and 3 inches long (leg span). I am unsure if she is a juvenile, subadult or an adult, but the super worms are a bit big than her abdomen, so I suppose I'll feed her every month. Tell me if I'm wrong. Thanks for the info everyone!
Doesn't seem like that young, she's probably a juvenile. You can feed her once a month, just give it a bigger meal.
If your mealworm is mall, maybe give it 2 each mealtime.
 
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