Chaco Golden Knee questions - Hide and feeding schedule

[becks0303]

1st question: i've added a cork bark hide to the enclosure, but the Chaco juvenile i have just sits outside and not go into the hide

2nd question: it just molted over 2 weeks ago and was looking thin. i decided to feed it 3 medium crickets over the last 2 days, am i overfeeding for a T this size?

The T is about 3.5 inches DLS, prob juvenile (Attached pictures to show the length , not the dls)

 

[Benson1990]

Lots of T's decide not to use their hides, it normal.

Regarding the second question, after a T molts it will be at it's hungriest so you can feed it up a bit, but as it packs on a bit of size you can reduce the feeding, go by the abdomen size not a schedule.

 

[Jonathan6303]

1st question: i've added a cork bark hide to the enclosure, but the Chaco juvenile i have just sits outside and not go into the hide

2nd question: it just molted over 2 weeks ago and was looking thin. i decided to feed it 3 medium crickets over the last 2 days, am i overfeeding for a T this size?

The T is about 3.5 inches DLS, prob juvenile (Attached pictures to show the length , not the dls)

Your enclosure looks really empty. I would add some fake plants to provide security for your t.

 

[becks0303]

Your enclosure looks really empty. I would add some fake plants to provide security for your t.

that is an older photo i attached , right now its got a water dish and a cork bark hide , do you think that is still too empty?

 

[Jonathan6303]

that is an older photo i attached , right now its got a water dish and a cork bark hide , do you think that is still too empty?

Well once a t settles in, it settles in. Adding more plants and decoration gives your spider more security. When your t settles in it doesn’t matter much since the majority of there time will be spent in there burrow

 

[goonius]

1st question: i've added a cork bark hide to the enclosure, but the Chaco juvenile i have just sits outside and not go into the hide

2nd question: it just molted over 2 weeks ago and was looking thin. i decided to feed it 3 medium crickets over the last 2 days, am i overfeeding for a T this size?

The T is about 3.5 inches DLS, prob juvenile (Attached pictures to show the length , not the dls)

Our adult female G pulchripes (Chaco Golden Knee) RARELY uses her hide. She sits on top of it more often. When she molted last year she did go into the hide for over a month, and webbed herself in. The hide is good to have because it gives them a secure place to go. Some species and some specific specimens will or will not be more prone to using it. You’re still doing the right thing by offering it.

A spider that size probably won’t need to eat more than once or twice a week. If you’re feeding crickets, a couple would be a reasonable meal. The downside to overfeeding is you’ll have a tarantula that stops eating for long stretches once it gets full and if you’re new to the hobby, that may worry you. In my experience, this species can fast for long stretches even if you don’t overfeed. As has already been said, once the spider begins to look plump again you will want to go by the size of the abdomen and slow down feedings. And be sure to remove any uneaten feeders.

 

[jc55]

Mine rarely uses the hide i put in there and is either on top of it or just out in general.It tends to use the hide when it is getting ready to molt from what i have observed and i would also go by the size of the abdomen to determine how much or how often you feed your tarantula but remember they can also go long periods of time where they will refuse to eat as well.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I'd feed once every 2-3 weeks at that size, their growth slows considerably once they pass 2" so it's easier to overfeed.

hat is an older photo i attached , right now its got a water dish and a cork bark hide , do you think that is still too empty?

It's not gonna hurt, I gave mine a bunch of fake plants and she ripped all but two of them up (the ones she left were just outside the entrance of her hide which she never uses)

 

[cold blood]

that is an older photo i attached , right now its got a water dish and a cork bark hide , do you think that is still too empty?

No, decorations are generally for you when it comes to large terrestrials...most of them don't hide much once they gain a little size. You arent housing it wrong or doing anything wrong as far as I can see.

If your t felt it needed more security, it would be in the hide provided.

 

[viper69]

I’d feed it more