Does humidity really help with T growth rates?

[Isaax Critterz]

Don't need to get specific. Is this only a rumor that's been going around in the hobby, or it is factual? Are they any other factors that can contribute to the growth rates of T's? Gut-feeding you're feeders probably wont help the T get bigger overall but might make it go into pre-molt earlier in my opinion...

 

[viper69]

1. I’ve not observed this, and doubt it’s true. I’d need data to believe this from primary research.
2. Yes

 

[TechnoGeek]

Don't need to get specific. Is this only a rumor that's been going around in the hobby, or it is factual? Are they any other factors that can contribute to the growth rates of T's? Gut-feeding you're feeders probably wont help the T get bigger overall but might make it go into pre-molt earlier in my opinion...

Growth speed is determined by many things, one of which is beyond your control, and that's genetics. The rest are temperature, feeding frequency, and food quality. If any of the above is lacking, growth will happen slower.

Humidity has no effect on growth rate in my experience, it's important for other things like avoiding a stuck molt.

See my thread on growth rates for more details.

 

[viper69]

Growth speed is determined by many things, one of which is beyond your control, and that's genetics. The rest are temperature, feeding frequency, and food quality. If any of the above is lacking, growth will happen slower.

Humidity has no effect on growth rate in my experience, it's important for other things like avoiding a stuck molt.

See my thread on growth rates for more details.

Also the metabolism of the specimen/ species

I have species that have slower metabolism than other species

 

[TechnoGeek]

Also the metabolism of the specimen/ species

I have species that have slower metabolism than other species

Metabolism variations among individuals within the same species is controlled by genetics.

Sure, growth does vary hugely between different species (partially because metabolism varies) but I assumed he was talking about accelerating the growth rate of an individual T.

 

[cold blood]

moisture in the air above the t is not relevant...ts simply need damp sub....that said, its not something that will affect growth...temps and food intake will dictate growth rates.

 

[viper69]

Metabolism variations among individuals within the same species is controlled by genetics.

Sure, growth does vary hugely between different species (partially because metabolism varies) but I assumed he was talking about accelerating the growth rate of an individual T.

Who knows why s/he asked

 

[Frogdaddy]

Don't need to get specific. Is this only a rumor that's been going around in the hobby, or it is factual? Are they any other factors that can contribute to the growth rates of T's? Gut-feeding you're feeders probably wont help the T get bigger overall but might make it go into pre-molt earlier in my opinion...

Where did you hear this "rumor"? Facebook?
Why would gut loading not increase the size but make it go into pre-molt faster? That makes no sense to me.
If your spider is eating more nutritious meals it would have more metabolic reserves to put into growth right?
What will make your T go into pre-molt quicker is more frequent/larger meals. However it will also be in pre-molt for a longer period of time before molting. How does gut loading make a spider go into pre-molt faster?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Where did you hear this "rumor"? Facebook?
Why would gut loading not increase the size but make it go into pre-molt faster? That makes no sense to me.
If your spider is eating more nutritious meals it would have more metabolic reserves to put into growth right?
What will make your T go into pre-molt quicker is more frequent/larger meals. However it will also be in pre-molt for a longer period of time before molting. How does gut loading make a spider go into pre-molt faster?

Hmm better question is what’s the difference between this gut loading and typical food you feed your roaches etc ? ? Is there some special mix or something?
power feeding really doesn’t work to well either if your spider refuses food often, I got one that let two superworms escape last night now I got another problem.

 

[cold blood]

Hmm better question is what’s the difference between this gut loading and typical food you feed your roaches etc ? ? Is there some special mix or something?
power feeding really doesn’t work to well either if your spider refuses food often, I got one that let two superworms escape last night now I got another problem.

gutloading = feeding when it comes to tarantulas.

The term really means loading feeders with specific nutrients beneficial/critical to the animal being fed's long term health....which makes this a reptile term, incorrectly applied to ts, as ts don't have such specific nutritional needs required for long term health.

 

[Dorifto]

Don't need to get specific. Is this only a rumor that's been going around in the hobby, or it is factual? Are they any other factors that can contribute to the growth rates of T's? Gut-feeding you're feeders probably wont help the T get bigger overall but might make it go into pre-molt earlier in my opinion...

If your question is related if humidity will affect Ts as individuals, I highly doubt it, it will simply provide better or worse conditions to molt properly.

As species, most fast growers Ts thrive in high humidity conditions, while most slow growers are present in drier ones. Imho that difference in growing rates it's related to the food availability and the disponibility of the right conditions to molt properly rather than the humidity itself.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Hmm better question is what’s the difference between this gut loading and typical food you feed your roaches etc ? ? Is there some special mix or something?
power feeding really doesn’t work to well either if your spider refuses food often, I got one that let two superworms escape last night now I got another problem.

My roaches don't get any different diet no matter if they are being fed off that week or not. Fresh Organic Kale, maybe a slice of sweet potato, frozen green peas, a pinch of fish food once a month, the occasional apple or orange slice. Actually this week they are getting some watermelon rind because I had watermelon over the weekend. If they are really good they get an unruly child from the neighborhood, shhhh.
But apparently I should start feeding them beef because we all know tarantulas love beef. But not bacon, I'm saving that for me.

 

[TechnoGeek]

gutloading = feeding when it comes to tarantulas.

The term really means loading feeders with specific nutrients beneficial/critical to the animal being fed's long term health....which makes this a reptile term, incorrectly applied to ts, as ts don't have such specific nutritional needs required for long term health.

Gut loading for me mostly means making sure the insects are healthy and well fed before offering them to inverts or reptiles. The only difference is that I dust feeders if it's for a reptile.

In my humble experience, feeding a diversity of insects is all that's needed whether you're feeding a reptile or an invert (sans the additional calcium and vit d3 needed for reptiles). No special nutrients fed to the insects.

As for what I use for gut loading, it's everything. Potato, carrots, cabbage, corn, orange slices, apple slices, crested gecko diet, repashy bug burger, repashy grub pie, cat food, and crushed oatmeal cereal. Whatever I have on hand basically, minus silly things like chocolate or precessed carbs obv. And I rarely feed more than 1 or 2 kinds of food at a time.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Gut loading for me mostly means making sure the insects are healthy and well fed before offering them to inverts or reptiles. The only difference is that I dust feeders if it's for a reptile.

In my humble experience, feeding a diversity of insects is all that's needed whether you're feeding a reptile or an invert (sans the additional calcium and vit d3 needed for reptiles). No special nutrients fed to the insects.

As for what I use for gut loading, it's everything. Potato, carrots, cabbage, corn, orange slices, apple slices, crested gecko diet, repashy bug burger, repashy grub pie, cat food, and crushed oatmeal cereal. Whatever I have on hand basically, minus silly things like chocolate or precessed carbs obv. And I rarely feed more than 1 or 2 kinds of food at a time.

So are you supposed to feed various veggies/fruit to super worms before feeding them off ? Ofc if feeding roaches they already have been fed these things. I don’t have enough roaches to feed any off .
I can try and gut load them next time. Probably takes a day or two ?