Feeding frequency

[JamesMiracle]

We have a Brachypelma vagans and a Brachypelma albopilosum that we fed for the first time today. (It was awesome) They both are about an 1”. How often you guys think they should be fed?

 

[Ungoliant]

We have a Brachypelma vagans and a Brachypelma albopilosum that we fed for the first time today. (It was awesome) They both are about an 1”. How often you guys think they should be fed?

I feed my slings diced mealworms about once a week.

You can feed more or less often depending on the size of the meal.

 

[Theneil]

i feed besically everything once a week or every other week for some of my larger specimens. Frequency of feeding is dependant on Temperature feedersize:Tsize, species, and personal preference.

 

[Vanessa]

I will usually feed twice a week, until they get out of that delicate stage. For normal sized spiders (5-7"), I would start doing once a week at around the 2" mark.

 

[cold blood]

Here's the fact....there is no one best feeding schedule. One person could feed 3 times a week, one twice a week, one weekly, one every 2 weeks and another just once a month and all of these people could raise healthy spiders.

Larger the prey, the longer you can go between feedings....they need more food just after molting and a whole lot less when they plump up.

Don't get caught up on feeding schedules, its about the last thing a new keeper should worry about (right there with humidity).

 

[moricollins]

Here's the fact....there is no one best feeding schedule. One person could feed 3 times a week, one twice a week, one weekly, one every 2 weeks and another just once a month and all of these people could raise healthy spiders.

Larger the prey, the longer you can go between feedings....they need more food just after molting and a whole lot less when they plump up.

Don't get caught up on feeding schedules, its about the last thing a new keeper should worry about (right there with humidity).

By "just after molting" @cold blood means when the tarantula is ready to eat again, not immediately after it finishes molting.

I'll second the motion that there's no best feeding schedule.

 

[EtienneN]

I feed slings less than 1.5 inches in legspan twice a week and everyone else weekly, but I agree you can pretty much do it however you want.

 

[ccTroi]

I feed my collection, adults and slings, once a month. Just as mentioned earlier, I feed larger prey to my specimens and top off everyone’s water dish.
When I had a smaller collection, I would feed once a week if not once every two weeks. I always make sure drinking water is accessible.

 

[JamesMiracle]

Thanks guys!! We fed a medium cricket to each of them. They devoured them pretty quickly. Was the first time so it was fun to watch! Is crickets a good enough diet or should we change it up?

 

[JamesMiracle]

Our red rump

 

[Dapink02]

Thanks guys!! We fed a medium cricket to each of them. They devoured them pretty quickly. Was the first time so it was fun to watch! Is crickets a good enough diet or should we change it up?

I usually try two or three different types of food and you can see how yours react to each. I've had Avics that wouldn't touch any sort of larvae, but devour crickets, and I've had a B. albopilosum only eat larvae. If yours is sort of 'picky' I would try giving your feeders a variety of food.

 

[Theneil]

Crickets are fine. Mixing it up is mot neccessary but wont hurt either.

A tarantulas nutritional needs can be met with being fed almost any common feeder insect exclusively. The only one that is often debated is using Flightless fruit flies (FFF), but any of the following will work fine.
Crickets, mealworms, super worms, red runners, dubia roaches, and probably any other roach sp.. I have even heard of people raising termites, though it seems pretty uncommon.

 

[krbshappy71]

Here's the fact....there is no one best feeding schedule.

Don't get caught up on feeding schedules, its about the last thing a new keeper should worry about (right there with humidity).

If not feeding and humidity, then what should I be worrying about? (saving up for more T's?) --new and Professional Worrier

 

[Theneil]

If not feeding and humidity, then what should I be worrying about? (saving up for more T's?) --new and Professional Worrier

You really don’t need to worry very much. LOL

1. Get the enclosure right. appropriate size and type, some ventilation, right amount of substrate, and substrate moist/dry depending on species and size.

2. Access to water. this is solved 99% of the time by simply providing a waterdish (no need for sponge or anything, just water)

3. Feed them. You don’t need a set schedule. Slings you can just feed as much as they will eat. juveniles and adults you can slow down a bit. Just make sure the abdomen is gradually getting larger (Never smaller) throughout a molt cycle and you will be fine. They have very slow metabolisms so it is unlikely that you will underfeed a tarantula.

4. do some occasional spot cleaning to remove food leftovers.

5. Visually observe in awe at your little pets.

6. There is so much you can learn about them that Isn’t actually needed in order to keep them alive and healthy, so if you need more to keep yourself occupied, there are tons or papers (and a few books) out there that you can read to learn more.

 

[Vanisher]

Slings- Twice a week
Juveniles- Ones a week
Adult females - every 2 weeks
Adult males- Once a week (if they will eat?)

Adult G roseas- Ones a month

 

[krbshappy71]

You really don’t need to worry very much. LOL

1. Get the enclosure right. appropriate size and type, some ventilation, right amount of substrate, and substrate moist/dry depending on species and size.

2. Access to water. this is solved 99% of the time by simply providing a waterdish (no need for sponge or anything, just water)

3. Feed them. You don’t need a set schedule. Slings you can just feed as much as they will eat. juveniles and adults you can slow down a bit. Just make sure the abdomen is gradually getting larger (Never smaller) throughout a molt cycle and you will be fine. They have very slow metabolisms so it is unlikely that you will underfeed a tarantula.

4. do some occasional spot cleaning to remove food leftovers.

5. Visually observe in awe at your little pets.

6. There is so much you can learn about them that Isn’t actually needed in order to keep them alive and healthy, so if you need more to keep yourself occupied, there are tons or papers (and a few books) out there that you can read to learn more.

Super useful, thank you for taking the time to write this!

 

[Theneil]

Super useful, thank you for taking the time to write this!

Happy to help.

 

[darkness975]

@krbshappy71 I don't have any schedule. I feed when I remember to do it usually.

 

[viper69]

We have a Brachypelma vagans and a Brachypelma albopilosum that we fed for the first time today. (It was awesome) They both are about an 1”. How often you guys think they should be fed?

As often as they will eat

 

[CorCam]

Here's the fact....there is no one best feeding schedule. One person could feed 3 times a week, one twice a week, one weekly, one every 2 weeks and another just once a month and all of these people could raise healthy spiders.

Larger the prey, the longer you can go between feedings....they need more food just after molting and a whole lot less when they plump up.

Don't get caught up on feeding schedules, its about the last thing a new keeper should worry about (right there with humidity).

Question: we put a Dubai in the burrow of our Skeleton Leg. He ignored it so far. If we can’t get the Dubai out is that bad?