Feeding Ts

[0bscure]

Just a quick question on what everyone's opinion of insects that are the safest to feed to your T. Although I am having pretty decent luck with getting a little farm of superworms started up, I just wanna know what other options there are that could be equal to or more reliable while still being friendly on the wallet.

[ADDED:] I forgot to mention, but I was planning to actually switch from superworms in case my attempt to have them breed in their own container didn't go over well...

 

[me and my Ts]

Red runner roaches are cheap and easy to breed.

 

[cold blood]

Pretty much anything that's not caught in the wild...tarantulas tend to not be picky....there is no indication that ts require certain, or even varied diets...many a tarantula has been raised just fine on mealworms alone, or crickets, or roaches, etc.

Mealies are super cheap, many roach species are very easy to cultivate, but make sure you have enough mouths to feed before starting a roach colony.

 

[0bscure]

{...} many a tarantula has been raised just fine on mealworms alone, or crickets, or roaches, etc.

Meralies are super cheap, many roach species are very easy to cultivate, but make sure you have enough mouths to feed before starting a roach colony.

I only have one tarantula, S. American Pink Toe. I still consider myself a beginner in keeping Ts. I did try crickets, when I was still keeping wolf spiders. Though, no matter how nice I kept the cricket containers, the rate they would die was comedically bad... Which is why I moved to superworms. As of today, I did find there's been freshly hatched larvae moving around in the substrate, so I may have no need to switch my T's food.

I was asking for other options, in case my luck with the superworms flunked (doesn't look like the case, fortunately). Though, I'll still keep in consideration to check out roaches.
Much appreciated. ^^

 

[Liquifin]

How large is this tarantula? If you have an adult or a larger tarantula, then red runners are an explosive in reproduction feeder that are easy to keep as a feeder colony. The only downside is that red runners can become house invasive if they escape. So there is your warning, but they are great as feeders for tarantulas and are usually recommended. The one question I have is that why are you saying it's becoming a wallet or financial issue when tarantulas are very cheap to feed and care for. Also you only have one tarantula, so how can it be not wallet friendly? One tarantula is so cheap to care for in comparison to most other exotic pets or any pet for that matter.

 

[Matt Man]

Worms can be good but there's the hole 'crush the head so they don't become a threat'
Dubai can be good but can burrow before your T gets to them, pretty easy to keep a colony
Red Runners are awesome, pretty easy to have a colony, but be careful they don't get loose
Crickets / Hoppers are good but some folks don't like the smell. You can have a colony as well, but for me when 20 of them is a dollar I go lazy

 

[0bscure]

The one question I have is that why are you saying it's becoming a wallet or financial issue when tarantulas are very cheap to feed and care for. Also you only have one tarantula, so how can it be not wallet friendly? One tarantula is so cheap to care for in comparison to most other exotic pets or any pet for that matter.

It's not the T, at all. It was saying less expensive, because I used to use crickets as feeders. When I was keeping my wolf spiders, I was constantly going back every week to the pet store that supplies the crickets. After a while of doing that, it started adding up and I saw it was becoming a problem between trying to provide them a decent living space, plenty of fresh vegetables, etc. only for over half the crickets already dead in a day or two or managed to get passed the petroleum lining, through the screen lid, and gone. Sure, they were reasonably priced, but I could never manage to get them to live long enough to start colonising.

 

[arthurliuyz]

over half the crickets already dead in a day or two or managed to get passed the petroleum lining, through the screen lid, and gone. Sure, they were reasonably priced, but I could never manage to get them to live long enough to start colonising.

I had this problem during my jumping spider days as well.
Now, I have a colony of dubias for the larger spiders and a large batch of normal-sized mealworms (~2-3cm) and newborn mealworms (~0.5cm) for the different sized slings as my go-to feeder, I also mix in the occasional superworm for the big ones and red runner nymphs for the slings, but the latter two is just a buy-and-feed-them-all-off senario.

 

[Mustafa67]

Just a quick question on what everyone's opinion of insects that are the safest to feed to your T. Although I am having pretty decent luck with getting a little farm of superworms started up, I just wanna know what other options there are that could be equal to or more reliable while still being friendly on the wallet.

[ADDED:] I forgot to mention, but I was planning to actually switch from superworms in case my attempt to have them breed in their own container didn't go over well...

I give mine hoppers (locusts).

 

[cold blood]

I only have one tarantula, S. American Pink Toe

fwiw, this tells us nothing with regards to the species.....there are dozens of species of pink toes, and just about all of them live somewhere in south america.

I give mine hoppers (locusts).

which are only available in Europe.

how nice I kept the cricket containers, the rate they would die was comedically bad.

crickets of most species are particularly difficult to cultivate.....but there is one...if you can find banded crickets, they are the exception....super hardy...they are as easy to keep as roaches.

 

[Introvertebrate]

crickets of most species are particularly difficult to cultivate.....but there is one...if you can find banded crickets, they are the exception....super hardy...they are as easy to keep as roaches.

I've had pretty good results with a second generation of Acheta domesticus. Their parents were purchased at PetSmart, and died off left and right. Oddly, this second generation has been bulletproof. It's as if they've been quarantined from the cricket virus.

 

[cold blood]

I've had pretty good results with a second generation of Acheta domesticus. Their parents were purchased at PetSmart, and died off left and right. Oddly, this second generation has been bulletproof. It's as if they've been quarantined from the cricket virus.

banded are actually the solution to that virus....as this particular species doesnt contract it.

 

[Introvertebrate]

banded are actually the solution to that virus....as this particular species doesnt contract it.

They have a greater resistance, but they still contract it.

 

[cold blood]

They have a greater resistance, but they still contract it.

Thanks for clarification.