GBB - Webbed up enclosure - How to feed

Spider937372

Arachnopeon
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Feb 24, 2021
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So this is my first time dealing with a webbing T and I'm a bit confused as to how to go about feeding, or more specifically removing uneaten prey.
This is my GBB and she's webbed up the place, together with propping up leaf litter and substrate, to the point where I can barely see her anymore even in such a tiny enclosure.

Normally I'd just drop a cricket or roach in and quite easily see it the next morning or so if it hadn't been eaten, and I'd pluck it out again. :watchingyou:
I feel like that's going to be increasingly difficult in an enclosure full of web-tunnels... :confused:

Bit confused what's the best way to feed a webber while still keeping a tab on whether there's no crickets left in the enclosure... Any tips or tricks?
 

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vicareux

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This was the problem i found with my M. Balfouri as well.
What i did to counter that,i pulled up a new enclosure and left an area without web anchors in a corner of the enclosure,which will serve as a feeding ground and an easy accessible water dish area.(Bottom right on the image) I rehoused it there and so far its working as planned.
During the night i see the Balfouri patrol that area frequently,and i would toss a feeder in there,which is caught without a problem right away.
Before the rehouse,what i did was simply injure the prey and let it wiggle on the web sheet. The prey would die in case the spider wasnt interested in the wiggling,and i would simply take it since it died where i put it. And thats how i avoided having loose feeders in the webs.
20210514_195338.jpg
 

KaroKoenig

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I agree that crickets or roaches are a pain in the behind in such enclosures. I feed crickets when I am pretty sure the spider is hungry. Sometimes I stun the crickets, then drop them into the web. Sometimes they still escape and hide for a few days. No big deal. Just pick it out when you happen to see it around. When she's approaching a molt, I change to locusts. They don't hide, but almost always go up, where you can easily pick them out. You're in the UK, locusts aren't banned. They are by far the best choice for cluttered enclosures.
 

kingshockey

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Sep 4, 2017
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So this is my first time dealing with a webbing T and I'm a bit confused as to how to go about feeding, or more specifically removing uneaten prey.
This is my GBB and she's webbed up the place, together with propping up leaf litter and substrate, to the point where I can barely see her anymore even in such a tiny enclosure.

Normally I'd just drop a cricket or roach in and quite easily see it the next morning or so if it hadn't been eaten, and I'd pluck it out again. :watchingyou:
I feel like that's going to be increasingly difficult in an enclosure full of web-tunnels... :confused:

Bit confused what's the best way to feed a webber while still keeping a tab on whether there's no crickets left in the enclosure... Any tips or tricks?
its not really webbed up to badly it will get more webbed in time just usea prekilled prey placed in front of the tube entrance you know its in later as you get to know the t better(impending premolt) .known hiding places etc. you can feed live and watch it dash out to snatch its prey
 

Smotzer

ArachnoGod
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Drop it into the web and sit there and watch to see if it gets taken or where it goes, if it doesn’t get taken pretty quickly take it out and try again later. And don’t be afraid to destroy some webbing to make sure live uneaten prey isn’t still in there, they won’t run out, it won’t stress or bother them and will rebuild it.
 

Spider937372

Arachnopeon
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Feb 24, 2021
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You're in the UK, locusts aren't banned. They are by far the best choice for cluttered enclosures.
That's very interesting!
Living in an apartment though, so it's important they do not make chirping noises. The 'silent crickets' at least don't until they've fully matured at which point I've made sure they've already died (I prioritise the males).
So keeping that in mind, are locusts still a good plan? I've always assumed they'll be too noisy, but perhaps the same strategy works for them?
 
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That's very interesting!
Living in an apartment though, so it's important they do not make chirping noises. The 'silent crickets' at least don't until they've fully matured at which point I've made sure they've already died (I prioritise the males).
So keeping that in mind, are locusts still a good plan? I've always assumed they'll be too noisy, but perhaps the same strategy works for them?
Hi
locusts doesn't make noice but die off quite easily even compared to crickets.
Also that enclosure is way low for a GBB.
Get appropriate size critter keeper instead. This will give you more height and the little access window on top makes it easily to do your husbandry if she webs the lid shut.You will be destroying far less amount of webbing when you open these(Not that the GBB won't replace it overnight but still less stress for the spider and you)
Pics below 2 different 2 inch GBBs in same stile enclosures( small critter keeper from The range or Pound stretcher at £4.99)at initial setup.Later those are full of webbing top to bottom.
20210401_110022.jpg 20200519_191138.jpg 20200423_172215.jpg 20200423_172255.jpg 20200423_172433.jpg

Also dont bother with leaf litter just anchor points as everything, absolutely everything will be webbed up and you won't see it.
If you notice I encourage them to web away from the dish by positioning my anchor points in the other half of the enclosure. Later when that fails I just place one bottle cap on top of the web,then another one and another one .Well you get the idea.lol
Regards Konstantin
 
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Spider937372

Arachnopeon
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KaroKoenig

Arachnobaron
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locusts doesn't make noice
That's true. Another great thing about them. Also, if you go for desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria), they are actually rather pretty.

but die off quite easily even compared to crickets.
That depends, really. In my case, I observed that death of locusts in my care is to a large degree due to bad molts. I have started to use a high enough critter keeper with some sticks put at an angle of 45° or steeper. Since then, at least the small specimens molt fine and live many weeks. Apart from that, I keep them bone dry, but with a bottle cap as water dish - which they use frequently - and a diet of fresh slices of vegetables or a few blades of grass every day (if you have a pesticide-free garden at your disposal). If you don't feed them too much and clean their enclosure somewhat frequently, you will have a healthy supply of food items for weeks.
Another thing with crickets vs. locusts: It might be that the perceived number of deaths is biased. Crickets dispose off their dead mates via cannibalizing them. Locusts don't, which is why you tend to actually find the dead.
Long story short: Both crickets and locusts can be kept alive for very long periods of time. It does mean, however, that you end up spending way more time caring for your food items than for your tarantulas. For me personally, that's fine. They are gonna get eaten by a big spider with enormous fangs, or impaled by an assassin bug. They deserve decent treatment :).

Also dont bother with leaf litter just anchor points as everything, absolutely everything will be webbed up and you won't see it.
In this matter, I have a different opinion. I had a lot of fun watching my Chromatopelma collect all the dry leaves one by one and quite strategically incorporate them into her web castle. So yeah, they are certainly not necessary. But they do give the spider an opportunity to show some more varied behaviour, which is probably beneficial for her, and definetly a plus for the keeper. I must admit that the nightly rustling in the terrarium was a little annoying when I slept in the same room :).
 
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I'd kinda argue that the pictures you've posted would allow for a pretty nasty fall though..
Nah
Overall height of enclosure empty is no more then 15cm.When substrate and decor is added it is pretty safe for 2 inch GBB even without the web that is usually laid thick in less than 48h.
Anyway Im not gonna get into debate about it.
I simply wanted to give you few pointers what you want out of an enclosure and how to set it up so you have decent access for maintenance and don't pull up all decor every time you remove the lid if the webbing doesn't brake
Also if kept correctly In GBB enclosure the boluses that you won't be able to access will just dry up and give you no trouble at all.
In regards of feeding if you suspect that your T may not eat just crush your pray head it will still give away vibration to be found but will not hide and will be easy to be removed later.
PS The size of the keeper I am referring to is actually the mini version not the small.Ops my bad.Haha
Regards Konstantin
 
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