Goliath bird eater feeding

Mancunian Lee

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Messages
5
Thinking of getting a GBE but wondered how old/what size should they be before i start feeding them pinkie mice?

Lots of care sheets suggest they like 'em and i have a healthy supply as i keep snakes.

Is it ok to put them on these? Im happy to give them the usual bugs and mealworm etc but i thought giving them pinkies might be an idea given their size :)
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
8,656
Its a once and a while kinda deal... There is some evidence there is to much calicum in a mouse diet... and that might cause heath issues, but personally I feed them a pinky once every 6 months or so....... normally after a molt. As for the size you can do that at...... id say 4"+. Crickets and roaches will do just fine mice are not a needed part of the diet.
 

Mancunian Lee

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Messages
5
Cheers, i figured its probably best as a treat. How about meal worm, how often can i feed it that? Dead or alive too, which is best for them?

Ive never seen roaches for sale in the UK, will have to have a look round for some, its crickets and moths round here and nothing else. So i wouldnt mind introducing something else as a treat at the very least.
 

phil jones

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
1,051
hi how about LOCUST adults or big hoppers ? or SUPER MEALWORMS -- zophobas morio -- as for pink mice just think of the SMELL of any remains:8o :8o :8o :eek: -- phil
 

Mancunian Lee

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Messages
5
Super mealworms freak me out :D

The smell of pinkies isnt a problem mate, we keep snakes and their poops can be so smelly they make me wretch but if you clean 'em up it soon goes away.
 

Jonathan Rice

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
149
I'd say 2"+ but all t's are different. Some will tackle larger prey while some won't. If your minds set on feeding them pinkies, introduce it to them. But in my opinion, 2"+ (probably like 3") T. blondis should take pinkies. Let us know how it works out. Spare us the leftover pics though.. haha..
 

C_Strike

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
444
Vertebrate fat is wholely different to invert fat.. i have read that this has been attributedd to problems b4. IMO, at 2inch thy have alot of growing, and if u seriously intend to have your spider mature without serious problems, i wouldnt risk feeding inverts. If i do, its ONY because my snake wasnt interested and its a full grown T. blondi with a very small pinkie.
I would never feed them anything more than 1 pinkie per quart of year.. i consider it to be a risk not workth taken... The only justification i can see is that in captivity we do take away the broad spectrum of food on the table.. solely crix and a few others.. occasional pinkies im sure will introduce different amounts of different vauable substances to the diet.. Its upto you whether you decide the benefit outweighes the risk.
 

nomadofthehills

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
36
I'm a big newbie, but my friend has a blondi that eats mice, and its fangs go right through a mouse skull like butter. Why would it evolve such powerful fangs if not to eat vertebrates? It will eat both crickets and mice, it also ate an anole. Obviously, he is a powerfeeder lol.

This is a pic of it:

 

Brian S

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
6,526
I'd say 2"+ but all t's are different. Some will tackle larger prey while some won't. If your minds set on feeding them pinkies, introduce it to them. But in my opinion, 2"+ (probably like 3") T. blondis should take pinkies. Let us know how it works out. Spare us the leftover pics though.. haha..
More like 5+ inches. You give a pinky to one that small it probably wont attack and if it does it probably wont eat it all which will leave a nice mess you get to clean up. I quit doing that because of the mess. Even if you get the leftovers out of the tank fast, some of the liquid remains from the pinky will get in the substrate which attracts phorid flies and mites and other nasties. One at least 5 inches will probably eat the entire pink but I dont even feed large spiders that anymore, thats what large Discoid roaches are for ;)
 
Top