How long can a tarantula go without eating?

[samwhale]

I have a Brachypelma vagans sling/juvi. I've had him for about 4 months and has molted thrice since. His (I assume hes male cause I tried sexing him but am not sure) usual routine goes as most t's, burrow and molt. However, this time I had to rehouse him after his molt (about 5 days after). There is a hide in his enclosure. His abdomen is also relatively small because he just molted. Its been about 2 weeks since I last fed him. Now, he burrowed himself inside the enclosure and the cover to his hide is small. Should I attempt to feed him? and if so, how?

 

[RezonantVoid]

A tarantula can go months without eating, in fact i have one that has been refusing food for 6 months up until a few weeks ago. As long as they are well fed prior to fasting and have acess to water, they will nearly always be ok for a significant length of time. As slings (im tallking actual tiny slings, like less than 20mm length) they can sometimes eat the day after molting but this time period goes up as they grow. 2 weeks is about the minimum i wait mine as juvi or adult

 

[samwhale]

Is it safe to say that I should just wait for him to go out before i start putting feeders in his enclosure?

 

[RezonantVoid]

If you're using meal worms i would definitely wait in case they burrow, but if it has webbed its burrow over you could always leave a cricket or roach in for a few hours and see if it comes out to eat

 

[viper69]

I have a Brachypelma vagans sling/juvi. I've had him for about 4 months and has molted thrice since. His (I assume hes male cause I tried sexing him but am not sure) usual routine goes as most t's, burrow and molt. However, this time I had to rehouse him after his molt (about 5 days after). There is a hide in his enclosure. His abdomen is also relatively small because he just molted. Its been about 2 weeks since I last fed him. Now, he burrowed himself inside the enclosure and the cover to his hide is small. Should I attempt to feed him? and if so, how?

Depends on the size, species, temperature and hydration of T.

 

[Thekla]

Did he eat after the last moult? Do you have pictures of the T and his enclosure he's currently in?

 

[clive 82]

How long ago did you re house it? IME some (not all ) Ts take a little while after re housing to eat.

 

[Vanisher]

I have a Brachypelma vagans sling/juvi. I've had him for about 4 months and has molted thrice since. His (I assume hes male cause I tried sexing him but am not sure) usual routine goes as most t's, burrow and molt. However, this time I had to rehouse him after his molt (about 5 days after). There is a hide in his enclosure. His abdomen is also relatively small because he just molted. Its been about 2 weeks since I last fed him. Now, he burrowed himself inside the enclosure and the cover to his hide is small. Should I attempt to feed him? and if so, how?

It depend on the age of the spider. A spiderling starves to death faster than a adult. And also what speicies we are talking about. A adult Aphonopelma chalcodes can survive longer without food than an adult Avicularia sp
There are instances with adult speicies of northamerican speicies go over 2 years with no food

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Even tiny slings can go several months without eating*, a tarantula not eating for 2 weeks is a non-issue. Just make sure it has water available/dampen the sub as needed.

*I've had a 1cm A. bicoloratum and 3cm B. albiceps both refuse to eat for 5 months, and I've also had a 1cm B. auratum refuse to eat for 4 months.