How Much and Often to Feed?

[icenola]

I just bought two T's:

1. Giant White Knee
2. Brazilian Black and White

Both are 3" and I am curious about how often and how much is the correct amount to feed these guys. I'm told once a week....about 4 or 5 crickets.

Well...on Friday the 8th...I gave these guys 5 crickets each, and they gobbled em up like candy. Seemed like they wanted more..but I held off.

Now..all week long...they seem to be looking for more..wanting more...roaming....looking...waiting....and I am having a hard time holding out til the next Friday to give em 5 more. Just feels like I'm starving em or something.

Thought perhaps giving em maybe 2 crickets..every other day would be ok? Is there such a thing as "too" much?

How ofter and how much do you feed yours??

Thanks..

George

 

[Mushroom Spore]

1. Giant White Knee
2. Brazilian Black and White

Both are 3"

I would do three crickets once a week, maybe four.

Just feels like I'm starving em or something.

It is pretty much impossible to starve a tarantula--they can go for many months, sometimes even a year or two without eating and be fine. They will ALWAYS act like they're starving to death until they've gotten enough food to power their next molt, and then stop eating and go into pre-molt. They do not understand that there are humans who will feed them regularly, so for all they know, if they don't eat NOW NOW NOW, they might not see food again for eight months.

Thought perhaps giving em maybe 2 crickets..every other day would be ok? Is there such a thing as "too" much?

There is definitely such a thing as too much, and that would be too much. Obesity is not healthy for ANY animal species. Furthermore, the tarantula aging process is not measured in time, but in molts. Eat, store energy, hit the needed level to molt and stop eating, molt, grow, repeat. If you overfeed them, you speed the process up, especially with faster-growing species (who also already don't live as long as the slower-growers).

 

[G. pulchra]

I like to feed mine twice a week, about two to four crickets each depending on the size and type of T.

 

[Nitibus]

I like to feed mine twice a week, about two to four crickets each depending on the size and type of T.

8 crickets a week ! That's way too much. Power feeding shorthens their lifespan.

 

[Shayna]

Wow I'm glad there is a thread like this, I had read 1 cricket every one or two weeks so that is what I was doing. I gather 2 or 3 crix a week is reasonable though? thanks.

 

[Tim St.]

G.rosea only eats maybe 2/1 crickets a week, ill feed her 5 wonce in a while so i dont have to take a trip to the pet store for couple weeks, i feed my slings 2 crickets a week, its really hot in my Apartment so i keep water dishes, and everyones good. Also try to feed them other things for a better diet,a like meal worm every other week.

 

[lunixweb]

Two or three preys once a week is perfect, even your T will advise you.. if you see preys after two days that you give them, take out them and feed your T with new preys one week later.

 

[AubZ]

My G Rosea adult had 10 crix in a week when I first got her, but then I also heard about power feeding, so decided to rather feed twice a week and give a max of 2 per feeding. I know someone that only feeds a max of 6 crickets a month to adults and all is well. Personally I would rather give more. I was told to watch the abdomen and if it looks swollen stop feeding until next molt.

 

[JMoran1097]

we need to sticky one of these threads. just sayin'

 

[widowkeeper]

this is what i do for most of my Ts there are exceptions

my adult Ts first meal home or first meal after a molt they get 3 to 5 crickets a day till they refuse food or just kill and dont eat it right away they then are offerd 2 to 3 crickets a week untill the next moult

juves the same just smaller crickets

slings get baby crickets and or prekilled small crickets, cut meal worms (no heads)they are allways fed what i think they can or need to eat untill 3/4 to 1 '' then they get 1 a week

 

[TalonAWD]

They will ALWAYS act like they're starving to death until they've gotten enough food to power their next molt, and then stop eating and go into pre-molt. They do not understand that there are humans who will feed them regularly, so for all they know, if they don't eat NOW NOW NOW, they might not see food again for eight months.

There is definitely such a thing as too much. Obesity is not healthy for ANY animal species. Furthermore, the tarantula aging process is not measured in time, but in molts. Eat, store energy, hit the needed level to molt and stop eating, molt, grow, repeat. If you overfeed them, you speed the process up, especially with faster-growing species (who also already don't live as long as the slower-growers).

That is exactly the best explanation for how to feed a tarantula. Now feeding my new tarantulas will be done with this statement in mind.

 

[mitchell123]

I keep them all on strict diets , adults 2 large crickets and 1 one dola every two weeks. My T. blondi 1 mouse every 12 months +- and every week on large B.dubia or some grasshoppers. Only when breeding i will feed them more.
Varity is also important in my opinion. In winter periods i'll cut there food supply low unless it's a tropical species.