How often do you feed your T's?

wndurham

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
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20
Hello fellow T addicts! How often do you feed your T's? I have an adult G. rosea, sub adult N. coloratovillosus, and sub adult P. murinus that I feed once a week. I also have a juvenile L. parahybana and juvenile A. metallica that I have been feeding twice a week. The adults get large crickets or super worms and the juveniles get small crickets and small super worms? Am I feeding them too much/not enough? None of them are over weight but when I read the various care sheets floating around the internet I have read everything from feed them 5-7 crickets a week to feeding one cricket once a month????? So I offer the question, how often do you feed your T's?
 

Sam_Peanuts

Arachnobaron
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Apr 21, 2010
Messages
408
It depends on a lot of factors like what species it is, how big it is, the size of the prey, the temperature you keep them at and probably other factors that don't come to mind right now.

Bottom line, don't worry about it too much since it's not that important. They'll only grow slower or faster depending on what you give them. Just make sure their abdomen doesn't get too big once juvie and adults or they'll have a bigger risk of injuring themselves.

If the abdomen isn't too small or too big, you're feeding her fine.
 

cold blood

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Hello fellow T addicts! How often do you feed your T's? I have an adult G. rosea, sub adult N. coloratovillosus, and sub adult P. murinus that I feed once a week. I also have a juvenile L. parahybana and juvenile A. metallica that I have been feeding twice a week. The adults get large crickets or super worms and the juveniles get small crickets and small super worms? Am I feeding them too much/not enough? None of them are over weight but when I read the various care sheets floating around the internet I have read everything from feed them 5-7 crickets a week to feeding one cricket once a month????? So I offer the question, how often do you feed your T's?
Don't rely on care-sheets for info, they are all over the place.

Your feeding schedules are basically fine. I'd feed the rosea a little less, like every 2 weeks, the coloratovillsus could use a couple crickets at a time, they're pretty voracious...I feed mine one at a time, but I also feed it 2-3 times a week when crickets are on the menu. Superworms are a big meal, and plenty for the week.

I feed all my slings and juvies (with a few exceptions) every 3-4 days, but like mentioned, prey size has a direct effect on frequency of feeding.
 

Neoza

Arachnobaron
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Jul 4, 2014
Messages
306
I feed my slings once a week 2-3 crickets. I do this because slings are very vulnerable. But dont let them get to fat. When they have a good size i reduce to 1-2 crickets in 1 week.
 

Anubis77

Arachnoknight
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Aug 15, 2005
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281
Slings get as much as they can eat while it's uncontrollably warm here (no A/C). Sometimes daily feeding post molt. Adults only get enough to keep them full but not fat, which might mean one or two large roaches a week to a month.
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
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Feb 27, 2011
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I don't feed any of mine more than one prey item at a time. Size of prey is dependent on a combination of lifestage, molt phase, size of abdomen, appetite history, etc. Frequency is varied, too. Small slings get fed 2 to 3 times a week. Juveniles every 7 to 21 days. Adults every 2 weeks to every 3 months.
 

cold blood

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I feed my slings once a week 2-3 crickets. I do this because slings are very vulnerable. But dont let them get to fat. When they have a good size i reduce to 1-2 crickets in 1 week.
Hold on, slings are vulnerable, but you drop in multiple crickets at a time....sounds like a contradiction kinda. I just don't see why there would ever be a need to feed a sling multiple crickets at a time....an adult, yes, but not a sling. Why not just spread those crickets out over the week? Heck, when they are slings, one small cricket is actually a pretty good meal.
 

just1moreT

Arachnobaron
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Jun 1, 2009
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I go abdomen size a lot I don't like skinny t or a overly fat t I'm not really sure how often I feed to many to keep up with lol
 

Roosterbomb

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
42
I feed my Ts whenever I get the notion. That being said I keep track of how often I feed each one and watch their weight. You will know if your not feeding enough. My a seemani will start wandering if I let it get too hungry.
 

PanzoN88

Arachnodemon
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Sep 15, 2014
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Since my tarantulas are still small, twice a week, but I am slowly transitioning to once every other week.
 

Biollantefan54

Arachnoking
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Jul 3, 2012
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I don't have a feeding day with any of my animals, if they look hungry, I give them food. If their abdomens are really large, I wait until it slims down a bit.
 

Sana

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Oct 26, 2014
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We feed our slings and juvies twice a week and sub adults and adults once a week. We actually keep a schedule and do feeding and maintenance on Mondays and Thursdays. We had to make it a part of our schedule though since we have a bigger collection now and it takes us about an hour to get everyone cared for. That and my S.O. and I like to care for our collection together so we keep a schedule to make sure we are both free.
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
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I've gotten where I feed only on week-ends (slings included) but that doesn't mean every T gets fed, just that the only feedings I offer are on weekends*. I have found the hiders/burrowers will come out and let me know they are hungry. (G pulchripes will hang on glass side to ask for food). G rosea certainly won't eat that often.

*The only exception to this is my A diversipes sling, who still hasn't eaten post-moult -- removed 2 uneaten pinhead crix and offered 2 tiny pinhead roaches today -- she gets offered food more often than the others due to her many months of fasting. Maybe she'll eat one overnight (fingers crossed). Not sure why she is still alive, frankly. And yes, I have tried prekilled foods incl. mini be-headed mealworms, cricket legs, etc. She is so tiny. :-(
 

Neoza

Arachnobaron
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Jul 4, 2014
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Hold on, slings are vulnerable, but you drop in multiple crickets at a time....sounds like a contradiction kinda. I just don't see why there would ever be a need to feed a sling multiple crickets at a time....an adult, yes, but not a sling. Why not just spread those crickets out over the week? Heck, when they are slings, one small cricket is actually a pretty good meal.
It are really small crikets, so small that 3=1 cricket sized as the abdomen. I feed them 1, when he catch it i feed him the next, when he gets that i feed him the last one, untill he has 3 little crickets in his mouth
 

Storm76

Arachnoemperor
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Jan 30, 2012
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3,796
Slings once a week, everyone else once or twice a month depening on size and hunger. I don't like overfed T's for the most part, so my adults and juvies usually receive plenty but not excessive feeding.
 

TownesVanZandt

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May 12, 2015
Messages
1,041
Slings once a week, everyone else once or twice a month depening on size and hunger. I don't like overfed T's for the most part, so my adults and juvies usually receive plenty but not excessive feeding.
I keep mine on a similar schedule, but I just don´t have the heart not to overfeed my GBB and my P .sp Platyomma. I know Ts can´t possible have any feelings, but both of them acts overjoyed every time I give them something. I rotate the feeding schedule with three feedings with crickets then one with mealworms/superworms. However these two species do get an extra mealworm in between as a snack :)
 

Storm76

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I keep mine on a similar schedule, but I just don´t have the heart not to overfeed my GBB and my P .sp Platyomma. I know Ts can´t possible have any feelings, but both of them acts overjoyed every time I give them something. I rotate the feeding schedule with three feedings with crickets then one with mealworms/superworms. However these two species do get an extra mealworm in between as a snack :)
I do the same occasionally, but after I've seen my Brachys getting somewhat obese and even looking like that after them molting...I slowed down on feeding and changed superworms to mealworms, crickets and the Shelfordella roaches that ALL of my T's are crazy for. Seeing a GBB race through its enclosure after a Chocolate Roach is something that you won't soon forget! It usually involves the roach juuuust about to get out of the cage and the GBB violently snatching it at the rim, hehe. :D
 
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