How should I feed my Avicularia (Pink Toe) Sling?

[ArachnoDancer]

I had gotten an Avicularia Pink Toe Sling on Feb 3rd my first one
I have been trying to feed him for awhile. I tried sliced crickets or live crickets. Live tiny meal worm but squished its head immediately after a day due to reading about the dangers of meal worms and slings.
Dont worry I do make sure to try to leave him alone and not stressed too much.
I have heard that squishing its head keeps the meal worm
When I had read in order to feed these kinds of Tarantulas they only eat live prey.
Should I feed him a live meal worm or will that pose too dangerous?
It says that pink toes goes for live prey.
It has been 10 days so I am worried as any beginner T handler.
Please no hate for I have a fear on how big community gets upset at beginner handlers for any little thing they do. I am a beginner and I am trying everything I can do for this little beautiful creature. I have read too much hate from beginners just trying to ask for help and they receive many criticisms.

 

[NMTs]

Just drop in a live, appropriately sized cricket and let your T hunt. Best time to do it is a night just before you go to bed. No need to complicate it! Crickets will climb branches/leaves and get near the T, mealworms won't - so use crickets until you get the hang of it.

Here's lots of useful info for beginners:

Admin Announcement - Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

And specifically for Avics (pink toes):

Avicularia Husbandry?

Hi! I'm new to the forum and am unsure if this is the right place for this, but I was wondering if there's anything I should know in advance before purchasing an Avicularia genus? (specifically, I have my eye on some a. metallica slings) I've done some reading, but being that I've only ever had...

arachnoboards.com

Avicularia care

this thread will go over what beginners and vets alike should be providing their Avicularia. i find it quite sad that so many Avics are subject to low vent cages and doomed to die. even experienced keepers can have difficulty with them. anyway, there are a few main concepts to keeping Avics that...

arachnoboards.com

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Hello, friend!
That's a good choice for a first Tarantula...ten days isn't too terribly much to worry about, provided she has fresh water. Lots of potential questions, the more info (& pictures) you can provide, the better help you'll get.
But without seeing her, &/or enclosure, the best I can suggest is trying even smaller crickets, or bean weevils. I've had luck with slings eating them personally, & they seem to be more readily available now than in the past.

Also, please look at criticism here as being constructive; would you rather hear a pretty lie, or an ugly truth? Your feelings left intact aren't going to do much for your learning, or your spider's well-being. If someone seems brusque with you, take it as a benefit to both, instead of a personal slight. Such sensitivities are a hindrance to much in life, friend.
Best of luck to you & your spider!

 

[Smotzer]

You can simply feed live prey or prefilled either will work, for live prey just drop it in the enclosure if it is appropriately sized and not too large and it will hunt it. If its pre killed leave it in its webbing and it will scavenge it and eat it. Don't stress about when it eats, just make sure it has a water dish that is full at all times so it can drink and you can add droplets to the webbing for it to drink as well occasionally.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I believe the upset occurs when the answers to questions that have already been posted in the boards (sometimes several times over) are asked again without having done a quick search to see if the question has already been answered (and many have). The best way I find to search for these threads is through Google. Just type, "site:arachnoboards.com" before the search words of the question. If you've "done your homework" and still have a question, everyone on this site loves T's and wants them to have the best life possible, and you to love keeping them successfully. Your T's, my T's, all the T's! I look at it this way, if someone snips at me for a question I've asked in earnest, my ego will recover, my T may not. Ask the question.

I've been a crazy Avic keeper and dropped in the cricket and watched to make sure they grabbed them. This is because I noticed a flaw in my set up that the crickets found too often, causing my spider to never find them. I don't want to rehouse them before they've outgrown their house over something controllable, but be certain I won't make that mistake again. If you post some pics of your enclosure, people here can help you more specifically.

 

[viper69]

Live is fine provided it’s appropriately sized

 

[ccTroi]

I've raised a few dozen versicolor slings, and I found that they are reluctant to eat until they have set up and webbed their area of the enclosure. They'll create a tube opening connected to their web labyrinth, and this is where I would put the prey in. Prekilled mealworm is fine. I have the most success keeping them upside down where the enclosure isn't opened from the top as seen in AMAC cases. You can set up a vial or a deli cup instead but make sure they have anchor points so that they are less likely to web the lid. Many keepers have no problem with keeping them in a deli cup, but I found it convenient and more successful doing AMAC cases in my experience with them. Do what works best for you. I always wait until they start webbing to then I will begin to feed them. They are great eaters even as slings.

Below are some pictures I saved throughout the years.

 

[ArachnoDancer]

Just drop in a live, appropriately sized cricket and let your T hunt. Best time to do it is a night just before you go to bed. No need to complicate it! Crickets will climb branches/leaves and get near the T, mealworms won't - so use crickets until you get the hang of it.

Here's lots of useful info for beginners:

Admin Announcement - Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

And specifically for Avics (pink toes):

Avicularia Husbandry?

Hi! I'm new to the forum and am unsure if this is the right place for this, but I was wondering if there's anything I should know in advance before purchasing an Avicularia genus? (specifically, I have my eye on some a. metallica slings) I've done some reading, but being that I've only ever had...

arachnoboards.com

Avicularia care

this thread will go over what beginners and vets alike should be providing their Avicularia. i find it quite sad that so many Avics are subject to low vent cages and doomed to die. even experienced keepers can have difficulty with them. anyway, there are a few main concepts to keeping Avics that...

arachnoboards.com

What about crickets eating the T though :< I get very worried with the amount of time he ran away though it is normal but the cricket started following him.

Hello, friend!
That's a good choice for a first Tarantula...ten days isn't too terribly much to worry about, provided she has fresh water. Lots of potential questions, the more info (& pictures) you can provide, the better help you'll get.
But without seeing her, &/or enclosure, the best I can suggest is trying even smaller crickets, or bean weevils. I've had luck with slings eating them personally, & they seem to be more readily available now than in the past.

Also, please look at criticism here as being constructive; would you rather hear a pretty lie, or an ugly truth? Your feelings left intact aren't going to do much for your learning, or your spider's well-being. If someone seems brusque with you, take it as a benefit to both, instead of a personal slight. Such sensitivities are a hindrance to much in life, friend.
Best of luck to you & your spider!

You got it! And thank you really for the last thing you said I appreciate it. I wanna do everything for my T.

just a question as well about water.
I read a lot how honey solution water is good for T and slings. Mixing honey with lots of water apparently helps growth or for themselves. Is that the right thing to do?

I believe the upset occurs when the answers to questions that have already been posted in the boards (sometimes several times over) are asked again without having done a quick search to see if the question has already been answered (and many have). The best way I find to search for these threads is through Google. Just type, "site:arachnoboards.com" before the search words of the question. If you've "done your homework" and still have a question, everyone on this site loves T's and wants them to have the best life possible, and you to love keeping them successfully. Your T's, my T's, all the T's! I look at it this way, if someone snips at me for a question I've asked in earnest, my ego will recover, my T may not. Ask the question.

I've been a crazy Avic keeper and dropped in the cricket and watched to make sure they grabbed them. This is because I noticed a flaw in my set up that the crickets found too often, causing my spider to never find them. I don't want to rehouse them before they've outgrown their house over something controllable, but be certain I won't make that mistake again. If you post some pics of your enclosure, people here can help you more specifically.

Thank you!

I've raised a few dozen versicolor slings, and I found that they are reluctant to eat until they have set up and webbed their area of the enclosure. They'll create a tube opening connected to their web labyrinth, and this is where I would put the prey in. Prekilled mealworm is fine. I have the most success keeping them upside down where the enclosure isn't opened from the top as seen in AMAC cases. You can set up a vial or a deli cup instead but make sure they have anchor points so that they are less likely to web the lid. Many keepers have no problem with keeping them in a deli cup, but I found it convenient and more successful doing AMAC cases in my experience with them. Do what works best for you. I always wait until they start webbing to then I will begin to feed them. They are great eaters even as slings.

Below are some pictures I saved throughout the years.
View attachment 439198 View attachment 439199 View attachment 439200

Thank you so much this helps a lot :>

You can simply feed live prey or prefilled either will work, for live prey just drop it in the enclosure if it is appropriately sized and not too large and it will hunt it. If its pre killed leave it in its webbing and it will scavenge it and eat it. Don't stress about when it eats, just make sure it has a water dish that is full at all times so it can drink and you can add droplets to the webbing for it to drink as well occasionally.

You got it! Thank you!

 

[Hardus nameous]

I don't think I've ever heard of mixing honey in the water. Where did you read this?

 

[NMTs]

What about crickets eating the T though :< I get very worried with the amount of time he ran away though it is normal but the cricket started following him.

Tarantulas that are defenseless, like just after a molt, might be vulnerable to being eaten by prey items (but you shouldn't be feeding one in that state). If you put in a cricket that is not significantly larger than your T and your T is able to defend itself, there is no way a cricket is going to attack and eat your tarantula. Even if the T isn't hungry, it'll just kill the cricket to defend itself. Remember which is the predator and which is the prey.

just a question as well about water.
I read a lot how honey solution water is good for T and slings. Mixing honey with lots of water apparently helps growth or for themselves. Is that the right thing to do?

Never heard this in regards to tarantulas. Jumping spiders, yes, but not T's. I would just stick to regular old water.

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Never heard of honey in the water before...love to know where' that suggestion came from. All I know for sure, is that clean water works perfectly (I use spring water for all my animals, myself).
Are you able to post a few pictures?

 

[ArachnoDancer]

I don't think I've ever heard of mixing honey in the water. Where did you read this?

Here it is! You can easily search it up! :>

Error - Cookies Turned Off

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

 

[NMTs]

Here it is! You can easily search it up! :>

Error - Cookies Turned Off

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

That article is referencing jumping spiders (Salticidae), crab spiders (Thomisidae), sac spiders (Anyphaenidae & Corinnidae), and prowling spiders (Miturgidae) - all araneomorphs. These are very different from mygalomorphs (including theraphosidae - tarantulas). Don't put honey in the water you offer your tarantulas.

 

[Isaax Critterz]

i recommend pre-killed meal worms

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I had gotten an Avicularia Pink Toe Sling on Feb 3rd my first one
I have been trying to feed him for awhile. I tried sliced crickets or live crickets. Live tiny meal worm but squished its head immediately after a day due to reading about the dangers of meal worms and slings.
Dont worry I do make sure to try to leave him alone and not stressed too much.
I have heard that squishing its head keeps the meal worm
When I had read in order to feed these kinds of Tarantulas they only eat live prey.
Should I feed him a live meal worm or will that pose too dangerous?
It says that pink toes goes for live prey.
It has been 10 days so I am worried as any beginner T handler.
Please no hate for I have a fear on how big community gets upset at beginner handlers for any little thing they do. I am a beginner and I am trying everything I can do for this little beautiful creature. I have read too much hate from beginners just trying to ask for help and they receive many criticisms.

I never fed mealworms til they are bigger than the meal. 1.5” or so and I didn’t crush them always but you can do that.
Crickets as said above can be either cut up or given full size if they’re small enough. Adult cricket legs are also enough for most slings on occasion .

 

[spiderpilot]

My Pinktoe slings, when i first received them wouldn't take crickets unless they were very tiny. Especially a tiny sling, they have not gained alot of confidence yet. It was hard for me to find tiny crickets close to me. I had someone close to me that raised dubia roaches. Mine were started on dubia nymphs that were about 1/3 the size of the slings. Also could be in pre-molt but ten days is definetly not a long time.