Is it okay to only feed slings mealworms?

[juicebox1230]

I have 2nd instar (I think) Chilean Rose tarantula slings and I have only been feeding them cut up meal worms. Is that enough nutrition for them or should I vary their diet?

Also, I have 185 of these babies and I was wondering if anyone in Los Angeles area is interested in taking any off my hands?? The momma spider dropped an egg sac after I had her for 2 years (surprise! I didn't know she had mated prior to getting her). Pictures below of her with the egg sac and two of the babies a few weeks ago. They should be molting this week!

 

[antinous]

Nothing wrong with feeding them just mealworms, that's what I do for all my slings. Adults get mostly superworms as well. No ill effects noted.

 

[14pokies]

Wow 2 years! That is the longest gestation I have ever heard of!!!! Really cool story..

And yes the meal worms are fine..

 

[JumpingSpiderLady]

I want one! But I'm not gonna drive across the country.

 

[14pokies]

I want one! But I'm not gonna drive across the country.

What you don't want to spend a Grand on gas for a 5 dollar T?

Its a wise investment G.rosea are like tortoises they live forever! Lol...

 

[juicebox1230]

Thanks for your responses everyone! Good to know they'll be fine on just mealworms

It was super crazy when she popped an egg out! But she never molted while I had her so that might have explained it.

Here's 85 of the babies when I first opened the egg. The other 100 I had already put in little condiment cups the day before.

 

[BobBarley]

Mealworms will be fine. Contact petcenterusa.net (Paul Becker) He's based in LA and he may take some of them. Btw, looks to be a Grammostola porteri. I'm waiting on my rosea to drop a sac, it's been almost a year since her first pairing.

 

[cold blood]

Yeah like said, its fine. I feed most of my slings diced up mealworms, it makes feeding sooooo much easier and slings fatten quickly on mealie pieces.

Congrats on the slings.

 

[lunarae]

On another thread I was talking to someone about Tarantula Nutrition and some people stated that to them it seemed like slings grew faster on mealworms/superworms because they're high in fatty content. Something to consider but there's no definitive science behind it, just peoples personal observations, but like everyone said, it should be fine. Just make sure your not leaving live mealworms in with them even as they get bigger, or if you give them live ones make sure they take them rather then leave them unsupervised. Don't want that to burrow, get forgotten, then munch on a molting T.

 

[juicebox1230]

Mealworms will be fine. Contact petcenterusa.net (Paul Becker) He's based in LA and he may take some of them. Btw, looks to be a Grammostola porteri. I'm waiting on my rosea to drop a sac, it's been almost a year since her first pairing.

Just checked out petcenterusa.net. Looks awesome! Thanks for the recommendation, will contact him. Also I googled photos of G. porteri and you're probably right. This is my first tarantula and the breeder told me it was a Chilean Rose. Good luck on your rosea!

 

[Moonohol]

On another thread I was talking to someone about Tarantula Nutrition and some people stated that to them it seemed like slings grew faster on mealworms/superworms because they're high in fatty content. Something to consider but there's no definitive science behind it, just peoples personal observations, but like everyone said, it should be fine. Just make sure your not leaving live mealworms in with them even as they get bigger, or if you give them live ones make sure they take them rather then leave them unsupervised. Don't want that to burrow, get forgotten, then munch on a molting T.

It's crazy how much differing info there is out there; I've read elsewhere that mealworms are a poor source of nutrition for Ts! I'd think that if so many people have been using them with no ill effects that that mustn't be true. My girl seemed to enjoy mealies just fine when I fed them to her. I prefer crickets now simply because I hate how prone worms are to burrow (I know you can crush the heads) and because I enjoy seeing my Ts use their natural hunting instincts to tackle down crickets.

 

[cold blood]

This is my first tarantula and the breeder told me it was a Chilean Rose. Good luck on your rosea!

And that's not inaccurate....there are 2 color forms, each with their own scientific name, but both share the common name.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Sure. But I would offer millimeter sized crickets as well.