Keeping super worms alive past feeding?

ArachnoDancer

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 9, 2023
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18
wow most my Ts ate the trapped superworms.

Just oatmeal ?? Wow that’s simple what’s that weird stuff they’re always sold with called it’s not food ?is it trash..
$6.99 for 50 sure doesn’t look like 50.

months wow !! Shame a few got away . Now I gotta check daily for if they become beetles .. dangerous. :sad:
spider probably won’t dig them up ehh ?
I remember a half crushed meal worm was in their food dish and and it always kept crawling all over the dish trying to come out. For a few days it made its body go higher and higher onto the walls of the food dish as if climbing to get out. I got off of work and he was gone but found him through looking thru the walls of the enclosure and that hecker was burying itself more into the enclosure in front of me in the substrate. I had to get him out. To not become a beetle. I sliced him happily after doing that.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
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6,059
Why are you feeding them from dishes?
Only 1 of 10 of my spiders didn’t catch the super in a cup . The other one I just drop supers around it and it eats them no cup needed . The klugi who sits I the same spot mostly hasn’t found the super worms . This lp caught it despite cup getting knocked over . 34095DE2-5939-4AC8-B866-CF7912919FE1.jpeg D39E5621-8800-40D0-8144-A0201C404788.jpeg
 
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Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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I remember a half crushed meal worm was in their food dish and and it always kept crawling all over the dish trying to come out. For a few days it made its body go higher and higher onto the walls of the food dish as if climbing to get out. I got off of work and he was gone but found him through looking thru the walls of the enclosure and that hecker was burying itself more into the enclosure in front of me in the substrate. I had to get him out. To not become a beetle. I sliced him happily after doing that.
How did a crippled worm climb out that is wild !!!??? :rofl:
I don’t really bother crushing them either use a dish or a drop them in and hope they don’t escape if they T isn’t hungry .
this one jumped right on it !
It started out a 90% success rate using feeding cups but the T isn’t smart enough to go back later for another one . So the worms are just stuck ..in an applesauce, Cup.
9D8460E1-27DE-41AC-BD21-99021A9C190B.jpeg C7DFE955-310E-46A0-B230-1089CEE5248E.jpeg
 

DustyD

Arachnoknight
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Apr 4, 2021
Messages
209
I feed mine veggies and fruit, including banana peels, carrots, potatoes. I don’t know if that qualifies as gut fed, but it provides them with fluids and some nutrients so that hopefully they will not be feeding on each other. Also wheat germ or something like it.
 

DerGraf

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 14, 2021
Messages
45
It counts, if you don't let them fully digest their veggies before you feed them off.

Personally, I also give my feeders fresh food, especially when I've brought something from a store, feeders tend to be a bit malnourished once you take them with you. It's by far not as important as with reptiles, I just want to provide my spiders the best care I can. Better safe than sorry and all that.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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It counts, if you don't let them fully digest their veggies before you feed them off.

Personally, I also give my feeders fresh food, especially when I've brought something from a store, feeders tend to be a bit malnourished once you take them with you. It's by far not as important as with reptiles, I just want to provide my spiders the best care I can. Better safe than sorry and all that.
What should I give supers before feeding them off thin apples slices or something? And a day or two for them to eat them ?
I certainly don’t want to give my spiders nutrient devoid foods . :D
 

DerGraf

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 14, 2021
Messages
45
Most fresh fruit/vegetable would be reasonable options, as they provide both nutrients and water. Apple slices work well and the worms usually like them a lot. Should be eaten within a few hours, no need to risk mold keeping it longer in the bin.
When keeping the worms for longer (e.g. for breeding/growing worms) my mainstay food is oats and bran, combined with different fruits/vegetables to provide them nutrient variety. Afaik that's also what's most common.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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Most fresh fruit/vegetable would be reasonable options, as they provide both nutrients and water. Apple slices work well and the worms usually like them a lot. Should be eaten within a few hours, no need to risk mold keeping it longer in the bin.
When keeping the worms for longer (e.g. for breeding/growing worms) my mainstay food is oats and bran, combined with different fruits/vegetables to provide them nutrient variety. Afaik that's also what's most common.
I only got instant oats , I’d imagine those aren’t good for roaches /super worms? What type of bran and oats do you suggest?
 
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DerGraf

Arachnopeon
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Nov 14, 2021
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45
After a quick Google search "Instant Oats" seem to me just like normal, already grinded oats. Just marketed to a fitness crowd and therefore sold at a higher price? I could be wrong about that though. Personally, I just buy (comparatively) cheap full-grain oats. As long as the oats are pestizide-free and untreated, it should be fine.
The breeder I know uses bran that's intended for chickens. I don't have such a big breeding project, so I buy smaller packages of pure wheat bran, again from pestizide-free farming. Even standard supermarkets sell those in my area, at least the bigger ones.
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
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May 14, 2023
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28
My coworker said potatoes and carrots are good to keep them hydrated. Especially if you're letting them pupate, they won't survive pupation if they aren't hydrated enough going in.

You could also feed them fish foods to gut feed them. Like dried shrimp, crushed fish pellets, fish flakes.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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My coworker said potatoes and carrots are good to keep them hydrated. Especially if you're letting them pupate, they won't survive pupation if they aren't hydrated enough going in.

You could also feed them fish foods to gut feed them. Like dried shrimp, crushed fish pellets, fish flakes.
thanks for the suggestions!
Yeah I just wish I got more the petstore labels them as 50 but it seems closer to half that or 35 for $7.35. I could count them next time but seems tedious , once my roaches start breeding I’ll me on my way to not needing pet store feeders as much . I had an orange roach die , so I added paper towels hoping to raise humidity.
After a quick Google search "Instant Oats" seem to me just like normal, already grinded oats. Just marketed to a fitness crowd and therefore sold at a higher price? I could be wrong about that though. Personally, I just buy (comparatively) cheap full-grain oats. As long as the oats are pestizide-free and untreated, it should be fine.
The breeder I know uses bran that's intended for chickens. I don't have such a big breeding project, so I buy smaller packages of pure wheat bran, again from pestizide-free farming. Even standard supermarkets sell those in my area, at least the bigger ones.
I just asked for Instant Oats because I already have those . What’s the stuff supers come in do they eat that or is it filler ? Ofc I’ll try adding fruits/vegetables next time I buy supers.
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
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I just asked for Instant Oats because I already have those . What’s the stuff supers come in do they eat that or is it filler ? Ofc I’ll try adding fruits/vegetables next time I buy supers.
If it's flaky like the stuff my mealworms came it, it's probably wheat bran. They do eat it.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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If it's flaky like the stuff my mealworms came it, it's probably wheat bran. They do eat it.
yes that stuff !
Do roaches eat it ? I usually toss it once I feed off the supers but hey if it’s got nutrients why not use it for something. I got one super left debating if I should try and give it some fruit before feeding it off.
 
Joined
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Messages
427
Hi all
been reading this thread now and then and Im truly surprised someone will have trouble keeping super worms alive. I usually keep pot in to feed tarantulas that are in suspected premoult or ones that are not so aggressive eaters and live crickets hide in the decor.But not many of my Ts like them tbh.
I find that the super worms are pretty much immortal and live months on end in the little tub(8oz pot with holes in the lid) they come in.I add some cheap oats as food for them and nothing else. Usually the day before feeding them on will put a slice of carrot,apple or cucumber to increase their moisture content but thats once every 2 to 4 weeks or longer depends if Im gonna use them or not.Also I add oats only once everything in the tub is fine dust .
Curently the ones I have are going strong 4+months at least but they go well over that usually and thats at room temperature.
Regards Konstantin
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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Hi all
been reading this thread now and then and Im truly surprised someone will have trouble keeping super worms alive. I usually keep pot in to feed tarantulas that are in suspected premoult or ones that are not so aggressive eaters and live crickets hide in the decor.But not many of my Ts like them tbh.
I find that the super worms are pretty much immortal and live months on end in the little tub(8oz pot with holes in the lid) they come in.I add some cheap oats as food for them and nothing else. Usually the day before feeding them on will put a slice of carrot,apple or cucumber to increase their moisture content but thats once every 2 to 4 weeks or longer depends if Im gonna use them or not.Also I add oats only once everything in the tub is fine dust .
Curently the ones I have are going strong 4+months at least but they go well over that usually and thats at room temperature.
Regards Konstantin
Should’ve seen the petstore i checked pet supplies plus and every jar had dead worms and shedding all on the top . so I had to find a different store to buy them. o_O
I had 2-3 supers die this time , but the first ones I got when I made this thread mostly died and they were from pet supplies plus go figure? I just wish I ever got close to the number sold I buy 50 get 25-35 if them I think or so. Each spider gets a Few on different feedings.
 
Joined
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Messages
427
Hi
I hear what you are saying.
Trusted supplier is a must no matter what feeders are bought.Lately the place I get my brown crickets is slacking massively and most pots they sell are just full of corpses and sold at same price.Thay are prepacked tubs so quantity varies but to get like 10 live crickets for the price of usually 40 -50 is a joke.
But brown crickets travel(handle postage) the worst of all feeders imo too warm and too cold weather or anything different from 24h shipping and you get high mortality.Black crickets are more robust but my tarantulas are picky and don't like them for some reason
Managed to convince the girlfriend to set up a red runner colony (she is hell bend against roaches in the house, after the amount of loose crickets roaming around.lol)so will see how that goes.
Regards Konstantin
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
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Hi
I hear what you are saying.
Trusted supplier is a must no matter what feeders are bought.Lately the place I get my brown crickets is slacking massively and most pots they sell are just full of corpses and sold at same price.Thay are prepacked tubs so quantity varies but to get like 10 live crickets for the price of usually 40 -50 is a joke.
But brown crickets travel(handle postage) the worst of all feeders imo too warm and too cold weather or anything different from 24h shipping and you get high mortality.Black crickets are more robust but my tarantulas are picky and don't like them for some reason
Managed to convince the girlfriend to set up a red runner colony (she is hell bend against roaches in the house, after the amount of loose crickets roaming around.lol)so will see how that goes.
Regards Konstantin
I’ve never seen black cricket for sale anywhere here, I’d gladly keep those as feeders if they were tough as roaches and available . But the chirping it just would drive me nuts . :rofl:
I also am starting a new colony-but I got orange head and added dubia roaches to my old colony. I’d try try and find a seller that actually sold the listed amount of super worms but shipping might eat any savings. So that’s tough …
 
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