Metabolism of Ts

[Veles]

So going by logical thinking, would powerfeeding not shorten a lifespan of a T do to increasing its metabolic rates?

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Power feeding (if done at all) is usually only done with slings, but yes, if you continue to do so it will shorten the Ts lifespan due to more frequent moults.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

It would only really impact males which already have pretty short lifespans, any reduction would be negligible in females, we're talking a matter of months in animals that can live for well over a decade

 

[Vanessa]

While it might speed up males maturing to a certain extent, there is no evidence that a female's lifespan is significantly impacted by it.
If you would like to read more on the topic of 'power feeding' then there is a recent, in-depth, discussion at Does Power Feeding Your Tarantula Reduce it's Maximum Size?

 

[Veles]

While it might speed up males maturing to a certain extent, there is no evidence that a female's lifespan is significantly impacted by it.
If you would like to read more on the topic of 'power feeding' then there is a recent, in-depth, discussion at Does Power Feeding Your Tarantula Reduce it's Maximum Size?

Reducing an animal's maximal size and shortening its lifespan via increased metabolic activity are two very different things. No idea why you linked that thread.

 

[Vanessa]

Reducing an animal's maximal size and shortening its lifespan via increased metabolic activity are two very different things. No idea why you linked that thread.

You obviously didn't even read it. I linked that thread due to the fact that it discusses the validity of the term 'power feeding' in this hobby on a whole. It goes into great detail discussing the fact that a heavy feeding schedule is likely to result in nothing more than extended fasting and does not have a significant affect on growth - be it size or speed. When you are discussing metabolic rates, and the fact that people think we can have much more control over them than we actually do, you can't separate speed from size - both are going to be impacted far less than people give themselves credit for.

 

[docwade87]

Find a regimen that works for each individual T that you own. If my Ts are looking nice and plump (not fat) I will push back their next feeding. I try and keep them healthy looking. I don’t feed like clockwork every two days for slings or every week for each Juvie/adult. It all depends on the specimen and how they are doing/looking. All of mine eat every food offering except when they are in premolt. I found that me watching the days and feeding every 2 days or every 5-7 days like clockwork didn’t work as well and not every T ate every time. If they did some became too plump and then I would hold feeding for them anyways.

I know this doesn’t necessarily answer your question however, this topic seems to surface regularly. The link provided by @VanessaS does relate to the exact question you asked. Hell, the exact question you asked is in that thread.

I truly think people really make keeping Ts way more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[Veles]

You obviously didn't even read it. I linked that thread due to the fact that it discusses the validity of the term 'power feeding' in this hobby on a whole. It goes into great detail discussing the fact that a heavy feeding schedule is likely to result in nothing more than extended fasting and does not have a significant affect on growth - be it size or speed. When you are discussing metabolic rates, and the fact that people think we can have much more control over them than we actually do, you can't separate speed from size - both are going to be impacted far less than people give themselves credit for.

That does not have to be case, take solifugae spiders for example, extremelly fast growth and metabolism rate which leads to a pretty short lifespan, sort of like an invertebrate version of a shrew.

And to better reword my question, i am not talking about normal power feeding, a tarantula will stop eating at some point when it starts feeling full. I am talking about keeping a T in highly warm, highly humid and oxygenized containment which should, in theory, expand its appetite. Basically sacrificing greater growth/maximum size for a shorter span of living.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

That does not have to be case, take solifugae spiders for example, extremelly fast growth and metabolism rate which leads to a pretty short lifespan, sort of like an invertebrate version of a shrew.

And to better reword my question, i am not talking about normal power feeding, a tarantula will stop eating at some point when it starts feeling full. I am talking about keeping a T in highly warm, highly humid and oxygenized containment which should, in theory, expand its appetite. Basically sacrificing greater growth/maximum size for a shorter span of living.

Raising the temperatures and feeding them as much as they can eat certainly makes slings moult more frequently and reach adult size quicker.

 

[Veles]

Raising the temperatures and feeding them as much as they can eat certainly makes slings moult more frequently and reach adult size quicker.

Exactly, and greater oxygen level would possibly lead to larger maximum size too do to greater potential for tracheae growth.

 

[docwade87]

That does not have to be case, take solifugae spiders for example, extremelly fast growth and metabolism rate which leads to a pretty short lifespan, sort of like an invertebrate version of a shrew.

And to better reword my question, i am not talking about normal power feeding, a tarantula will stop eating at some point when it starts feeling full. I am talking about keeping a T in highly warm, highly humid and oxygenized containment which should, in theory, expand its appetite. Basically sacrificing greater growth/maximum size for a shorter span of living.

Maybe explain exactly what you’re talking about next time. Surely as mentioned increased temps/humidity will most definitely increase the metabolic rates of Ts just like any other animal including humans. You have to stay nourished and with increased temps you are burning more nutrients at a quicker rate. That being said, I have no clue about if this shortens their lifespan or not.

 

[Veles]

Maybe explain exactly what you’re talking about next time. Surely as mentioned increased temps/humidity will most definitely increase the metabolic rates of Ts just like any other animal including humans. You have to stay nourished and with increased temps you are burning more nutrients at a quicker rate. That being said, I have no clue about if this shortens their lifespan or not.

It should bring them to adulthood faster? Not sure how the spider body handles the stress of such a major increase tho.

 

[docwade87]

It should bring them to adulthood faster? Not sure how the spider body handles the stress of such a major increase tho.

I would think it wouldn’t necessarily bring them to maturity faster. Yes it would bring their size up, but not sure that maturity and all that comes with being sexually mature would be influenced by diet and size?

 

[TownesVanZandt]

I would think it wouldn’t necessarily bring them to maturity faster. Yes it would bring their size up, but not sure that maturity and all that comes with being sexually mature would be influenced by diet and size?

They will moult more frequently and hence become adults quicker. Male OBTs for example can mature in less than a year if you keep them warm and feed them often.

 

[Vanessa]

I am talking about keeping a T in highly warm, highly humid and oxygenized containment which should, in theory, expand its appetite. Basically sacrificing greater growth/maximum size for a shorter span of living.

If it was that easy to do - someone would have done it by now. Maybe one of the thousands of breeders, around the world, in the half century that people have been profiting from breeding them? Maybe someone who wants a female to mature faster, so that they can have an egg sac full of $800 spiderlings, would have done it already?
You're not the first person to come up with this theory in the 50 years that people have been breeding and selling tarantulas.

 

[ShyDragoness]

Exactly, and greater oxygen level would possibly lead to larger maximum size too do to greater potential for tracheae growth.

Where are you getting greater oxygen level from?

 

[cold blood]

Power feeding is not a term applicable to tarantulas. People using this term in this hobby are either using the term incorrectly and/or do not understand how tarantulas grow.

Increased food has NO bearing on metabolic rate...only temps do.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

Power feeding is not a term applicable to tarantulas. People using this term in this hobby are either using the term incorrectly and/or do not understand how tarantulas grow.

Increased food has NO bearing on metabolic rate...only temps do.

What does the term mean? I have always assumed it simply meant upping the temperatures and feeding them often?

 

[Veles]

If it was that easy to do - someone would have done it by now. Maybe one of the thousands of breeders, around the world, in the half century that people have been profiting from breeding them? Maybe someone who wants a female to mature faster, so that they can have an egg sac full of $800 spiderlings, would have done it already?
You're not the first person to come up with this theory in the 50 years that people have been breeding and selling tarantulas.

Molts happen faster when the animal is overfed and exposed to increased temperature, what are you on about? We are talking about a slightly faster-maturing rate not "matures in weeks or months". The increase in profit would be arbitrary but still require careful tempering with heat/humidity/oxygen percentages and excess feeding.


It has been scientifically proven that oxygen makes inverts grow larger, i do not exactly care what you think is right. Its a proven fact and not something subjective to an opinion, who knows, maybe no one wants to, is capable or willing to experiment with Ts for slight enlargement? The knowledge of "oxygen makes inverts bigger" is also more of a recent thing, certainly nothing from half a century ago.

Where are you getting greater oxygen level from?

https://www.livescience.com/1083-oxygen-giant-bugs.html

 

[cold blood]

What does the term mean? I have always assumed it simply meant upping the temperatures and feeding them often?

It means supplying a near constant influx of food to increase growth, while increasing temps to maximize metabolism....but it applies to cold blooded animals, reptiles most specifically, as they have linear growth....ts do not....they grow much much differently.

Every t, regardless of size, has a certain amount of time needed before being physically ready to molt..only warmer temps can decrease this, and there is a point at which too warm past a certain point decreases the effect...as every t has its optimal temp for growth. Its much easier really to lengthen this time with cooler temps than to shorten it significantly with warmer temps.

So, for example... a 2" B. vagans may need 120 days minimum to be physically ready to molt. And that same t may need 20 crickets to be nutritionally plump and ready....when the nutritional needs are met first, it doesnt effect that 120 day period it physically needed, so it just fasts until that 120 days is met and the t can molt.

To maximize growth in ts, one merely needs to plump the t in conjunction with that necessary 120 day period (or whatever that period may be).

One could feed those 20 crickets in a month...its still going to need the next 90 days to be physically ready to molt...so it just fasts for the next 3 months....yes, maximizing growth, but....

I could feed those 20 crickets one every 6 days and have it plumped in conjunction with that 120 days, still maximize growth and never deal with a significant fasting period....showing zero advantage to this percieved power feeding schedule.

This is even more dramatic with larger, slow growing species as they may molt once every 2 years or more..., so even needing more food than that 2 incher, its still wont need to be fed but once or twice a month over that time to maximize growth rates.


Now, growing a t faster will shorten a males life, but have little effect on female longevity....why is simple if you understand tarantula growth....

Males have a limited number of molts before maturing...usually 9-11....so get them through those molts quicker, or as fast as possible, means faster maturity, and shorter life.....females on tbe other hand, do not have a limited number of molts, so their maturity may come faster, but because molts arent limited, longevity is barely effected, if at all.