Powerfeed T's Or Not?

[LeilaNami]

Regardless of whether or not power-feeding is bad for the T, I prefer a minimalist approach to feeding in order to be able to enjoy my Ts longer. My L. parahybana is only 2" after two years and she's still got a booty on her. The guy that sold me her told me that pretty much every other sling from that sac was at least twice the size of mine.

 

[Fran]

Fantastic observations Fran! I only have one T. stirmi (wc) ...

Thanks .
The first molt on a large WC Theraphosa, is like half the battle done.

As you know, this is not set on stone...You can have problems on a CB and maybe the WC doesnt present any of them...But in general, is the other way around.
Good luck!

What a minute... Fran not an expert? You could have fooled me!...

I really appreciate your kind words , but being absolutely honest with rational thinking, Im not an expert by any means. I just have some experience and maybe some more than others with this specific Genus since it has been on my mind for the last years.(I started keeping tarantulas in 1996, but I was not "full blown" researching about them till later.) I have been reading and everything I can and collecting as much info as possible form difference sources.

Whos an "Expert"? Hard to say and to define, but what I can tell you is that there are people out there from Rick C. West, Steve Nunn etc, to Rogerio Bertani, Perez-Miles... etc, which have been researching Theraphosids not only as their job but pretty much their "life". So if there are any "experts", they are. Im pretty much illiterated compared with them. They have the tools, the means, the info and the knowledge.

Fran,

Please keep a feeding schedule for your next Theraphosa species to molt, and post it here when the spider refuses food, along with pictures of the spider after each feeding.

I do something similar already, but I will need to keep detailed records as well as pictures.

I personally prefer to er on the side of caution, and in my decade+ in the hobby, I've not had any molting problems that I would consider being from a lack of powerfeeding, or "feeding until the spider stops eating", so to speak.

I know what you mean, but I must say that Theraphosa is like "a league of their own". Truly they have NOTHING to do with other species, neither with the large ones like parahybana and the similar...

They get fatter way quicker, they are far more voracious than the rest of the T's (the "more known" in the hobby, of course...I dont have experience on all the species ). Also, they can be quite strange with feeding patterns, but in general they will only refuse a mean when they are extremely fat proportionally speaking, while other species in general sometimes will refuse food at any stage, plump or not, sort of at random.

Anyway, I'm excited to see your results from my proposal. That would give us actual data, and not just "experience", since most of us have the latter, but not the former.

I will try to do what you are sugesting, is interesting. But let me tell you something on an absolut friendly way. You have told me that you dont have experience, or "a lot" of experience with Theraphosa. It really changes pretty much any T pattern.
Species -in general- tend to be somewhat "similar" on feeding schedulle, size packing or at least you have a defined range of behavior...With Theraphosa this is absolutely different.

One more thing, upon further reading:



I'm not completely sure I understand what you're trying to say here, would you mind explaining a bit more?

What I meant is that I believe the problem with Theraphosa packing size, cysts and molts (when adults) is not really the overal size IF gained on a larger time span. The problem ,as far as my experience with the goes, is to get them to a very plump/fat stage on a short period oftime...Sort of overnight.
For example, feeding them rodents to a WC thin Theraphosa is like a death sentence.
They will eat ANYTHING you put on the cage,and actually suck dry the entire mice to the point that, on a matter of 72 h they can triple the size of the abdomen with no problem.

That sudden increase on their weight is what,I believe, causes the most problems -Cysts, organ preassure and problems with the molts-

On the other hand, I have really plump CB Theraphosa that has been that plump since 5-6" in leg span, that molting at 10.75" like the latest one, have had NO PROBLEM what so ever.

So is a fat Theraphosa a problem?? I dont think so. The problem is a fat Theraphosa on a short period of time.

 

[xhexdx]

Ah, I understand. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[gmrpnk21]

This is really an interesting thread! It makes me think about buying a T. stirmi... I feed my slings every couple of days, but only a cricket at a time. All the species I have are doing fine, with no molt issues so far. I can't wait to see your research Fran!

 

[Bosing]

What about things like breeding? Is a powerfed mother having bigger clutches or healthier slings?

Well aside from healthy slings, you get a better chance that the mommy won't eat her sac. This was what happened to my P. regalis mommy. bummer...:wall:

 

[xhexdx]

That's not power feeding, that's feeding a gravid female up so she has the nutrients she needs to produce a nice, healthy sac.