Powerfeeding - The Infinite Debate

[BooyaTarantula]

Hey, I have a rather specific question to do with my new T. She is a A. Seemanni and has a body size of around 2 1/2" and I have been feeding her 2-3 crickets a day for the past week and a bit. I was wondering what life stage she would be classified in and therefore whether or not I should really tone down the feedings. I want her to grow as big as possible, but I don't want to harm her!

 

[Hedorah99]

Since this thread is gonna get shut down fast...

Use the search function, this has been debated numerous times.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/search.php?searchid=722382

And 2-3 Crickets a day is WAY too much unless they are pinheads.

 

[jamesc]

Here is the link to one of the powerfeeding discussions. http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=82647&highlight=powerfeeding

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Yeah I know this thread is common and overdone, perhaps since this is my first T I was looking for a little specificity in the answer, I just want her to grow as fast as possible and as healthy as possible, and I am trying to determine what stage in life she's at as well. Thanks for the replies allready.

 

[jamesc]

If you are looking to speed up growth you can raise the temps and feed more often. This will raise her metabolism, but doing so will shorten her life. It will make her age faster, molt more often, grow faster.

 

[Thoth]

The is no set definitions (that I have seen) on different stages but what I've seen as generally accepted, spiderling (sling) is from hatching to when it starts to show adult coloration. Once its starts to show adult coloration they tend to to be called juveniles. Juvenile vs. Subadult is more arbitrary with the closer it is to adult size the more likely it is called a subadult.
Thats why most of us list leg span in addition to calling a juvie, sling or etc.

Ultimately its you t and if you want to powerfeed it, nothing will stop you. Generally the only upside is it will grow fast. COns are shortened lifespan, greater risk of death or severe injure from fall (because of a greatly enlarged abdomen) and increase risk of molting difficulties.

Feeding 2 appropriately-sized crickets a week is more than enough.

If you want something that grows fast get a P.murinus or C.cyanopuebescens, they'll go from a sling (1/2") to adult in a year or so.

 

[RottweilExpress]

Another upside to powerfeeding is that you quickly bring your spider from that frail, dangerous stage of being a sling, to the more hardy and mistakeforgiving stage of being a juvie.

Besides, no one knows how much you actually might shorten the lifespan of your spider by powerfeeding. 2 years of 23 lived? That's nothing in my book. In fact if I could throw a guess, I'd say only 1 in 250 T owners or less actually keep a spider that long without accidently killing it, selling it, or in another way getting rid of it.