Sling Feeding Observations and Questions

Gods Spartan

Arachnopeon
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#1) I have been told to offer fruit flies and pin head Crickets. I have yet to have a sling actually want a fruit fly. They come face to face with it and shrink away. I mean if I had those large red eyes looking at me I guess I would too. And one of my T's shied away from the pin head Cricket. So ultimately I just go for pulling prey items apart. I split one roach between my small LP and Euthalus Spec. Red.

#2) I feed once a week except for my LP which gets twice. I am not in a hurry to see them grow up as I love slings. I think it's the thrill of seeing them grow up. I love the little guys and want to enjoy them as much as possible. The question here is, is once a week acceptable or should I really be offering more?
 

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TownesVanZandt

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Fruit flies is the most irritating feeders there is. I would just stick with pinhead crickets or cut up a mealworm from time to time if you want some variation. I generally feed slings twice a week. You cannot overfeed slings and in general people would like them to grow as fast as possible. If you give them more than one prey item per feeding, you probably can feed them once a week, just make sure they have access to water at all times. However, beware that slings is much more fragile than juveniles and subadults. I would feed them as much as they want to eat and rather ease off a bit when they reach the juvenile or subadult stage.
 

Gods Spartan

Arachnopeon
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Fruit flies is the most irritating feeders there is. I would just stick with pinhead crickets or cut up a mealworm from time to time if you want some variation. I generally feed slings twice a week. You cannot overfeed slings and in general people would like them to grow as fast as possible. If you give them more than one prey item per feeding, you probably can feed them once a week, just make sure they have access to water at all times. However, beware that slings is much more fragile than juveniles and subadults. I would feed them as much as they want to eat and rather ease off a bit when they reach the juvenile or subadult stage.

Ok. Would you consider en E Spec Red a juvi at 1/2 inch? It still won't kill on its own. Seriously it has molted 4 times in it current container and could possibly last for two more molts without need for a rehouse. :-/ Also, my B. Smithi And B. Abopilosum have both taken roach nymphs their own size. They all look healthy and I wet substrate weekly in one spot.
 

kooky

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Ok. Would you consider en E Spec Red a juvi at 1/2 inch? It still won't kill on its own. Seriously it has molted 4 times in it current container and could possibly last for two more molts without need for a rehouse. :-/ Also, my B. Smithi And B. Abopilosum have both taken roach nymphs their own size. They all look healthy and I wet substrate weekly in one spot.
I wouldn't call them juvies, until they show their adults colourations. But thats me xD I have two euath.sp.red slings and both of them are nervous eaters and will only eat things smaller than them or dead.
 

Gods Spartan

Arachnopeon
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Are yours like mine? My Spec Red is always on the move, moving dirt, doing something.....It's like they are in constant explore mode. When that lid comes off they are climbing.
 

Andrea82

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Euathlus sp. Red is known for being finicky about food, especially live food. At that size, I don't think it is a juvi yet. I offer mine diced up mealworms. Also it seems that when I open its enclosure it is too busy with finding out what is going on and walking out to be interested in food. I leave a piece of mealworm and close the enclosure, most of the time the piece of food disappears over night.
 

kooky

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They are both quite nosy when i open the lid yes. But will hands down run from live prey every single time, even if they are hungry. My larger sling will eat a full size mealworm, but only if it is dead and not moving. Even a twitch can freak mine out.
 

Andrea82

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I know, i tried feeding pinheads and fruitflies, but the feeder was always on one side, and the sling on the other side of the enclosure. So I switched to pre killed, and that works like a charm.
 

kooky

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I know, i tried feeding pinheads and fruitflies, but the feeder was always on one side, and the sling on the other side of the enclosure. So I switched to pre killed, and that works like a charm.
its one of those things. I got a h.incei sling recently that is less than half the size of my large euath sp.red and it will wrestle those meal worms like no one business until it comes out victorious. Some species are just more nervous eaters and some just dont give a car about the size difference xD
 

Andrea82

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its one of those things. I got a h.incei sling recently that is less than half the size of my large euath sp.red and it will wrestle those meal worms like no one business until it comes out victorious. Some species are just more nervous eaters and some just dont give a car about the size difference xD

Exactly. My GBB sling of 7cm dls is capable of taking down an sub adult locust easily.
 

Gods Spartan

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I've seen videos of A. Versis wrestling with Crickets larger than themselves, but mine is always like, "What the heck!?"
 

kooky

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I've seen videos of A. Versis wrestling with Crickets larger than themselves, but mine is always like, "What the heck!?"
i have multiple avic slings and none of them will take live food. They will only eat dead prey. I have also noticed they don't eat as much as i thought they would. My GBB and chromatus are definately the ones that will eat everyday no problem lol.
 

Andrea82

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You could try flying feeders for avics. My A.metallica sling is not very enthusiastic about crickets or dubia, and mealies are...meh. But if I drop in a big fat bluebottle fly, she goes crazy, catching them midair :)
 

KezyGLA

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I feel all my slings on prekilled small crix or live ones if the T is big enough. I also feed slings small Calci worms too. They seem to be a big hit.

I have never fed fruit flies. And micro/pinhead crickets are more of a hinderance.
 

viper69

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I think it's the thrill of seeing them grow up.
Once a week is too little in my opinion. I've never owned a T and purposefully fed them once a week.

Given that E sp Red is a slow grower if it's a female, watching paint dry is more thrilling than that. I love my Reds and E. sp. Yellow but slow growth not a fan.

Would you consider en E Spec Red a juvi at 1/2 inch?
Not at all. Females max out at about 2.5-3" DLS. Also juvie is a subjective term with no scientific definition.

It still won't kill on its own.
All Ts are different, however they will kill at that size. Provide it smaller items, such as 2 week old crix. They are very particularl when it comes to eating unless they are "starving".

Don't feed your Ts fruit flies. Crix, roaches, mealworms. Mealworms have a higher fat content, good to use if your T needs to put on weight. Crix are the least nutritious feeder commonly used for reptiles, that said, Ts will do fine on crix.

Are yours like mine? My Spec Red is always on the move, moving dirt, doing something.....It's like they are in constant explore mode. When that lid comes off they are climbing.
These are all common traits for this scientifically non-described species. Be careful, when the lid's off, you can easily have an escape, fortunately they are slow.

Hopefully you will feed yours MORE often so it will grow into a beautiful adult like my AF below.

 

Jones0911

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I feed my slings mealworms/extra small dubia prekilled but Cyclosternum fasciatum actually took one alive the same size he is lol

 

Estein

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I third not using fruit flies, but my reasoning is mostly just because they're a beast to deal with between the jumping and the small size. I tried them once and decided never again after having to sweep a hundred or so off the floor.
 

Gods Spartan

Arachnopeon
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I third not using fruit flies, but my reasoning is mostly just because they're a beast to deal with between the jumping and the small size. I tried them once and decided never again after having to sweep a hundred or so off the floor.
Mine learned to fly. :-/
 

symbol

Arachnopeon
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Sep 4, 2016
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I would be wary of using fruit flies as anything but an occasional/supplemental feeder for most arachnids anyway. I don't have any information for tarantulas specifically, but I know that amblypygi/whipspiders fed on a steady diet of fruit flies will generally fail to grow and develop properly. Between that and what a PITA they seem to be to deal with, probably better to just avoid flies altogether and stick with other feeders.
 
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