Sling feeding

[dopamine]

Hey everyone, I've got a question about my 2 slings. Picked up a 1 inch P. cancerides and a smaller (maybe half inch?) H. gigas the other day from Ken's shop in Tucson. My issue is that I had to leave town for about 4 days and no one to feed them. My P. cancerides has been eating plenty of the small size (pinkie nail sized) crickets I've been giving her and I made sure to feed her one on the morning I left, making sure she was nice and plump.
Now, the H. gigas is at a size where she's too small for the crickets the other sling eats, but apparently too big for the microscopic pinhead crix I accidentally got for her. I know slings are voracious eaters and I'm worried more about my tiny gigas as I've not seen her eat since I got her. She's shown interest in the small sized crickets I give the cancerides but won't go after them. From the look of her I don't think she was fed for at least a day or two before I bought her (although I could be wrong).
Anyone have any experience with these situations? Am I worrying too much?

 

[Jones0911]

Just pre kill the prey and cut it into three pieces and leave it in there, the Tarantula will know what to do with the pieces if its hungry

 

[dopamine]

Just pre kill the prey and cut it into threw pieces and leave it in there, the Tarantula will know what to do with the pieces if its hungry

Darn I didn't think of that and I left yesterday -__-
It's no doubt hungry though, being a sling.

 

[dopamine]

I also feed one cricket at a time due to the risk of a molt disaster with the crickets killing the spider while its vulnerable. So I didn't want to just throw a few crix in and leave.
Tough situation
Any advice would be great.

 

[Andrea82]

Do they have access to water? Water dish or lots of droplets?
If yes, there's no need to worry. They can last quite long without food.

 

[Teal]

I pre-kill something about as big as the sling and leave it in overnight. It usually makes for some plump slings in the morning

 

[Jones0911]

I pre-kill something about as big as the sling and leave it in overnight. It usually makes for some plump slings in the morning

I always feed my Ts body length meals it might make them fast until the next molt but at least I know they're full! Lol

 

[Teal]

I always feed my Ts body length meals it might make them fast until the next mold but at least I know they're full! Lol

Haha exactly! I love plump slings <3 My I. mira and larger versi sling would keep eating, though, until they'd explode LOL

 

[Andrea82]

Haha exactly! I love plump slings <3 My I. mira and larger versi sling would keep eating, though, until they'd explode LOL

My GBB are like that, and a B.kahlenbergi is on its way to become an EWL again...

 

[Teal]

My GBB are like that, and a B.kahlenbergi is on its way to become an EWL again...

Hahaha they are all little foodies at heart <3

 

[viper69]

Two questions

1. Why did you get them if you have to leave town?
2. Why not ask Ken to take care of them while you are away?

 

[Gaherp]

I agree with above and access to water as also mentioned is important. Pre-killed, diced up, should do the trick. Leaving a T you have not seen feeding is ill-advised. Can we have pics to assess condition of said sling?

 

[Andrea82]

I agree with above and access to water as also mentioned is important. Pre-killed, diced up, should do the trick. Leaving a T you have not seen feeding is ill-advised. Can we have pics to assess condition of said sling?

He already left...:/

 

[Gaherp]

 

[cold blood]

1. 4 days without food is something any sling can handle, especially if it just ate. I feed slings once a week. Just fill the dish before you leave and dampen an area of substrate...4 days isn't even worth thinking about.

2. Please don't worry about the H. gigas, they are total beasts, but they also never get those really plump abdomens like many terrestrials, so pre-molt signs are not nearly as obvious...If its not drilling those crickets, its almost certainly pre-molt....your time away is going to be perfect, it just may be freshly molted when you return.

 

[dopamine]

Two questions

1. Why did you get them if you have to leave town?
2. Why not ask Ken to take care of them while you are away?

I didn't know at the time i got them i'd be leaving town.
Asking Ken to look after them would've been a great idea, i didn't think about that.
Sorry i am not able to take any pictures until i get back. I'm stressing a bit now as i just found out i'll be gone longer than expected. I found someone who will go check on their food/water periodically but he has zero experience with tarantulas and is a borderline arachnophobe. -__-