Spiderling afraid of food?

Nevfern

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
3
Two weeks ago I had gotten a mexican redknee spiderling ( Named him Chile ) as my first tarantula.. During those days he hasn't eaten, he would ethier run away or ignore the cricket completely. He molted a few days ago, and now he's about 1.75". I put in a small cricket that was missing it's legs since I figure four days was along enough wait for him to recover. He ran up the wall of his enclosure. Is he afraid of crickets, not hungry, or is it too early to feed him after a molt?
 

dianedfisher

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Messages
330
General concensus is to wait 1 week before offering food. Their fangs have to harden along with the rest of their exoskeleton and should be shiny black before you feed them after a molt. Just remove the food and try again in a few days. He should be hungry. At 1 3/4" your little one should be accustomed to eating live prey, as long as you didn't feed him something too large. Sometimes, with smaller T's, offering several small prey items, rather than 1 larger item is more enticing to them, but I have some species that will take down a prey item bigger than they are. Just depends on each individual T. Di
 

B8709

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
194
Chile did not eat in the beginning because he was in premolt. After he molted he is not eating because he's not ready yet. Give him a few more days. It won't hurt him. They can go a long time without food.
 

Nevfern

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
3
Thanks for answering my questions. I'll wait a few days before feeding him again. Hopely the crickets don't escape again.
 

smallara98

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 30, 2009
Messages
430
This happens with slings alot . They are always scared of things smaller than them :p Ive seen tiny 0.5" slings eat medium crickets though !
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
This happens with slings alot . They are always scared of things smaller than them :p Ive seen tiny 0.5" slings eat medium crickets though !

Wait... What?? Since most spiderlings do eat things smaller than they are, saying they are ALL afraid of things smaller than them is out and out wrong. The sling in question in this thread had just molted, which is why it was shying away from the prey.

smallara98, please, please quit giving advice on things you have no experience with. Even though I have been on the forum for a few years, I still don't give advice on species I do not have, or situations I have never encountered. Perhaps you should adopt that rule.....
 

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
629
My 1.5" smithi runs away from prey when i drop it in. After a minute i see him eating. The case with your T is most likely Post molt recovery. A week is sufficient time after a molt. They replace important orngans during molting. Lungs, Reproductive organs, the lining of the pumping stomach and the esophagus. :eek:
 

Midknight xrs

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
132
A good rule of thumb i have picked up with my terrestrial T's is that they are ready to eat after a molt after they have decided to come out of their hides. with my Aviculara's i typically wait until their activity has increased. Now with your Brachypelma Smithi, if he didn't make a burrow, you should definately give it more substrate. besides, that's so much more fun to watch, but give these little slings about 5 days before attempting to feed them. In my experience with mine, it normally takes another week before it decides it wants to redecorate. thats when i feed it.
 

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
629
A good rule of thumb i have picked up with my terrestrial T's is that they are ready to eat after a molt after they have decided to come out of their hides. with my Aviculara's i typically wait until their activity has increased. Now with your Brachypelma Smithi, if he didn't make a burrow, you should definately give it more substrate. besides, that's so much more fun to watch, but give these little slings about 5 days before attempting to feed them. In my experience with mine, it normally takes another week before it decides it wants to redecorate. thats when i feed it.
B. smithi is not an obligate burrower, they are opportunistic borrowers. They like to stand out in the open. My smithi is 1.5" and has 3" of sub and never hides or burrows. I gave mine a hide for a month when it was 1" and it never entered it once. If anything it only needs a hide to molt, but that is not needed for them to feel comfortable.
 

Midknight xrs

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
132
Maybe there are differences on how we care for out T's, but my 4 terrestrial T's all burrow. Maybe it's due to locations, who knows but we are mostly talking in experience and that has been mine.
 
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