Spiderling Care

[Bjorgly]

I aquired a 1 inch (mostly leg, not much color) G.pulchra sling on wednesday and i threw in a large cricket leg (the ones it uses for jumping) after an hour or 2, the spiderling found it and began chewing on it and dragging it around until it was gone. I was wondering how often i need to feed these little guys? Also are cricket legs the best for a staple, or are small crickets with their heads crushed better?

any info on feeding/caring for spiderlings appreciated...i've got it in a perfect sized small jar with an inch or so of peat, seems to like it but hasnt burrowed yet.


Mark

 

[Tangled WWWeb]

They need some of the gut contents as well.

 

[Bjorgly]

So you suggest i crush the head of a little cricket and let it eat that? or crush the cricket totally and throw that in? How often to feed?

Thanks,


Mark

 

[Gail]

IME you can feed spiderlings as often as they will eat. It would be better to give it more than just the legs. You can give pieces of adult crix other than the legs. I feed dead to most of my T's - frozen then thawed crix. When they are still frozen I cut up the adult crickets with an exacto knife into portions that the slings can handle (if I don't have any smaller crix).

Gail

 

[Tangled WWWeb]

I toally agree . I keep feeding my slings as long as they keep eating. Be vigilant about taking out uneaten remains as well as these can quickly lead to mites and mold .

 

[Tranz]

My G. Pulchra sling was a little over an inch when I got it, and according to my experience, yours should be able to handle a small live cricket 1/2" inch or less. At least throw it in for a couple of minutes and see what happens.

 

[Bjorgly]

I had a cricket about a 1/2 inch, and i squished it enough so it was defenceless, but still moving with guts showing and the little spiderling pounced it and is currently working on eating it!

Thanks all,

Mark

 

[Gail]

Originally posted by Bjorgly
I had a cricket about a 1/2 inch, and i squished it enough so it was defenceless, but still moving with guts showing and the little spiderling pounced it and is currently working on eating it!

Ah, the things we do for our pets I don't think the common folk would understand if we told them we had to squish a crix to feed out babies LOL. I, however, do draw the line for what I'll do for my spiderlings - I absolutely REFUSE to masticate their prey for them first

Gail

 

[schlinkey]

Well, mine are 1 inch (regalis) and 0,5 inch (boehmei). I feed em chopped adult crickets.. so far so good the legs seem to be too much exosceleton to me, that's why i'm choppin the whole crickets =) can't wait till they molt though, or grow at least; wanna feed em live prey =)

 

[Lasiodora]

I feed my 1" pokies and avics adult crickets. They take 'em down with no problem. Its funny to watch. The crickets are the size of the spiders. For smaller slings I crush small crickets. The legs probably have no nutritional value. Give them the bodies.
Mike

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Have you called all the petstores in you area to see if any of them carry pinheads?

 

[Bjorgly]

They do have pinheads...but with the way i saw my little guy attack the 1/2 squished cricket about 3/4 the size of itself im fairly certain i can stick to prey that large and just pull off their jumping legs which would do all the struggling. I will perhaps try buy some pinheads though for variety because they will be moving around and the spider can handle them!

Mark

 

[schlinkey]

instead of makin a new thread: how long does it take (average) from the tiny slings abdomen goes blackish to the actual molt? my tiny boehmei's stopped feeding, and its tiny abdomen's gotten dark.