Versicolor sling feeding schedule?

[Experiment397]

How often should my versicolor sling be eating. It's been crunching around 3 crickets a day with maybe a roach nymph every other day with the crickets. The spider is about 1" fully extended and very fat. It molted 11/24 and has been eating on that schedule non stop since. Is this too much food? I just toss a cricket in whenever I notice it ate the previous one

 

[Formerphobe]

Yes, that is too much. A sling that size will do just fine on one prey item 2-3 times a week. Some folks only feed slings once a week, and they do just fine, too.

 

[2bears]

I have raised several slings at 2 times a week.

 

[ARACHNO-SMACK48]

I have fed slings large meals once every two weeks plus before and had them still be nice and healthy. You are feeding WAY too much. Feed once a week 2 times max.

 

[Beary Strange]

I'm a once-a-weeker at most and my versi and other Avic slings are still insanely plump. Feed when they're clearly hungry (in hunting position), it's that easy.

 

[viper69]

I don't feed mine that much, however I also don't put my Ts on some Nazi feeding regime like once a week. I feed them when they are hungry. An animal's caloric intake definitely affects its development internally, not just physical length etc.

However, whenever I read people on the board type "that's too much". The truth, I can't think of a single study that has actually researched the feeding frequency of Ts in the wild. So that's why I never say "that's too much", and everyone who writes "that's too much" shouldn't either in my opinion because we have no baseline.

The only thing we really know for sure is that they can go a long time w/out food when they are plump and typically larger in size than slings.. That implies they eat sporadically.

But for slings, their ONLY two jobs are 1. Eat as much as possible to GROW FAST, because they are tiny 2. DO NOT GET EATEN.

So feed your versi sling as much as it will eat. It will stop eating when it's full, just like people. I do that with my small slings, both NW and OW.

 

[BossRoss]

But for slings, their ONLY two jobs are 1. Eat as much as possible to GROW FAST, because they are tiny 2. DO NOT GET EATEN.

So feed your versi sling as much as it will eat. It will stop eating when it's full, just like people. I do that with my small slings, both NW and OW.

100% with you on that one! I feed my slings as often as they will eat, up until they get to a more "manageable" size.

 

[ArachnoFreak666]

DUDE!! 3 crickets a day!!?? yeah that is deffinitly too much food! and it only take a very little amount of research to figure that out. let me guess... you listened to what the pet store employee told you when you bought it, right?

 

[unknownza]

Hey i just got my versi 2 days ago and so far im feeding it like i would all my other tarantulas, one cricket a day. slings get small, juvies med and my adults large

So far...So good

 

[viper69]

100% with you on that one! I feed my slings as often as they will eat, up until they get to a more "manageable" size.

Yep same here. Once they hit about 2"-2.5" DLS I slow down a bit. But still, mine are not on some Nazi Death Camp eating regime.

 

[cold blood]

I agree viper...the more you feed, the faster it will grow...its basically impossible to over-feed as feeding and growth are priority #1.

Its more than I feed, and I'm a heavy feeder, but it won't have any adverse effects other than possibly a bit more fasting in the pre-molt period. With that feeding, I hope you are also keeping it a little warmer.

Also when it gets really fat, I just stop feedings altogether and await the molt, you may be nearing that point.

 

[viper69]

I agree viper...the more you feed, the faster it will grow...its basically impossible to over-feed as feeding and growth are priority #1.

Its more than I feed, and I'm a heavy feeder, but it won't have any adverse effects other than possibly a bit more fasting in the pre-molt period. With that feeding, I hope you are also keeping it a little warmer.

Also when it gets really fat, I just stop feedings altogether and await the molt, you may be nearing that point.

I make sure they have crickets hanging from their fangs 24/7

I let them decide when they are no longer hungry. My Honduran Curly Hair perfect example. She's my "Cricket Compactor". When she was about the size of a half dollar DLS her feeding all of a sudden increased, which is hard to believe given how frequently she was eating. But I keep feeding her, well she mushroomed into a nice sized young adult in mere months. However, after that, and she was "fat", she didn't eat for several months haha. She hasn't eaten for a long time, but she's totally healthy from all behavioral observations. If only she didn't flick hairs, she'd be a perfect one to hold on occasion because she's quite slow, until it's time to eat! I'm waiting for the molt.

 

[Experiment397]

We'll come to find out it was only eating maybe 1 a day. The pinheads were escaping through the ventilation holes I drilled. The sling webbed everything up and the crickets were climbing the web and going out the holes in the side of the container. I caught one in the act and then sat around and watched another do it while I was typing a paper for school, I got outsmarted by baby crickets. I am now giving it 1 at a time and making sure it at least attacks it before I leave it. Still fat as crap and growing like a weed though!

 

[Amimia]

Personally, I feed my slings every 4 days. If they're not in premolt, they always eat, and they don't look at all underfed. I guess every 4 days is about twice a week. I find that a good rhythm for the little guys

 

[shelpen]

I'm a once-a-weeker at most and my versi and other Avic slings are still insanely plump. Feed when they're clearly hungry (in hunting position), it's that easy.

Define the hunting position... At the entrance of a burrow?

 

[cold blood]

Define the hunting position... At the entrance of a burrow?

They should make a web tube. Feet out means interested, most of or all of the body out means FEED ME!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

They should make a web tube. Feet out means interested, most of or all of the body out means FEED ME!

Ever had A genic, phampho or lasiodora hunting positive is were-ever they are sitting AT the moment lOL:3: Do not pet them unless you like painfull finger food!

 

[cold blood]

Ever had A genic, phampho or lasiodora hunting positive is were-ever they are sitting AT the moment lOL:3:

Yes, I have several species like that, P. nigricolor, P.cam, LD and a pair of P. cancerides slings. They will all feed, even when they are spooked by opening the lid. They may scramble away, but as soon as the cricket moves, they forget they were spooked and pounce....heck my G. pulchripes is like this....it just flew across the enclosure from a scrunched position to attack the stream of water as I filled the dish...all of the aforementioned attack the water stream every time. Love that attitude!

 

[Experiment397]

My little versi sling has a nice U shaped tube now I know to look for the feet or body hanging out to feed it. Is it normal for them to have multiple entrances to their tube? Mine has an entrance at the top of the the container and one that curves down to the water dish at the bottom

 

[ArachnoFreak666]

We'll come to find out it was only eating maybe 1 a day. The pinheads were escaping through the ventilation holes I drilled. The sling webbed everything up and the crickets were climbing the web and going out the holes in the side of the container. I caught one in the act and then sat around and watched another do it while I was typing a paper for school, I got outsmarted by baby crickets. I am now giving it 1 at a time and making sure it at least attacks it before I leave it. Still fat as crap and growing like a weed though!

you can remedy that by crushing the heads before droping the cricket in the container. slings will almost always be okay with "scavenging" for their food. just don't leave the dead cricket in there for too long if they don't eat it.