When to Stop Power Feeding a Sling?

[Denbert]

Hey guys. I've got a question about power feeding since some of my co-keepers here say that they feed their Ts once a week for it to have a longer life. However, I've been power feeding my slings (2-3 newly hatched red runners every three days) since I've read that slings usually power feed in the wild for them to outgrow the delicate stage of being a sling.

My question is, at around what size should I stop power feeding my slings? And if I've already started power feeding them, would it lead them to having a shorter lifespan? Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Nightstalker47]

Hey guys. I've got a question about power feeding since some of my co-keepers here say that they feed their Ts once a week for it to have a longer life. However, I've been power feeding my slings (2-3 newly hatched red runners every three days) since I've read that slings usually power feed in the wild for them to reach the delicate stage of being a sling.

My question is, at around what size should I stop power feeding my slings? And if I've already started power feeding them, would it lead them to having a shorter lifespan? Thanks for your thoughts!

Feeding your slings often will not shorten their lifespan, that's a myth. I feed all my younger specimens fairly regularly, 2-3 times a week depending on the size of the spider.

Once the spider hits juvenile size(looking like a miniature adult) you should slow down on feeding. Maybe to 1-2 times a week. When you feed juveniles/adults too often, it will typically result in a very long pre molt phase.

 

[bryverine]

Feed them as often as they'll eat until they hit 2-3" IMO. They're usually more stable.

 

[N1ghtFire]

I feed my slings as much as they want once or twice a week. When they reach about 3" I feed them one decent sized dubia every two weeks, or more if they need fattened up after a molt.

 

[cold blood]

1. Powerfeeding is a term from the reptile hobby and has no bearing on keeping ts.

2. Powerfeeding implies a constant source of food...which isnt what t people do, and one reason its not applicable here.

3. Feeding every 3 days is a pretty normal sling schedule. Like mentioned, by 2-3" growth will slow and so should your feedings, because while its impossible to over feed a sling, in juvies and adults, obesity can become a problem.

A sling will eat till its ready to molt, all ts will generally, once they have their fill, a heavier feeding schedule will mean that occurs faster...faster than the body can prepare to molt....so you will get a t that spends long times in pre molt fast.

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

I auev never really worried about it. Every few days, I try to feed smaller slings so that they can get out of sling-stage fast. Case-in-point, I bought a very small N. chromatus at the last fair. I feed it every few days, and whenever it doesn't eat what I give it, I wait another few days, etc. Like everyone else says, about the 2-3" mark is when feedings can slow. I personally feed my birdeaters a lot. So oong sa your cage isn't tall, it's no risk. Just makes it so that premolt is way longer than normal Keep on feeding those slings!

 

[viper69]

Hey guys. I've got a question about power feeding since some of my co-keepers here say that they feed their Ts once a week for it to have a longer life. However, I've been power feeding my slings (2-3 newly hatched red runners every three days) since I've read that slings usually power feed in the wild for them to outgrow the delicate stage of being a sling.

My question is, at around what size should I stop power feeding my slings? And if I've already started power feeding them, would it lead them to having a shorter lifespan? Thanks for your thoughts!

There is no such thing as powerfeeding a T. This is a throwback from the reptile hobby. A T will not stuff itself to death. You feed as often as they will eat.

 

[Denbert]

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Even if "power feeding" did reduce life span the reduction would be negligible anyway.

I feed slings up to 1.5" every 3 days, slings from 1.5" - 2" every 5 days, juveniles every 7-10 days, and subadults/adults once a fortnight.

 

[Ellenantula]

I feed slings 2 times a week, sometimes 3 weeks time a week after a moult -- and by 2.5 - 3" -- I often just feed once or twice a week. In fact, by 3+" I often just feed every week or every 2 weeks. YMMV -- Ts can be unique. I let my Ts habits guide me on their feeding schedule and also let their rump size influence my feeding schedule. No two Ts are identical.
(Fasting adult Ts (like G rosea/porteri) I only offer food monthly or every 6 weeks).
A full water bowl is most important at all times, regardless of sling/T size.
As others have mentioned -- there shouldn't be a true 'power feeding' -- it's just feeding when sling is due to eat.

Same with "gutloading" feeders -- I don't attempt this. I just make super sure I feed my feeders a healthy diet regularly: ultimately I feel the healthy food and hydration my feeders receive has the most influence on my slings/Ts' health.

 

[Andrea82]

That 'don't feed your spiders much or you shorten their lifespan' - crap sure makes regular headlines again lately...i wonder who's putting that stuff back up on the internet again

 

[Paul1126]

Does the frequency of feeding depend on how big of a meal you give?
I find my slings will only accept food once a week, but i do give them a canny sized pre killed & cut up mealworm.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Does the frequency of feeding depend on how big of a meal you give?
I find my slings will only accept food once a week, but i do give them a canny sized pre killed & cut up mealworm.

I generally feed prey items that are no bigger than the tarantula's abdomen and I still have to tweak it for the slower growing species, my G. pulchripes and B. emilia juvies are fed once a fortnight as opposed to once a week otherwise they'd just end up insanely fat within a few feedings and then stop eating for months on end, so far I haven't had a T stop eating for more than 2 months on the feeding schedule I posted above.

If you feed larger meals then, ideally, you're going to want to feed less often.

 

[cold blood]

Does the frequency of feeding depend on how big of a meal you give?
I find my slings will only accept food once a week, but i do give them a canny sized pre killed & cut up mealworm.

yes, you can go much longer between meals when they eat larger prey.

for instance, i feed my slings every 10-14 days....but they get large meals in the form of mealworm chunks.....as a result, they plump in just a meal or two.

nom nom (Nhandu chromatus)

• cold blood
• Aug 17, 2017
• 7
• brazilian red and white tarantula chromatus feeding nhandu nhandu chromatus sling white striped birdeater

chromatus 2i