New T owner questions:

SugarBlossom13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
4
So, I tried to feed my new G. Rosa this morning, but (s)he acted like the cricket was a nucense.

I didn't have pinhead crickets, pinhole crickets, whatever they're called. So I bought some crickets and fed her the smallest I had ... which ended up being a hair larger than her unfortunately.:barf:

Is that my problem? Do I need to get smaller food, like mealworms or something? I live 45 minutes away from the nearest petstore that carries anything other than regular crickets.:rolleyes:

I wrote Ken (The Bug Guy) an email asking when he fed her last, and when she molted last. I may not make it into town until tomorrow to buy smaller food. Will she eat a cut up cricket? Or does it need to be a live animal?

I got her yesterday, but didn't try to feed her until today (4/9/10).

I have the Tarantula Keeper's Guide, but I also wanted your opinion!

Thanx!
:worship:
 
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rustym3talh3ad

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 22, 2008
Messages
884
hold off on feeding her...as its stated in the TKG book its best to just let ur new pet chill for awhile. I'd say like maybe try feeding again in 3-5 days. if u got your sling from Ken (the bug guy) then it was well cared for and I'd have no problem waiting saying wait til next week to feed.

on another note...yes you sling should eat a smashed or cut up cricket if thats all you can provide.

if u really wanna get a little experiment going get yourself a small tank put some moist (not wet) bedding in it and a dozen or so fully mature crickets with a food source and water crystals (as any standing water will drown your offspring). sit back and just wait for the little true pin crickets to emerge from the dirt and head to the food source then pick them out to feed ur new rose hair lol. OUTSIDE of doing that (which is tedious and more work than its worth) just rip the abdomen off a cricket and drop it in the tank with your sling and it should eat it. pull out any bits tha t it doesnt eat so u dont have rotting material in your sling enclosure.

HAVE FUN!
 

Shell

ArachnoVixen AKA Dream Crusher AKA Heartbreaker
Staff member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
1,659
Let it settle in a bit before feeding :)

If you don't have pinheads you can either just crush the head of the smallest one you can find (if it's bigger then the sling, it's a good idea, so the cricket doesn't do any damage.) Or you can pull off the legs and feed those. Either way the spider will scavenge. That being said G. rosea are notorious for having strange eating habits.

Just make sure to remove any uneaten bits after 24 hrs so they don't go moldy. I have a few TINY slings, and don't always have pinheads, when I don't, I use the back legs (or for the largest of the small slings, a small prekilled cricket) for them and they all do fine with those. I tend to feed all my small slings prekilled and move up to live crickets once they have a bit more size to them (usually around an inch or a bit bigger, but that's just my personal choice.)
 

joshuai

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 10, 2008
Messages
821
change your font so i can read it i have horrible vision!:eek: j/k
 

Kirsten

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
205
WELCOME:) Congrats on your new little one;I got one of our spiders from the same source. All the advice is great and you should have many happy years with your new pet. Pictures...?

About the text: it seems the font is a bit smaller than standard. Did you alter it? A good lot of us are over 30 and may have a bit of a time reading it.
 

SugarBlossom13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
4
Alright, but what about water? I have her in a large pill bottle and I thought she'd get her water from the crickets, but if I'm not to feed her for at least 3 days, should I put a tiny water dish in there? I have a water dish for when she gets bigger, but nothing planned before she moves to her cage.

Sorry about the picture quality ... I have an old 8 mpx camera that does NOT like to try to focus up close, even when it's on the 'close-up' setting.
 
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SugarBlossom13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
4
Great picture of my .75 in T



Sorry the picture is so big!

This is my Claudia ... only, her name sounds like
/C-louw-dee-ah/

Like a dramatic Spanish Soap opera :0)
 
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SugarBlossom13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
4
She still hasn't eaten (or drank) anything since her arrival on 4/8/10.
She's very interested in me and loves to crawl on my hands, inbetween my fingers too, but I take that as a sign that maybe she'd like to hide, to I put her back so she can chill in her burrow.

Any advice?
 

DamoK21

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Messages
96
She still hasn't eaten (or drank) anything since her arrival on 4/8/10.
She's very interested in me and loves to crawl on my hands, inbetween my fingers too, but I take that as a sign that maybe she'd like to hide, to I put her back so she can chill in her burrow.

Any advice?
welcome to AB and to the hobby :p

yea generally just try feeding her every week until she eats, say every wednesday, that way shell definatly eat something at some point, but dooo not worry your self, And if it helps my spiderling G.rosea just doesnt eat anything at all, but s/he is completly healthy, Plus Grammostola species go forever with out eating any way, but please dont panic..

as long as her abdomen is nice and plump, no wrinkles, not sagging, just a nice plump butt then you have nothing to worry about

hope this helps

and again welcome to the boards

Damo
 

SugarBlossom13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
4
She had a little dirt on her back in the large pic above, but she seems healthy. Plump abdomen, she holds it up just fine while walking, and she's very alert and responsive.
I've never had a pet that required such little care on my part, so I was starting to worry about at least her water intake, especially for molting!
My main issue: I don't want anything to happen and it to be my fault, you know?
Thank you!
 

forrestpengra

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Messages
732
She had a little dirt on her back in the large pic above, but she seems healthy. Plump abdomen, she holds it up just fine while walking, and she's very alert and responsive.
I've never had a pet that required such little care on my part, so I was starting to worry about at least her water intake, especially for molting!
My main issue: I don't want anything to happen and it to be my fault, you know?
Thank you!
Yeah just wait till they get bigger (if your patience can hang in)... they are truely pet rocks, mine hasn't eaten in months. But they really are the perfect T, super pretty (in my opinion) and pretty laid back.
 

Halfbreed

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
69
Welcome and congratulations! I know G roseas are REALLY bad about fasting. Of course I do not know what the typical behavior with a sling is but it really is no cause for concern just yet. WHen I say fast I mean a LOOONG time. Rosies are slow about EVERYTHING, eating, molting, dropping eggsacs but I agree they are some the prettiest TS out there and are way underrated. She may be in premolt, she may be getting adjusted, or she may just not be hungry. As long as she is plump she is ok. Once again welcome and good luck!
 
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