Do you let your Ts "settle in" before feeding? And how long?

Do you let your Ts "settle in" before feeding?


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Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
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I'm curious about this as I've read many people give the advice to let new T's get settled into their new enclosures before feeding. How long do you wait? And what are your reasons?
 

1hughjazzspider

Arachnoknight
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Aug 24, 2011
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I usually let them settle about a week, unless of course it molts during that week then I'll obviously wait longer. As far as why, I used to think it didn't matter how long they were in there and figured they'd just eat when fed. But after seeing quite a few people on here recommend waiting and allow them to get settled and unstressed it kinda seemed to make sense to me. What about you Chris do you let them settle?
 

sine

Arachnopeon
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Dec 24, 2011
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I offer food the same day. If the T doesn't eat it pretty quickly or seems stressed out by it I take it out and wait a week or so. I figure the tarantula knows when it's hungry better than I do so I might as well leave the decision up to it.
 

madamoisele

Arachnosquire
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Oct 28, 2010
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I mostly let them settle at least a day, unless I get the sense they might be hungry; then I might offer food, removing it if ignored or shied away from. I'd say it's situational which way I go with it. Whatever seems right to me at the time. :)
 

nikki9093

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Nov 30, 2011
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i offer when i get them settled the same day. i usually rehouse them too...lol...have never had anyone refuse food even after that. lol.
 

Hobo

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I feed same or next day, if I feel the spider will take it. After a while it's easy to tell which spiders are "freaked out" to the point where they won't take food. Obviously, with those, I wait a couple of days until they've appropriated their hide/burrow.
 

paassatt

Arachnoangel
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I feed same or next day, if I feel the spider will take it. After a while it's easy to tell which spiders are "freaked out" to the point where they won't take food. Obviously, with those, I wait a couple of days until they've appropriated their hide/burrow.
This is what I do also.
 

Louis Winthorpe III

Arachnopeon
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Oct 11, 2011
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I do just about the same by waiting until next day, then remove the food if they don't snatch it up in a few minutes. My OBT sling ate 3 crickets within the first 24 hours of arrival. My B.albo didn't eat for a week after arrival. Depends on the T I guess.
 

tarantulagirl10

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Oct 15, 2010
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It all depends on the t. If it looks stressed I leave it alone for a week. If I think it will take food sooner, I will try to feed it. I have fed ts the same day I got them, and others I have waited a week or more.
 

Bill S

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No particular ritual. If the tarantula looks like it's comfortable in its new cage and needs food - I feed it. If it's freaked out about the changes I wait until it calms down. If its fat, it can wait.
 

xhexdx

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I offer food the same day. If the T doesn't eat it pretty quickly or seems stressed out by it I take it out and wait a week or so. I figure the tarantula knows when it's hungry better than I do so I might as well leave the decision up to it.
This is what I do.

No particular ritual. If the tarantula looks like it's comfortable in its new cage and needs food - I feed it. If it's freaked out about the changes I wait until it calms down. If its fat, it can wait.
This as well, to a degree.

Even a freaked spider will tend to calm down enough to grab the cricket, in my experience. This isn't true all the time, but it is most of the time, for me.
 

Walk Alone

Arachnosquire
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I feed twice a week, so they normally settle in just because I don't happen to be feeding that day.
 

Chris_Skeleton

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I have fed same day as a rehouse numerous times and they have ate as well.

Why is the advice to wait frequently given?
And what is the basis for this?

Does anyone believe that offering food will help them better settle in? Food = suitable home...?
 

xhexdx

ArachnoGod
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Well we know that most of the time, when they do their little 'food dance', they also tend to lay webbing. Does this kick-start their drive to begin remodeling and making themselves at home? I have no idea.

It would be interesting to run a controlled experiment or two - take ten individuals (slings), rehouse them in identical setups, and offer food to half of them.
 

OphidianDelight

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May 19, 2011
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I let them settle first but usually this involves leaving the T or sling in a dark room with fresh water for a few hours before offering food. I don't normally wait more than 24 hours before attempting a first feeding. If the animal refuses the first feeding then I try again on a regular feeding day for the rest of the Ts.
 

Shell

ArachnoVixen AKA Dream Crusher AKA Heartbreaker
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Why is the advice to wait frequently given?
And what is the basis for this?
I don't think it should be given as advice, but more as a possible reason as to why a spider may not be eating (when it's a new or recently rehoused spider).

When someone posts that their new spider isn't taking food, that *could* be one of the reasons why. It may be stressed and need a little more time to settle in. It could also not be eating for other reasons though, as we know.

I usually feed the same day with mine, and most will take food. I have had some that needed more time though, so I remove the uneaten food and try again a week later.

Like I said, I don't think it should be given as advice, but just offered as a possible explanation as to why a new spider may be refusing food, when the keeper is concerned.

For example, when someone posts that their new spider isn't eating, I will usually say that it could be not eating for a few different reasons, and that needing time to settle in could be one of them, so to give it a few days or so and try again.

I see no issue with offering food the same day, some will eat, some won't. No big deal if you remove what isn't eaten.
 
Last edited:

mark e sic

Arachnosquire
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Dec 13, 2011
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i think the whole "let them settle in" is more for newbies in order to keep them from ramming a cricket into his/her T.s face and stressing it out further than it might already be because of relocated or rehousing.. my opinion
 
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