What Can I feed... (Inquiry)

InvertFix

Arachnobaron
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Aug 29, 2011
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I have a bunch of Lynx, Widow and Jumping Spiders to feed and I can't get any FFF for them to chow down on right now next store order will be in on Friday. But in the mean time are there any suggestions as to what I can feed these guys? They are super tiny at the moment so I'm not sure what would be some good alternatives until I can get some FFF. Thank you in advanced everyone!

Fix
 

Camden

Arachnobaron
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You could see if you can find some baby isopods if you have any, or some springtails maybe. just educated guesses. but if all else fails, they will probably be fine until friday.
 

Ciphor

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I have a bunch of Lynx, Widow and Jumping Spiders to feed and I can't get any FFF for them to chow down on right now next store order will be in on Friday. But in the mean time are there any suggestions as to what I can feed these guys? They are super tiny at the moment so I'm not sure what would be some good alternatives until I can get some FFF. Thank you in advanced everyone!

Fix
Are they all immature? Spiderling? If these spiders are mature I would not recommend FFF, and instead go with small crickets or small meal worms. Also true spiders hold up well without food, so no mater what they will be fine for a bit till you get it figured out.

If they are spiderlings you are out of luck till you get the FFF. The only other thing I have had success with on youngsters is small nymphs.

For the widow you are in luck. They don't really care what you feed them, or how much bigger then them it is. Cobweb spiders are easy like that :) Obviously don't over do it tho and throw a mouse in a spiderling web lol.

I would say twice to 3 times the size of the spider would be fine for the widow if it's immature, when they are adults you want to be more careful about over-feeding to reduce the reduction to their lifespan.
 

InvertFix

Arachnobaron
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I've had them for about a week and a half and they haven't eaten. I recieved them and then had to leave town for that time. Do you think they will still be fine?

---------- Post added 04-09-2012 at 12:20 PM ----------

Are they all immature? Spiderling? If these spiders are mature I would not recommend FFF, and instead go with small crickets or small meal worms. Also true spiders hold up well without food, so no mater what they will be fine for a bit till you get it figured out.

If they are spiderlings you are out of luck till you get the FFF. The only other thing I have had success with on youngsters is small nymphs.

For the widow you are in luck. They don't really care what you feed them, or how much bigger then them it is. Cobweb spiders are easy like that :) Obviously don't over do it tho and throw a mouse in a spiderling web lol.

I would say twice to 3 times the size of the spider would be fine for the widow if it's immature, when they are adults you want to be more careful about over-feeding to reduce the reduction to their lifespan.
They are all little spiderlings. The widow is a young juvenile.

Thank you for your help :)

---------- Post added 04-09-2012 at 12:25 PM ----------

Also I don't know if the species of widow is of any importance? Or are you just talking in general? I have a Latrodectus bishopi.
 

catfishrod69

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You can definitely do cricket legs. Squish them to the sides of the vials, and they will find them. This is what i use for my lynx slings, widow slings, and when i had smaller jumpers.
 

loxoscelesfear

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your baby spiders will be fine. i feed mainly FFF to my spiderlings as well. pinhead crix are a good option too. one thing good about having many baby spiders is that --probably get backlash for this but-- if you do not have food available they will feed on their siblings until an additional food source is available.

oh yeah, catfishrod's suggestion is a good one. it does work. i forgot to mention that method ...DOH
 

Ciphor

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I've had them for about a week and a half and they haven't eaten. I recieved them and then had to leave town for that time. Do you think they will still be fine?
Without knowing how long it's been since they ate before you took them over it's hard to say. As a reference however I will say this, all the true spiders I have raised from hatching went several weeks between meals (because I'm lazy and a bad master lol)

I would say as long as they have some water (mist) they would likely hold up around 4-5 weeks without a bite if they are spiderlings. Adults can vary on how you keep them. I have had Eris sp. go 3 months without a meal. I don't have any experience with Lynx spiders, and really have no idea how hardy they are at each development stage.

Temperature is key here, you keep these guys at 80* you run much more risk of a death with no meal. I would keep them somewhere in your home that sits around 62-65* till you get the food. Keep their BMR & RMR nice a low.

As everyone else said tho, I wouldn't worry much. The crushed legs sounds interesting, might have to try that sometime when I am isolating spiderlings out of the hatch.
 

InvertFix

Arachnobaron
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You can definitely do cricket legs. Squish them to the sides of the vials, and they will find them. This is what i use for my lynx slings, widow slings, and when i had smaller jumpers.
Thank you, they didn't have a problem with it? Mine seem to only want things that move. >.<

---------- Post added 04-09-2012 at 12:31 PM ----------

your baby spiders will be fine. i feed mainly FFF to my spiderlings as well. pinhead crix are a good option too. one thing good about having many baby spiders is that --probably get backlash for this but-- if you do not have food available they will feed on their siblings until an additional food source is available.

oh yeah, catfishrod's suggestion is a good one. it does work. i forgot to mention that method ...DOH
The pin head crix are pretty much bigger than the size they are now. >.<

---------- Post added 04-09-2012 at 12:32 PM ----------

Without knowing how long it's been since they ate before you took them over it's hard to say. As a reference however I will say this, all the true spiders I have raised from hatching went several weeks between meals (because I'm lazy and a bad master lol)

I would say as long as they have some water (mist) they would likely hold up around 4-5 weeks without a bite if they are spiderlings. Adults can vary on how you keep them. I have had Eris sp. go 3 months without a meal. I don't have any experience with Lynx spiders, and really have no idea how hardy they are at each development stage.

Temperature is key here, you keep these guys at 80* you run much more risk of a death with no meal. I would keep them somewhere in your home that sits around 62-65* till you get the food. Keep their BMR & RMR nice a low.
The temperature thing is a wonderful idea. I should really get them out of my T/herp room. Thank you for the advice!
 

catfishrod69

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Nope they took it every time. Im having problems converting my huntsman to them though. I tried just tweezer feeding the huntsman some cricket legs. One took it, and the other two didnt. One of them showed my how mindblowing fast they are.
 

InvertFix

Arachnobaron
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Nope they took it every time. Im having problems converting my huntsman to them though. I tried just tweezer feeding the huntsman some cricket legs. One took it, and the other two didnt. One of them showed my how mindblowing fast they are.
Yeah they all bolt as soon as I open the lid. I opened one on the bark lynx vial yesterday and then it was gone. But somehow it got web attached to my finger and was hanging from it when I put my hands out to look.
 

InvertFix

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Even my jumpers are nuts. My Magnolia Green is psycho, crazy fast. It's fun.
 

catfishrod69

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Yeah i know. Anymore when my lynx jump out of the vial, i let them crawl on me while i mist, feed. Then i get them to dangle from a strand of web. Catch the web, and aim the spider down into the vial. Works really easy. Thats a little harder when working with Dolomedes and
Thelcticopis .
 

Ciphor

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Yeah i know. Anymore when my lynx jump out of the vial, i let them crawl on me while i mist, feed. Then i get them to dangle from a strand of web. Catch the web, and aim the spider down into the vial. Works really easy. Thats a little harder when working with Dolomedes and
Thelcticopis .
Ever been wild catching and had a spider by the thread, you try and reel it in and it just keeps feeding you more thread lol. Someone walks by and cant see anything but a grown man whipping his arms in circles. You look at them, they look at you, and you realize explaining what your doing would likely make you look more crazy lol.
 

catfishrod69

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Haha yes i have. Never had anyone see me, but definitely know the infinate strand part.
Ever been wild catching and had a spider by the thread, you try and reel it in and it just keeps feeding you more thread lol. Someone walks by and cant see anything but a grown man whipping his arms in circles. You look at them, they look at you, and you realize explaining what your doing would likely make you look more crazy lol.
 

Tenodera

Arachnobaron
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Lol. Imagine how it feels for the spider!

Springtails have worked for my hatchling jumpers, but you sometimes need to do a little container-manipulating if the springtails can't climb the walls and the spider refuses to stay on the ground. Aphids are also fairly effective and easier for the babies to catch (if the aphid is so obliging as to move).
 
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