Tarantula Sling Question!! pls help!

JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
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May 18, 2013
Messages
326
Hello guys , my dad bought two tarantula slings (vagans tarantula i believe),and they placed it on a small gravy opaque container with cocopeat. by the time we got home , i gave them both two live lobster roach nymphs (same size), one of them ate it , the other one mind it it was laying on the side of the container but i scared it so it dropped the roach and the roach ran free , now it was not on the side it was crawling around the container and i removed the roach out of the tank , and placed it back but it didnt mind it anymore :( so i prekilled the roach and left it , and i also left a live one overnight. Why wont this guy eat hmpffff.
more questions:
How often do they eat??
Do they need moisture?
Can my slings eat small springtails?
Do they eat carcasses?
why is my tarantula digging a hole?
how fast do they grow?
What do i do if they wont eat?
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
2,336
Why wont this guy eat hmpffff.
a) not hungry, b) stressed, c) pre-molt
I don't leave live food in with my slings overnight. Pull the remains of any prekilled that they don't eat overnight so it doesn't spoil.
How often do they eat??
As small slings, a couple of times a week.
Do they need moisture?
Yes, dribble some water on one side of the substrate once or twice a week. Once they reach ~1 inch diagonal leg span you can offer a water bottle cap as a bowl.
Can my slings eat small springtails?
Yes
Do they eat carcasses?
Yes
why is my tarantula digging a hole?
Slings of many terrestrial species will burrow.
how fast do they grow?
Depends on husbandry. Kept warm and fed often = faster growth. B. vagans tend to be one of the faster growing Brachypelmas.
What do i do if they wont eat?
Wait a few days and try again.
 
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JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
326
Why wont this guy eat hmpffff.
a) not hungry, b) stressed, c) pre-molt
I don't leave live food in with my slings overnight. Pull the remains of any prekilled that they don't eat overnight so it doesn't spoil.
How often do they eat??
As small slings, a couple of times a week.
Do they need moisture?
Yes, dribble some water on one side of the substrate once or twice a week. Once they reach ~1 inch diagonal leg span you can offer a water bottle cap as a bowl.
Can my slings eat small springtails?
Yes
Do they eat carcasses?
Yes
why is my tarantula digging a hole?
Slings of many terrestrial species will burrow.
how fast do they grow?
Depends on husbandry. Kept warm and fed often = faster growth. B. vagans tend to be one of the faster growing Brachypelmas.
What do i do if they wont eat?
Wait a few days and try again.
thank you!!! another question , what should i do if its stressed? and my slings are 0.5 inches , and my spring tails are smaller than pinhead crickets.
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
2,336
thank you!!! another question , what should i do if its stressed? and my slings are 0.5 inches , and my spring tails are smaller than pinhead crickets.
It it's stressed, leave it alone.
The rule of thumb I use for most slings is- the prey item(s) should be about the size of the spider's abdomen, whether one cricket or a few springtails. Some slings will take down prey their own size or bigger, but sometimes you risk injury to the spider. I prefer to feed mine smaller prey, more frequently.
 

JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
326
It it's stressed, leave it alone.
The rule of thumb I use for most slings is- the prey item(s) should be about the size of the spider's abdomen, whether one cricket or a few springtails. Some slings will take down prey their own size or bigger, but sometimes you risk injury to the spider. I prefer to feed mine smaller prey, more frequently.
umm another one how do i know if theyre hungry? and can i handle them sometimes? i also have small baby mealworms is this ok to feed a 0.5 inch sling?
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
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Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
I don't recommend handling. Especially not for slings. There are too many risks.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2
 

JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
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May 18, 2013
Messages
326
I don't recommend handling. Especially not for slings. There are too many risks.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2
oh ok thnx for that , i was forced to handle one awhile ago because one of them escaped and i saw it crawling on the table lol , luckily it didnt bite me! is it ok to leave a live lobster roach overnight on its container?
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
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Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
oh ok thnx for that , i was forced to handle one awhile ago because one of them escaped and i saw it crawling on the table lol , luckily it didnt bite me! is it ok to leave a live lobster roach overnight on its container?
I do not recommend leaving any live food in with a sling for extended periods of time. I give it an hour, in a properly sized enclosure the t will have plenty of opportunities to find the prey in that time and make its decision. The little guys can be pretty fragile and its not worth the chance IMO. For slings less than an inch, I primarily feed prekilled food, or at the least I chill the prey in the fridge for a few minutes to make the kill easier.

I agree, don't handle slings, they're too delicate. Its not getting bit that's the worry, slings generally don't cause a lot of trauma...the worry lies in the risk of injury or death to the fragile sling.

If it doesn't want to eat, its probably been very well fed, could even be in for a molt in the near future. As long as it looks nice and plump, don't worry about its appetite just yet.
 

JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
326
Thnx it looks plumpy and active. Its trying to catch the roach i hope by tomorrow she would be eating it !

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JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
326
I do not recommend leaving any live food in with a sling for extended periods of time. I give it an hour, in a properly sized enclosure the t will have plenty of opportunities to find the prey in that time and make its decision. The little guys can be pretty fragile and its not worth the chance IMO. For slings less than an inch, I primarily feed prekilled food, or at the least I chill the prey in the fridge for a few minutes to make the kill easier.

I agree, don't handle slings, they're too delicate. Its not getting bit that's the worry, slings generally don't cause a lot of trauma...the worry lies in the risk of injury or death to the fragile sling.

If it doesn't want to eat, its probably been very well fed, could even be in for a molt in the near future. As long as it looks nice and plump, don't worry about its appetite just yet.
Hello guys lastly , why is my other tarantula very plump and skittish , and the other one looks thin and not very plump (as thin as a crab spider). I bought them as a pair which the shop told us that it was a pair....And my plumpy one ate the carcass i left and the other one still hasnt eaten its carcass and live food :(. Should i give this thin one more time ? he isnt as skittish as the other one but he loves to dig underground... could this thin one be a male? pls help thnx....

---------- Post added 04-19-2014 at 05:48 PM ----------

oh wait additional last questions , can i transfer these 0.5 slings in a 3-4 inch container? and also if i drop a roach inside its burrows will it be able to find it?

---------- Post added 04-19-2014 at 06:54 PM ----------

anyone?? bump
 
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tisha

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 8, 2013
Messages
29
Hi maybe the other sling is still adjusting to its enclosure or is simply not hungry.
When feeding, I'd cut a mealworm into 3, leave it over night then remove if not eaten.
I have 3 slings the same size as yours and I keep them in a gravy cup, so I'd suggest to just keep as it is.

I have a B vagans, got it ~.3" sling (now ~2.25") and it really loves to dig, so I leave food near the entrance of the burrow so it's easy to remove if no eaten.
 

JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
326
Hi maybe the other sling is still adjusting to its enclosure or is simply not hungry.
When feeding, I'd cut a mealworm into 3, leave it over night then remove if not eaten.
I have 3 slings the same size as yours and I keep them in a gravy cup, so I'd suggest to just keep as it is.

I have a B vagans, got it ~.3" sling (now ~2.25") and it really loves to dig, so I leave food near the entrance of the burrow so it's easy to remove if no eaten.
oh ok thnx :D!!!! btw are males ts thinner than females ts? oh and also why does my tarantula sling have a bluish dark spot on it's abdomen?
 
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cold blood

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oh ok thnx :D!!!! btw are males ts thinner than females ts? oh and also why does my tarantula sling have a bluish dark spot on it's abdomen?
Males can be just as plump as females, there is no way to tell the sex just by looking and evaluating the t. It will take a good eye, magnification and a new shed to be sure.

The dark spot is normal for slings. Watch it and pay attention, when it goes away or takes over the rump, its pre-molt...as long as you can see the spot, its not.
 

JeromeTabuzo

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
326
Males can be just as plump as females, there is no way to tell the sex just by looking and evaluating the t. It will take a good eye, magnification and a new shed to be sure.

The dark spot is normal for slings. Watch it and pay attention, when it goes away or takes over the rump, its pre-molt...as long as you can see the spot, its not.
Thnx. i checked on him today its abdomen turned blue berry colored and the hairs on its abdomen started to increase
 
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