Less frequent feeding for longer life span + feeding techniques

CBickert

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 6, 2013
Messages
47
First off let me say hello! I have been searching this forum for a year or so but this is my first post.
I received my first sling December of 2012, a G. Pulchripes around 1/2" possibly smaller. Since then I have gotten a G. Rosea RCF September of 2013 around 1/2" as well.

Both of my spiders just recently molted within a week of each other with the latest being a few days ago. They are now 2" and 1" receptively. (Abouts, haven't measured yet after the fresh molts.)

So there are feeds that mention power feeding, which is a well known term with very varied opinions to wether or not it is healthy and/or works. My question is, is there a term for the opposite of power feeding? And or do people practice withholding food to lengthen life spans of tarantulas?

When I first researched the growth rate of my current spiders I thought that was going to feel like forever, but I have to admit I am enjoying watching them grow and hope that their growth stays slow. I have feed them pretty sporadically, usually giving 3-5 crickets in the span of 2-4 days every two weeks or longer sometimes just that within a month.

I am asking because I will be receiving tomorrow in the mail the following...

P. Irminia 3/4"
P. Murinus 3/4"
H. Maculata 3/4"
N. Chromatus 1/2"
N. Cololoratovillosus 1/2"
B. Vagans 1/2"
B. Albopilosum 1/2"

My fear is that I will receive (future) males of the OBT, Irminia, and the Maculata and they will mature in a matter of a few years. To me that is not very good value for money. I would much rather watch a less enthusiastic tarantula grow slower for longer.

Back to my original question. Can I feed the slings a bit less to lengthen the lifespan? Or will they still die of "old age" in a few years, but without having a final molt. (Predicting that these will be males.) As much as I would love to have a 6" P. Irminia in a year or so, I would not want to lose it shortly after.

Also what are the thoughts on tong feeding vs just letting the feeder lose in the enclosure? I have always just dropped the cricket in and not interfered with the feeding ritual. In my mind it is more accurate of what would happen in nature. But then I watch on YouTube even RobC tong feed all of his tarantulas?

Sorry for the long post, and I have tried to search this but did not find a discussion about specifically this subject, mostly on the pros and cons of power feeding. Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you!!!

-Cameron
 

succinct

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
28
You are getting into some of the most debated parts of keeping tarantulas. The answers are not really easy. Will feeding less and decreasing temps increase the life span of males, yes. But honestly, you could just send them out for breeding after they mature. I would worry more about enjoyment of the spiders when you have them, then time/money factors.

Side topic.

Science is out on females. In true spiders, in mated female spiders that where fed less lived longer, but un mated female spiders that eat less lived the normal life span (103 days to 63 days). But the the experiment did not take in to consideration food density, humidity, and temperature.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01729.x/pdf

As for the feeding question. Honestly, I pre kill everything I feed my tarantulas. Everything. If you let a live cricket in the cage, sooner or later, you will come back to the cricket eating the tarantula sooner or later.

If you tong feed, you have to spend the time. There is also a very small risk of the tarantula hurting themselves on the tongs.
 

Poec54

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
4,745
You are getting into some of the most debated parts of keeping tarantulas. The answers are not really easy. Will feeding less and decreasing temps increase the life span of males, yes. But honestly, you could just send them out for breeding after they mature.

Science is out on females.
+1.

If you want females, get several slings of each species at a time. What the OP is doing, one-of-this, one-of-that, is a frustrating and expensive way to collect spiders. You usually end up raising a majority of males, and have to start all over again with that species.

Tarantulas don't tong-feed in the wild, why do it in captivity? Let them hunt. Tong feeeding lends itself to enthusiastic spiders running out of cages, and injuring their fangs on the hard tongs. The only time I tong-feed is when giving dead crickets to hungry spiders, and occasionally in their excitement, they run out of the cage. Probably not what the OP wants to deal with.

Irminia usually max out around 5" and females reach that in 2 or 3 years. You can slow your spider down by feeding them less. However, the OP needs to decide if they 'enjoy watching them grow' or 'hope their growth stays slow'. Pick one.

When your spiders are adults, you can breed them, and trade/sell the slings. That means free incoming spiders. That's how many of us build collections for little, if any money.

'Power feeding' is nonstop prey available, virtually 24/7; what the OP is doing doesn't qualify as that.

Learn to relax. I can picture you pacing back and forth wringing your hands over this like Woody Allen. This is supposed to be a fun hobby. Enjoy it.
 

Hobo

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Staff member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
2,208
First off let me say hello! I have been searching this forum for a year or so but this is my first post.
I received my first sling December of 2012, a G. Pulchripes around 1/2" possibly smaller. Since then I have gotten a G. Rosea RCF September of 2013 around 1/2" as well.

Both of my spiders just recently molted within a week of each other with the latest being a few days ago. They are now 2" and 1" receptively. (Abouts, haven't measured yet after the fresh molts.)

So there are feeds that mention power feeding, which is a well known term with very varied opinions to wether or not it is healthy and/or works. My question is, is there a term for the opposite of power feeding? And or do people practice withholding food to lengthen life spans of tarantulas?

When I first researched the growth rate of my current spiders I thought that was going to feel like forever, but I have to admit I am enjoying watching them grow and hope that their growth stays slow. I have feed them pretty sporadically, usually giving 3-5 crickets in the span of 2-4 days every two weeks or longer sometimes just that within a month.

I am asking because I will be receiving tomorrow in the mail the following...

P. Irminia 3/4"
P. Murinus 3/4"
H. Maculata 3/4"
N. Chromatus 1/2"
N. Cololoratovillosus 1/2"
B. Vagans 1/2"
B. Albopilosum 1/2"

My fear is that I will receive (future) males of the OBT, Irminia, and the Maculata and they will mature in a matter of a few years. To me that is not very good value for money. I would much rather watch a less enthusiastic tarantula grow slower for longer.

Back to my original question. Can I feed the slings a bit less to lengthen the lifespan? Or will they still die of "old age" in a few years, but without having a final molt. (Predicting that these will be males.) As much as I would love to have a 6" P. Irminia in a year or so, I would not want to lose it shortly after.

Also what are the thoughts on tong feeding vs just letting the feeder lose in the enclosure? I have always just dropped the cricket in and not interfered with the feeding ritual. In my mind it is more accurate of what would happen in nature. But then I watch on YouTube even RobC tong feed all of his tarantulas?

Sorry for the long post, and I have tried to search this but did not find a discussion about specifically this subject, mostly on the pros and cons of power feeding. Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you!!!

-Cameron
Hi,

I feed the majority of the slings I keep (mostly the ones that I intend to sell) sparingly. That means usually every month or when they look like they need it, whichever comes first. Many keepers do this to stagger males so that females will be mature by the time the males do. They have developed normally as far as I've seen and reach maturity eventually with no issues.

I can say that yes, it will prolong their lifespan. I have GBB males that I've hatched out three years ago that are still 2" and barely out of their sling coloration. I've seen many people able to get males of this species to maturity in one years time, so compared to one of those, you can see that a male fed sparingly will live longer than one fed normally/often.

From a sac I hatched earlier (C. perezmilesi) that were kept the same way, the males eventually reached maturity no problem (some hooked out after two years, a few more after three) and lasted (once mature) on average a year give or take a few months.

As for the virility of these "slow fed" males I cannot say, but is something I am going to put to the test once my GBB males mature.

You can feed them however you want. Tong feeding won't diminish their instinctual feeding response to prey if that's what you're worried about. I tong feed some of mine, and just loose feeders for others. It all depends on the enclosure, the tarantula, and the feeder being fed.

A final note: don't believe everything you see from youtube celebrities.
 

dredrickt

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
170
If you end up with males, its pretty easy to loan them out for breeding, sell them, or trade them. No wasted money there. I typically buy 3-5 slings of the species I want a M/F of each from. However, if I'm just "trying out a species" to watch it build its habitat and develop its hunting skills, then I will only buy 1. If I like it, I go buy another 3-4, if that first one ends up being a male, I'll trade it as any subsequent female sling I have won't mature in time.

Don't under utilize the trading aspect of this hobby, its huge, and its a way to put something new in your collection, and give someone else something they need at the same time.
 

CBickert

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 6, 2013
Messages
47
If you want females, get several slings of each species at a time. What the OP is doing, one-of-this, one-of-that, is a frustrating and expensive way to collect spiders. You usually end up raising a majority of males, and have to start all over again with that species.

Getting males is fine with me, I would just like to prolong their life if I do. And IMO I would rather have a variety of species than multiple of the same species just so I can have a female.

Tarantulas don't tong-feed in the wild, why do it in captivity? Let them hunt. Tong feeeding lends itself to enthusiastic spiders running out of cages, and injuring their fangs on the hard tongs. The only time I tong-feed is when giving dead crickets to hungry spiders, and occasionally in their excitement, they run out of the cage. Probably not what the OP wants to deal with.

I agree with this 100%, I just usually see people tong feeding their tarantulas. Thanks for the input!

Irminia usually max out around 5" and females reach that in 2 or 3 years. You can slow your spider down by feeding them less. However, the OP needs to decide if they 'enjoy watching them grow' or 'hope their growth stays slow'. Pick one.

Yeah I just realized that is a contradiction lol Let me rephrase. I would like to watch them grow, for years..

When your spiders are adults, you can breed them, and trade/sell the slings. That means free incoming spiders. That's how many of us build collections for little, if any money.

TBH right now I don't feel like I want to get into breeding. I am fairly new to this hobby, and I don't know if I could move 100's slings if needed

'Power feeding' is nonstop prey available, virtually 24/7; what the OP is doing doesn't qualify as that.

Learn to relax. I can picture you pacing back and forth wringing your hands over this like Woody Allen. This is supposed to be a fun hobby. Enjoy it.

LOL no not pacing. Maybe this post came off more stressful that it really is. Just had a few questions that I wanted clarification on. And it is very fun! Hence the new shipment of T's quadrupling my current collection. [/QUOTE]
 
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