Give them cricket or not? Still to fat slings!!

Hey guys! My 2 brachypelma smithi slings (1inch) are now at the moment to 'fat' to give more crickets. The thing is i already waited for 2 months, and they are still to fat, they just stay the same! So i dont want to give them crickets because its dangerous and not good for them to be fat. They are slings so normally they need to be fed more frequently, i know they grow slow, but two months and still no result is a little bit much for slings, for adults it would be normal. What do i do? Wait until they lose weight or give them a cricket?

Feed the little beastys! Two months is a long time to go without food,specially for slings.

Just throw the crickets in there and see what happens. If they eat them they eat them and gain a little more cricket weight, if they don't eat them then they're still full from 2 months ago. Just make sure they have some access to some water, I usually give a little water squirt in the corner once a week or if you have some bottle caps fill those up. 2 months isn't really a long time either. I've had one go 6 months without food and still was chubby. That was also at the 1" mark.

They should have a food item at least once per week. Twice if you want to powerfeed them.

I've been given the understanding that in general, T's will not eat until they explode. I've seen it discussed a number of times in various threads, and the opinions and experiences of a number of members who I trust is to offer food. If the T eats, it gets that much closer to it's next molt, if not, leave it alone and try again next week. This is the approach that I have taken and I have not yet had one die of it.

if you're worried about it then offer some pre-killed, you'd be surprised how much they can fit in, especially when they are very small. My really small avic slings seemed so fat but they took crickets from me with gusto, they were not messing around. IF they don't want the food then you just take it out and try again next week and repeat.

They will eat! Without a problem! But isnt it dangerous? I mean everytime when someone post a pic of his sling (a fat one) there is reaction that he is to fat and its dangerous..i know normally they need once in a week food, thats what i did though!

---------- Post added 12-25-2014 at 10:11 PM ----------

They always have fresh water! All my slings have waterdishes. I just gave them a cricket and they were indeed hungry! I really want the best for them and thats why i was afraid that being to gat can be dangerous, but maybe not so much with slings as by zdults, obviously. But it were the comments on fat slings that confused me!

---------- Post added 12-25-2014 at 10:14 PM ----------

Sana said:

I've been given the understanding that in general, T's will not eat until they explode. I've seen it discussed a number of times in various threads, and the opinions and experiences of a number of members who I trust is to offer food. If the T eats, it gets that much closer to it's next molt, if not, leave it alone and try again next week. This is the approach that I have taken and I have not yet had one die of it.

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That how i usually work, but it were the comments that confused me!

awiec said:

if you're worried about it then offer some pre-killed, you'd be surprised how much they can fit in, especially when they are very small. My really small avic slings seemed so fat but they took crickets from me with gusto, they were not messing around. IF they don't want the food then you just take it out and try again next week and repeat.

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This is what I do when I have a fatty sling, especially if I believe there's a good chance it may refuse. When they're really fat, i'll give em 8-10 days, if they don't molt or appear to be very close, I offer.

G. pulchra said:

They should have a food item at least once per week. Twice if you want to powerfeed them.

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Twice a week is far from power feeding, especially with a sling. I feed slings twice a week, sometimes 3 times depending on the species and temps. Power feeding is having food available all the time, virtually no one actually power feeds in reality.

14pokies said:

Feed the little beastys! Two months is a long time to go without food,specially for slings.

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Its a very long time.

Slings main motivation in life is to grow, as every molt they are a little less vulnerable.


I've posted this before, but its relevance continues to remain. Here's a couple quotes from arachnologist Sam Marshall, the first regarding slings feedings and the second specifically attributed to B. smithi:

"you cannot feed a tarantula spiderling too much...a hatchling tarantula has an appetite that is hard to satisfy...feed them as often as they will eat. In any case, feed them AT LEAST twice a week...if you restrict their food when young, they will also not grow as large when they mature"

"Small Mexican redknees get very, very fat between molts. This is just their growth strategy. So, while over feeding adults is a bad idea, if you want your spiderlings to grow quickly, feed them heavily, even when they look like they might pop."

Glad to see the slings took the meal.

Neoza said:

They will eat! Without a problem! But isnt it dangerous? I mean everytime when someone post a pic of his sling (a fat one) there is reaction that he is to fat and its dangerous..i know normally they need once in a week food, thats what i did though!

---------- Post added 12-25-2014 at 10:11 PM ----------

They always have fresh water! All my slings have waterdishes. I just gave them a cricket and they were indeed hungry! I really want the best for them and thats why i was afraid that being to gat can be dangerous, but maybe not so much with slings as by zdults, obviously. But it were the comments on fat slings that confused me!

---------- Post added 12-25-2014 at 10:14 PM ----------

That how i usually work, but it were the comments that confused me!

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I have seen the same comments and had the same concern at one point recently. When I asked a question about it during a discussion, there wasn't a person that pointed to solid evidence of a T over eating. As many keepers as I hear say that they will stop eating before they explode, common sense tells me that they are probably accurate.

Powerfeeding is indeed givin them constantly food, not twice a week. But ok im happy i can give them every week a meal, because i love to see it when they catch the cricket thank you for answering