Beginner Questions

Azulupei

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
15
I'm really excited for next week because my G. pulchripes is finally getting shipped to me. It's going to be a 1" sling and my first T in general. I also have a 16 oz deli cup for it to live in and some coconut fiber for substrate. I went over to Petsmart to see what I could use for the enclosure, but didn't find anything really useful. Any hide looked too big. I understand a hide isn't necessary for a sling that small, but I want to give the sling the best home possible
.
I also found flightless fruit flies in the store. Is that too small or just right for the 1" sling? I can find crickets no problem, but I want to make sure they're not too big. Another question about feedings: what should I feed the crickets/fruit flies to properly them?

And as a side note. I saw an Avic. avicularia and G. rosea in Petsmart. The Avic looked particularly sad in a kritter keeper. And it was only $25. I was tempted, but I know not to really trust the pets at Petsmart. Definitely don't take good care of them.
 

Blueandbluer

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Messages
495
I'm really excited for next week because my G. pulchripes is finally getting shipped to me. It's going to be a 1" sling and my first T in general. I also have a 16 oz deli cup for it to live in and some coconut fiber for substrate. I went over to Petsmart to see what I could use for the enclosure, but didn't find anything really useful. Any hide looked too big. I understand a hide isn't necessary for a sling that small, but I want to give the sling the best home possible
.
I also found flightless fruit flies in the store. Is that too small or just right for the 1" sling? I can find crickets no problem, but I want to make sure they're not too big. Another question about feedings: what should I feed the crickets/fruit flies to properly them?

And as a side note. I saw an Avic. avicularia and G. rosea in Petsmart. The Avic looked particularly sad in a kritter keeper. And it was only $25. I was tempted, but I know not to really trust the pets at Petsmart. Definitely don't take good care of them.
Fruit flies will be a little small for a 1" sling, also they're a nightmare to deal with. They escape all over the place and are rarely as "flightless" as advertised. 0/10 do not recommend. Instead, I recommend small size crickets. If they seem too large, cut them in half and feed pre-killed.

Crickets are scavengers so will eat almost anything. I give mine cat kibble and the occasional carrot. I use gelled water. As long as I keep the food and water fresh, and the tank clean, I can keep them well for months.

As far as the hide, for my 1" GBB I bought a larger cork hide, and snapped off a couple small pieces. The rest I put in storage until she's big enough for it.
 
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MrDave

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 31, 2014
Messages
119
As Bloo said, FFF are not great. I tried them when my A.versicolor first arrived - think it was 1/2 inch then. For every fly fed to the spider, 1 escaped and about 500 died.

When my G. pulchripes was the size of yours, 1/2 inch crickets worked really well. Its now about 3 inches and getting ready to molt. Soon, I hope as it hasn't eaten a thing in about a month. Don't panic when yours does that, or when it blocks the entrance to its hide for a month or more. When its done molting, and is ready to eat again, it will put on a nice show taking down the poor crickets.
 

tisha

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 8, 2013
Messages
29
I use coco pots as hides for all my Ts, big or small, I just cut them to the size I want.
You can also use a fake leaf, though when I had a G. pulchripes at that size, it chose to make its own burrow and not use the hide provided.
I use small lateralis or dubia roach for small slings, or cut mealworms into 2-3 pcs. I seldom feed crickets since the closest shop that sells them is about 2hrs from my home.
 

Azulupei

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
15
I just realized I missed a word when I typed. I meant to ask about gutloading the crickets and what to feed them. Sorry about that!
 

Blueandbluer

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Messages
495
There is no research on whether gut loading crickets is beneficial to Ts. Since we don't really have a good handle on their nutritional requirements, it's hard to say what even we would gut load with.

I feed my crix dry cat food because it's something I have a lot of with the occasional fresh veg thrown in like a piece of kale or carrot. Usually trimmings from prepping my OWN veg. It makes things easy.
 
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Ellenantula

Arachnoking
Joined
Sep 14, 2014
Messages
2,009
There is no research on whether gut loading crickets is beneficial to Ts. Since we don't really have a good handle on their nutritional requirements, so it's hard to say what even we would gut load with.
Well, I don't know about gut-loading -- but I free-feed my crix, roaches and mealworms so they can be fed to the Ts anytime. Is feeding Ad libitum the same as gut loading?
Seems to me, in the wild, you would never know when prey last ate anyway.
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
People do it for reptiles and amphibians. Its not really necessary for invertebrates.
 

Angel Minkov

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
595
There is no research on whether gut loading crickets is beneficial to Ts. Since we don't really have a good handle on their nutritional requirements, it's hard to say what even we would gut load with.

I feed my crix dry cat food because it's something I have a lot of with the occasional fresh veg thrown in like a piece of kale or carrot. Usually trimmings from prepping my OWN veg. It makes things easy.
This is where you're wrong ;) There actually was a really good topic a few months back discussing gut-loading, crickets and FFF. I don't see why you would assume gut-loading wouldn't be beneficial to the T? It WILL take what it needs from the cricket and get rid of the elements it doesn't need. Just like we do :p
 

Blueandbluer

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Messages
495
This is where you're wrong ;) There actually was a really good topic a few months back discussing gut-loading, crickets and FFF. I don't see why you would assume gut-loading wouldn't be beneficial to the T? It WILL take what it needs from the cricket and get rid of the elements it doesn't need. Just like we do :p
...you are misinterpreting what I wrote. I did not say it definitely would not be beneficial. I said we don't KNOW if it would be beneficial, as there has been no research on it.
 

Angel Minkov

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
595
Well, slings dying from being fed only FFF as opposed to others being fed crickets, for example, is a decent amount of proof ;)
 

GG80

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 26, 2013
Messages
268
You say this will be your 1st T. Well if it is going to be the only one you have I wouldn't bother with small crickets just yet. Personally I hated trying to catch tiny crickets and having some escape so I just fed pre-killed cricket pieces. Small slings will be more than content with pre-killed food as were mine. Now that some of them have reached +2" They can easily take down standard sized brown crickets.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Well, slings dying from being fed only FFF as opposed to others being fed crickets, for example, is a decent amount of proof ;)
Slings should NEVER be fed only FF...their nutritional deficiencies are common knowledge.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
People do it for reptiles and amphibians. Its not really necessary for invertebrates.

How do you know this with 100.0% certainty Bob???

---------- Post added 04-26-2015 at 11:52 AM ----------

There is no research on whether gut loading crickets is beneficial to Ts. Since we don't really have a good handle on their nutritional requirements, it's hard to say what even we would gut load with.

I feed my crix dry cat food because it's something I have a lot of with the occasional fresh veg thrown in like a piece of kale or carrot. Usually trimmings from prepping my OWN veg. It makes things easy.

However, there is some research which indicates how much caloric intake is needed for a T to grow.

I have little doubt that crickets should be gutloaded the reason for this, is in the wild they are gutloaded. The compositions of captive cricket food for a T however remains a mystery to my knowledge.
 

Angel Minkov

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
595
I'm sorry, I don't see what feeding drosophila has to do with gut loading crickets?
You do realize cat food, oranges and salad dont stay... Cat food, oranges and salad, right? Once they are digested, they break down to simpler components. The useful ones are absorbed and the harmful/useless ones excreted. So a gut loaded, fat cricket is a cricket with more nutrients and total food mass. The T will afterwards, like the cricket, absord the useful components and get rid of the others.mo
 

Blueandbluer

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Messages
495
You do realize cat food, oranges and salad dont stay... Cat food, oranges and salad, right? Once they are digested, they break down to simpler components. The useful ones are absorbed and the harmful/useless ones excreted. So a gut loaded, fat cricket is a cricket with more nutrients and total food mass. The T will afterwards, like the cricket, absord the useful components and get rid of the others.mo
I do understand the basic mechanics of food digestion, yes. I am actually not an idiot, though you seem convinced to the contrary.

What I DON'T understand is what foods exactly you think we should "gut load" with and what actual, published proof you have that it benefits Ts. Please provide citations. I'll wait.

My entire argument is that there is no published data around gut loading's effects on T nutrition. Unless you are saying there is (and if you are, citations please), we are not actually disagreeing, so I am really confused why you are pursuing this so aggressively.
 
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