40 Gallon Tank Setup

[Tynan918]

Ok let's talk prey...

She ate a total of 9 crickets until bedtime. I don't think the 250 crickets are going to last the month and a lot are already dead.

I'm thinking maybe meal worms or hornworms, dubia roaches are pretty expensive because I'm looking for a months supply.

Juveniles - Feed every 7–10 days. Provide 2–3 small to medium crickets or a medium Dubia roach.

Adults - Feed every 2–3 weeks (or as needed). Offer 4–5 large crickets or one large Dubia roach.

Goliath Birdeater Tarantula (Theraphosa blondi/stirmi) Care — The Tarantula Collective https://share.google/GFkSsH9WmxqHzGijd

So mainly, crickets and dubia roaches..

I'm guessing my T is a Juvenile, due to the 5-6" DLS, so once she's fattened up, I should stick to the above feeding schedule.

Medium Dubia roaches may fatten her up more quickly than large roaches ?

 

[Ratmosphere]

The magnets may work, but before that, is all sphagnum moss out of the enclosure?

Let's talk about the feeders. Superworms will work, they are larger than mealworms and will be a nice sized meal for your spider. These shouldn't be the main feeder you use though. Dubia starter colonies are expensive, but could reproduce providing more bang for your buck. Online they are dumb expensive, but at expos you could get starter colonies for less than $10. I've had the same issues with crickets dying in the past. Switch out their carrots every two days because they dry up quick. I use gel crystals for extra hydration and the crickets seem to last longer than how they did without the gel. You are doing what I would do by feeding multiple crickets at once, she will fatten up quick, as she is very skinny at the moment.

Now on the topic of feeding schedules. I never follow a schedule, maybe it's because I've been doing it for years and I know when they will take food. I like to plump up all of mine until the abdomen is a healthy size, then I feed less frequently. This makes it easy to go away on vacation for a week or longer, as you don't have to worry much about the tarantulas health. Just make sure she has a full water dish and you're set.

 

[Tynan918]

is all sphagnum moss out of the enclosure?

I removed some, should I remove it all ? I already have some mixed in to the substrate and I have all that layering on top of the substrate.

Should I remove all the top layer or just most of it ?

 

[Tynan918]

Let's talk about the feeders. Superworms will work, they are larger than mealworms and will be a nice sized meal for your spider. These shouldn't be the main feeder you use though. Dubia starter colonies are expensive, but could reproduce providing more bang for your buck. Online they are dumb expensive, but at expos you could get starter colonies for less than $10. I've had the same issues with crickets dying in the past. Switch out their carrots every two days because they dry up quick. I use gel crystals for extra hydration and the crickets seem to last longer than how they did without the gel. You are doing what I would do by feeding multiple crickets at once, she will fatten up quick, as she is very skinny at the moment.

Sounds like dubia roaches are the way to go...

What size should I be getting her at 5-6" ?

 

[Ratmosphere]

I'd remove all of the top layer for now, as it's causing more harm than good.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Sounds like dubia roaches are the way to go...

What size should I be getting her at 5-6" ?

She could take medium/large.

 

[Tynan918]

I'd remove all of the top layer for now, as it's causing more harm than good.

Gotcha, understood. I'll remove this sphagnum moss layer today.

 

[Casey K.]

Can't tell from the pics, maybe @Casey K. could help.

From the photos it looks stirmi to me.

 

[Tynan918]

@Ratmosphere about feeding again.

With Dubia roaches, is it harder to take care of them/keep alive than it is roaches ?

What would I need to feed and hydrate them ?

Are they easier to grab with tongs than crickets ?

 

[Tynan918]

@Ratmosphere about feeding again.

With Dubia roaches, is it harder to take care of them/keep alive than it is roaches ?

What would I need to feed and hydrate them ?

Are they easier to grab with tongs than crickets ?

What about mealworms, super worms, or hornworms ?

I'm looking for another feeder that is easier to take care of, live longer, something I can store for a month in large quantities, and is good for the T.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Superworms could be used, just not all of the time. They are very high in fat.

House dubias in a bin similar in size to the one you have your crickets in. Care is pretty similar to crickets too. Egg cartons for hides, fresh veggies and fruit, and optional hydration gel.

In my opinion, easy to grab with tongs.

 

[Tynan918]

Superworms could be used, just not all of the time. They are very high in fat.

House dubias in a bin similar in size to the one you have your crickets in. Care is pretty similar to crickets too. Egg cartons for hides, fresh veggies and fruit, and optional hydration gel.

In my opinion, easy to grab with tongs.

Ok. The roaches are a better feeder option than the cricket though right ?

The cheapest starter kit I found contains about 25 adult females and 10 adult males.

I'm reading that females give birth to 25 to 40 nymphs within 2 months of breeding.

The growth rate of those nymphs is about 6 months.

Does it sound like a good starter kit to start off with ?

I was going to buy crickets to feed in the meantime...

I have my T. and my son's bearded dragon to feed, so I decided it's probably cheaper just to raise my own feeders rather than buying them at a time.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Some may say they are better, but I like crickets too. Roaches are definitely more convenient for a tarantula of that size, I use them for all of my big tarantulas. This way you won't have to feed numerous crickets at once.

How much is the starter colony?

 

[Tynan918]

Some may say they are better, but I like crickets too. Roaches are definitely more convenient for a tarantula of that size, I use them for all of my big tarantulas. This way you won't have to feed numerous crickets at once.

How much is the starter colony?

$60

 

[Tynan918]

$60

I found 40 adult females and 20 adult males for $43 on Amazon, they just come alone though, nothing else for the kit.

They wouldn't require much though, just some egg cartons and some food, and of course another storage bin, right ?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Yea exactly.

Egg cartons you could get from your local diners for free, I do it all the time! Just ask nicely.

 

[Tynan918]

Yea exactly.

Egg cartons you could get from your local diners for free, I do it all the time! Just ask nicely.

Someone else mentioned that some T's won't even accept the roaches, and that I should just buy a cheap group of them and test it out before deciding to invest in a calling.

Could get about 500 more crickets and about a hundred of those medium or large roaches for this month to see how things play out.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Yea you should definitely test them first, some don't like dubias and will refuse them.

How's her abdomen looking after the feedings?

 

[Tynan918]

Yea you should definitely test them first, some don't like dubias and will refuse them.

How's her abdomen looking after the feedings?

I can't tell, but I was just about to ask about that.

She hasn't taken a cricket this morning and she didn't take the roach just now, probably just full.

She hasn't really left the hide. Only early in the morning do I see her stretching/peeking out in front of the hide.

Yesterday I caught her face down and abdomen up in the dirt like she was beginning to burrow, but I'm guessing she wasn't burrowing or paused it because now she's back just sitting in it.

Sometimes she's facing in different directions when I check on her in the hide, but hasn't really came out to explore the enclosure.

That hide opening is 7.5" width. Is the hide to big or is this normal behavior ?

Also, I have the water dish on the opposite side of tank from her hide, and I haven't seen this T drink anything yet since I got her, unless she's roaming around the enclosure overnight and drinking.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Normal behavior. Try feeding again in a few days.