A little concerned about LP sling

[Fuzzball79]

As per title I'm a little concerned about my LP sling. I've had it for nearly a month and it's about 1/4 inch, maybe smaller. From the start it wouldn't take live prey no matter how small but would eat parts of pre-killed. Now for nearly 2 weeks it hasn't even eaten the dead prey.
In another UK forum someone wrote that it wasn't normal for an LP to refuse live prey and suggested to try flightless fruit flies. I got some and put one in earlier this evening. It jumped and grabbed it, but immediately let go and left it. It sounds silly, but it's almost as if it lacks the instinct to kill its prey.
My first thought with the fasting was of course premolt, but at that size would this really take this long (its mirror patch does look a bit greyish)? Also how long can a tiny spiderling like that go safely without food?
Sorry for sounding like an idiot, but I never cared for anything this tiny before and just don't want to mess this up.

 

[Martin Oosthuysen]

As per title I'm a little concerned about my LP sling. I've had it for nearly a month and it's about 1/4 inch, maybe smaller. From the start it wouldn't take live prey no matter how small but would eat parts of pre-killed. Now for nearly 2 weeks it hasn't even eaten the dead prey.
In another UK forum someone wrote that it wasn't normal for an LP to refuse live prey and suggested to try flightless fruit flies. I got some and put one in earlier this evening. It jumped and grabbed it, but immediately let go and left it. It sounds silly, but it's almost as if it lacks the instinct to kill its prey.
My first thought with the fasting was of course premolt, but at that size would this really take this long (its mirror patch does look a bit greyish)? Also how long can a tiny spiderling like that go safely without food?
Sorry for sounding like an idiot, but I never cared for anything this tiny before and just don't want to mess this up.

Hello
Maybe post a photo ? That always helps someone to maybe advise,post a photo and see what others say.

 

[Fuzzball79]

Thanks, I'll try later if I can get it to sit still long enough for a clear picture.

 

[terror_corpz]

As per title I'm a little concerned about my LP sling. I've had it for nearly a month and it's about 1/4 inch, maybe smaller. From the start it wouldn't take live prey no matter how small but would eat parts of pre-killed. Now for nearly 2 weeks it hasn't even eaten the dead prey.
In another UK forum someone wrote that it wasn't normal for an LP to refuse live prey and suggested to try flightless fruit flies. I got some and put one in earlier this evening. It jumped and grabbed it, but immediately let go and left it. It sounds silly, but it's almost as if it lacks the instinct to kill its prey.
My first thought with the fasting was of course premolt, but at that size would this really take this long (its mirror patch does look a bit greyish)? Also how long can a tiny spiderling like that go safely without food?
Sorry for sounding like an idiot, but I never cared for anything this tiny before and just don't want to mess this up.

When I first bought my p metallica sling it didn't eat for 2 weeks and that was a tiny sling then it started eating I did warm the room up a tad though whether that made the difference im not sure but once it started eating it wouldn't stop unless in pre moult

 

[Fuzzball79]

I'm afraid this is as good a picture I can get

This is the little one when I first got it

Suppose, just seeing the photos side by side, it looks like it could be in premolt, doesn't it? It's not lost any weight and is quite active. Maybe I'm just over nothing?

 

[sym]

Your sling is similar size to my new G.Pulchripes sling. Takes me a while to find it. Lol

 

[Fuzzball79]

Your sling is similar size to my new G.Pulchripes sling. Takes me a while to find it. Lol

When i got it, I actually checked the tub to see if there was another spider in there and this one was just one of those you sometimes find in the cricket container, lol, especially since it was in a bigger container than my T. Gigas, which was slightly bigger when I got it and arrived in one of those 1 pill vials. It's my little Pipsqueak!

 

[sym]

I'm gonna have to go find some micro pinhead crickets as I don't think I've any that small.

 

[Fuzzball79]

Good luck trying to catch them, lol. They're a nightmare. I've just bought flightless fruitflies, they smell like a dustbin but seem a bit slower.

 

[sym]

We could do with 1 of those things you use to collect bugs in on school trip. Like a deli cup with two small pipes. 1 for gently sucking on and the other to collect the specimen.. Can't remember what you call them.

Sym

 

[Enn49]

You can freeze pinheads, defrost and feed, it saves trying to catch them and means you don't waste any or I sometimes just feed them pre-killed small crickets.

 

[sym]

I've misted the side of the deli cup and its really hard to see there is something in there. I will try some food next week once it's settles in .

Sym

 

[Enn49]

I've misted the side of the deli cup and its really hard to see there is something in there. I will try some food next week once it's settles in .

Sym

Wait until it starts to burrow and you don't see it at all like my 2 K. brunnipes, then you do start to worry if they're ok or not.

 

[Fuzzball79]

The little guy has eaten again. I put a flightless fruit fly in last night and just in case a prekilled small cricket, too. When I checked on him a couple of hours later it looked like he was carrying something the size and colour of the fly and the cricket was also moved this morning. Go, Pipsqueak!

P.S: My Gigas sling made me laugh. I bought some tiny springtails to clean up any bolusses and mould and put them into its jar. Next thing I see is the little guy digging in the soil they came, obviously thinking they were a snack, lol (they're way too small for food).

 

[sym]

Hi Fuzzball79.
I've just taken my B.Auratum sling home. It's alive but cold I think as wasn't moving so much. My excuse for buying this 1 is I'm buying in micro locusts for my other slings and I won't use a full box on just 1 lol

Sym

 

[newtots]

i have two lps, and like any tarantula they have their personalities... my 1" named Dracula(no idea how i came up with it) prefers to sit in it's burrow and wait for the crickets to make the mistake of exploring.... why waste unnecessary energy i suppose. and my second lp 3/4" named skittles (it was cute when it was tiny) likes to spend some time running away and hiding from the crickets before it turns around and chases them. i was told to feed them at night(nocturnal hunters) and to leave the cricket in the container or tank or whatever you use and just check in every 2-3 hours... it's always worked for me. the only one that i ever worry about is my euathlus sp red who is still only 1/4" so i keep a closer watch on it in case she's in a fasting mood. i wouldn't worry about it too much, just put one in and check on it every so often.