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Large Feeders For Large Spiders (?)

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
So, I have quite a few spiders in my collection moving into adulthood. Coming with that = size. I have 5 Theraphosa along with some Pokies and other randoms - all achieving very large sizes. Crickets aren't cutting it. I have a Dubia colony going but it will prolly be 90 days before I can actually start feeding from it.

I have a guy that I used to buy roaches from but that entails 2 issues - one being he's about an hour away and two - he sold most of his colonies. So back to my original question - what else are you guys feeding your big Theraphosa? Where can I order large insects but not have to purchase a thousand at a crack or whatever. Ideas(?)
 

DustyD

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1,181
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Maine
Have you tried superworms? I think they are easy to maintain and they can get to be about two inches +. They tend to have a higher fat content I believe, so I don't feed them to my young adults all the time.

Some people feed their larger Ts horn worms aka gummie worms, although I don't know their care/ breeding requirements.
 

MBullock

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3 Year Member
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667
Location
Arizona
Horn worms are actually a pain to breed and rather expensive. You will require a large screen enclosure and a nectar feeder.

The issue is sphinx moths cannot see red, so you'll have to trick by painting yellow or white around the nectar holes to simulate yellow flower petals which tells the moth where to look for nectar. They will generally lay most of the eggs on the feeder itself.
 

Blackdog

Active Member
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217
Location
Richmond
Check Craigslist. It may have some old posts that will come up in a search. My guy only posts about once every two weeks. He does hissers and Halloween roaches
 

liquidfluidity

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3 Year Member
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193
Location
USA
Craigslist is where I found my roach guy. He only does Dubia though and has cut his colonies down from 5 to one. He's going to give me his adult overflow but I have to travel an hour to get them. I have no problem with that as it will only be a one time deal..... Hissers and locusts would be nice but there are no breeders in my area.

Horned worms - availability is not that great here and they are cost prohibitive. More a treat than anything...
 

Arachnoclown

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6,382
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The Oregon rain forest
Hissers is the main staple of all my large Poecilotheria and monster terrestrials. I started a colony 10 years ago and haven't paid for feeders since.
20211024_212515_1_1_1_1~2_1.gif
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
Yeah, my local shop wants $10 each.

How does their growth rate against Dubia?

That colony is a good deal if the growth rate is similar.

I'll definitely check into them. Thanks for the pro tip of the day for sure. Going to look around for locusts too. Would like to break it up a bit.

Just over crickets at the amount I'm going through and my roaches could be fed but they are not close enough to start feeding the oldest yet.....
 

MBullock

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3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
Yeah, my local shop wants $10 each.

How does their growth rate against Dubia?

That colony is a good deal if the growth rate is similar.

I'll definitely check into them. Thanks for the pro tip of the day for sure. Going to look around for locusts too. Would like to break it up a bit.

Just over crickets at the amount I'm going through and my roaches could be fed but they are not close enough to start feeding the oldest yet.....
locusts are great but if you want them in large numbers you'll need quite a bit of space, a basking light, and plenty of perches so they can bask. Basically, you keep them like a reptile.
If you're talking about desert or migratory locusts, those are the easiest. grows pretty fast.

native USA schistocerca are alot more difficult. Time-consuming. several triggers needed for hatching to occur.
 

MBullock

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3 Year Member
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667
Location
Arizona
African nightcrawlers are a good feeder for theraphosa, i see people using those all the time.
very easy to breed- just like the smaller redworms people use in compost bins, but much larger.
 

liquidfluidity

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3 Year Member
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193
Location
USA
Great suggestions guys. Thank you. I'm not really looking to breed anything more than roaches. Just looking to break it up a bit with a change in bug periodically.

As for night crawlers, I'll have to look them up . I wondered about them as my roommate has a Pacman frog and the Canadians are recommended - although prolly smaller than the African type.
 

Arachnoclown

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The Oregon rain forest
Great suggestions guys. Thank you. I'm not really looking to breed anything more than roaches. Just looking to break it up a bit with a change in bug periodically.

As for night crawlers, I'll have to look them up . I wondered about them as my roommate has a Pacman frog and the Canadians are recommended - although prolly smaller than the African type.
You can use night crawlers to feed Theraphosa. My only complaint is the mess they make. Usually a huge slimy mess then finished.


Yeah, my local shop wants $10 each.

How does their growth rate against Dubia?

That colony is a good deal if the growth rate is similar.

I'll definitely check into them. Thanks for the pro tip of the day for sure. Going to look around for locusts too. Would like to break it up a bit.

Just over crickets at the amount I'm going through and my roaches could be fed but they are not close enough to start feeding the oldest yet.....
It will take about a year to have a good return on your hissers. They mature in just under a year. My hissers now out produce my dubias which I dont really use anymore.
Here's a couple pictures of a two of my four groups of hissers. Some babies too...
20220506_051537.jpg
20211231_132839.jpg
20220506_051628.jpg
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
Excellent deal since they out-produce. I'll have to see if there are any local shows coming. The last show I went to, they had hissers for less than $5 each. If not, they're easy enough to find online.
Are you running about 3 males to 10 females in the colony?
 

MBullock

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3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
Great suggestions guys. Thank you. I'm not really looking to breed anything more than roaches. Just looking to break it up a bit with a change in bug periodically.

As for night crawlers, I'll have to look them up . I wondered about them as my roommate has a Pacman frog and the Canadians are recommended - although prolly smaller than the African type.
I would advise against true nightcrawlers (lumbricus) as they are much more difficult to breed.
In fact, the vast majority of lumbricus (especially canadian lumbricus) are wild-caught for this reason. I would advise against canadian nightcrawlers due to parasites, though i dont know if they carry any that harm tarantulas..

To breed true night crawlers, you'll need heavy clay, they actually make a permanent burrow and remain in it except to breed. when they feed, they stretch their body out and search for dead leaves or grass to pull into their burrows. they cannot be reared like red worms or african nightcrawlers and will promptly die in such conditions.

the red-wiggler worms (Eisenia) and the african nightcrawlers (Eudrilus) require high heat and humidity to thrive, making them perfect additions to compost bins. Choose those instead. the african nightcrawler will actually get just as big- 8 inches. They grow super-duper fast too, as opposed to lumbricus, which only mate during rainstorms and grow much more slowly.
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
No worries, not looking to breed any "worms". Too labor intensive. I plan to stick with roaches for breeding with the periodic option of ordering other large items to mix it up.

Thanks for all of the input guys!
 

MBullock

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3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
No worries, not looking to breed any "worms". Too labor intensive. I plan to stick with roaches for breeding with the periodic option of ordering other large items to mix it up.

Thanks for all of the input guys!
It's like OCD with me. I cant help but share my information. lol

Sometimes i'll say something dumb, and some immature people with psychological issues worse than mine try to pounce on me, but i'm getting better now lol
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
Lol, I definitely know what you mean. With my job, things are very detailed oriented and I tend to take it home. So I warn people to be ready for the long explanation...unless I don't think about it, usually, and then you get the 30 minute explanation that will leave you with no questions....my other half hates it and laughs when other people are involved.... I just wanted to share ;)
 

Papaya

Member
Messages
51
Location
So California
I know this is likely a sensitive subject but what are consensus thoughts about occasionally feeding small vertebrates (mice , lizards, et al) to T’s ? They are staple for reptile keepers (snakes especially) and rodents while likely not common prey in the wild ( just like birds) are not unheard of either

Thoughts?
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
I'm a lover of all animals and used to feed mice. It was a horrific sight. I would never do it again because of that and the fact that my spiders aren't worth the potential risks. Then there's the mess... pretty nasty and asking for potential other issues like mites etc.

Just not for me. But, always a but, if I did do it again , it would be small feeder lizards. No mammals.

I'd just say no.
 

Blackdog

Active Member
Messages
217
Location
Richmond
I know this is likely a sensitive subject but what are consensus thoughts about occasionally feeding small vertebrates (mice , lizards, et al) to T’s ? They are staple for reptile keepers (snakes especially) and rodents while likely not common prey in the wild ( just like birds) are not unheard of either

Thoughts?
For me it is more MESS oriented. I am not cleaning what's left up and it's too much for isopods and it will stink too high heaven. The smell is why I even hate to feed my torts Mazuri since in a high heat/humidity it spoils fast
 
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