Molting and feeders

[Noodlelove]

anxiety ridden mom post . My little baby is a sling about 3/4 in. He's been eating really well. I'm feeding him very small crickets. What concerns me is what happens if I feed him, and then he starts molting, Can a really tiny cricket hurt him if it's like 20 times smaller than he is? I know he's very delicate when he's going to molt. But if there was a tiny cricket in there He's going to be okay right? I don't even know if he's going to molt. I just have visions of my poor little tarantula molting and getting mangled by a tiny cricket. Please tell me some of you understand nervous moms with new kids.

 

[Konstantin]

Hi
If you suspect the moult is nearing you can prekill its feeders and remove them if uneaten after 24hours. Its simple as that.
Regards Konstantin

 

[Noodlelove]

Hi
If you suspect the moult is nearing you can prekill its feeders and remove them if uneaten after 24hours. Its simple as that.
Regards Konstantin

Thank you. I'll just pay close attention. The is a very much smaller cricket in with him.like many exponentially smaller. I've had him less than a week and I'll keep checking him to make sure he's not in molt. Babies you have to be a lot more careful with

 

[Konstantin]

Hi
How large is he?
How often you offer pray?
If its any feeders in after 24h they should be taken out no matter if they dead or alive.
Regards Konstantin

 

[Noodlelove]

Hi
How large is he?
How often you offer pray?
If its any feeders in after 24h they should be taken out no matter if they dead or alive.
Regards Konstantin

I just measured him with a ruler and he's definitely 3/4 of an inch from a front leg tip to the opposite side back leg tip. I think that's how you're supposed to measure them. Would you like a different measurement? And since I've gotten him I feed him every 2-3 days small crickets The crickets I feed him were much smaller than he is and give him a couple of them. He's devoured everything right now. There's a very, very tiny cricket in with him and he hasn't eaten it yet. It's been about 2 days. In the attached file taken moments ago, you can see him and the small cricket on the right lower side of the picture.

 

[Noodlelove]

Quick question, how do I get that tiny cricket out of there? It was easy enough to open up the deli cup and use a toothbrush to get them in there.

 

[Noodlelove]

Quick question, how do I get that tiny cricket out of there? It was easy enough to open up the deli cup and use a toothbrush to get them in there.

Thank you so much for being so helpful and willing to share your experience and wisdom

 

[Konstantin]

Hi
I was asking about the size as a rough estimate to let you know about your feeding. Your measurement is fine.You are feeding a little too often.Sling that size I feed every 5 - 7 days,the size crickets you do and wait 7 days after moult to harden off properly before offering pray.Once they moult you csn give them couple quick(2 -3 days) meals tho.
It is difficult to overfeed slings in general but as they put some size if you make them too fat it can lead to moult complications.
Your sling looks healthy and plump so no need to feed that often.
For handling feeders I use pair of large and small tweezers dependingon the size of the pray.It takes some getting used to but in time you will be like a nindja catching them.lol
Loose feeders are a danger if the tarantula start moulting and the rest of the time if not eaten are just an annoying or stressing factor.They need to be taken out.
I see you don't have waterdish too.
You can get tattoo ink pots or lego pieces or bottle caps if they fit in to make sure there is water available.
Do not be afraid that your sling will drown.It wont.
Regards Konstantin

 

[Noodlelove]

Hi
I was asking about the size as a rough estimate to let you know about your feeding. Your measurement is fine.You are feeding a little too often.Sling that size I feed every 5 - 7 days,the size crickets you do and wait 7 days after moult to harden off properly before offering pray.Once they moult you csn give them couple quick(2 -3 days) meals tho.
It is difficult to overfeed slings in general but as they put some size if you make them too fat it can lead to moult complications.
Your sling looks healthy and plump so no need to feed that often.
For handling feeders I use pair of large and small tweezers dependingon the size of the pray.It takes some getting used to but in time you will be like a nindja catching them.lol
Loose feeders are a danger if the tarantula start moulting and the rest of the time if not eaten are just an annoying or stressing factor.They need to be taken out.
I see you don't have waterdish too.
You can get tattoo ink pots or lego pieces or bottle caps if they fit in to make sure there is water available.
Do not be afraid that your sling will drown.It wont.
Regards Konstantin

Thank you for such an incredible response. There's so much wisdom in it. I've ordered a spiderling water dish from Etsy but what I've been doing so far is just spritzing with a fine spritzer one side of the enclosure so he has water available. I'll slow down the feeding. Thank you. Thank you thank you

 

[DustyD]

A bottle cap is fine, just not too high, you want to make it easy access for them and hopefully for any crickets to get out of the water before drowning. Some crickets make a bee line for the water and die. Stupid crickets.

I too stress sometimes about live food and tend to disable/pre-kill food if I am not sure if my Ts will eat it right away, which seems to be often lately.

My G. pulchra, rosea and pulchripes can be finicky eaters. And I try to change their meals from time to time: crickets, superworms and Dubia roaches. Crickets I usually drop in alive, the others I disable as left alone they will burrow.

 

[Noodlelove]

A bottle cap is fine, just not too high, you want to make it easy access for them and hopefully for any crickets to get out of the water before drowning. Some crickets make a bee line for the water and die. Stupid crickets.

I too stress sometimes about live food and tend to disable/pre-kill food if I am not sure if my Ts will eat it right away, which seems to be often lately.

My G. pulchra, rosea and pulchripes can be finicky eaters. And I try to change their meals from time to time: crickets, superworms and Dubia roaches. Crickets I usually drop in alive, the others I disable as left alone they will burrow.

I love this answer. There is a lot of wisdom and experience and thank you for sharing it with me. I decided to buy Flukers hydration gel and their food for crickets. To avoid mess and drowned crickets. The tips on feeding the T's are so appreciated.