Tarantulas are picky eaters?

[NatashaG]

I've had some small, but amazing, progress with my juvenile B.Smithi, Zoltan
I had been trying to feed him meal worms, and although I wasn't too worried, I consulted an exotic Veterinarian, to be on the safe side of things, as Zoltan had not ate anything in quite some time.
Now, the advice at first was to try and feed him every 2 days, and if he eats to give him 5-7 days in between. I was patiently waving meal worms around, but he was having none of it, so I then decided to order some crickets (as I already had a home waiting for them, but wanted to try and see what suited my little T best first) and to my surprise it was instantly eaten! I was thrilled!! I've now been advised to feed him every 7-10 days with him now being on insects.
I'm just wondering if this means that I should change his food up quite often, or now that I know he will eat a cricket, stick with this until it is time to purchase new food.

Are anyone else's T's picky eaters? is this normal?

 

[kormath]

Yep it's normal. Crickets and lateralis roaches are the best 2 feeders i've found. They're constant running/jumping produces an instant hunt response from the T's.

I've tried meal works and dubia roaches with my T's also and only a couple would eat the mealworms. Only one will eat the dubia roaches, all of my others run from them.

 

[NatashaG]

Yep it's normal. Crickets and lateralis roaches are the best 2 feeders i've found. They're constant running/jumping produces an instant hunt response from the T's.

I've tried meal works and dubia roaches with my T's also and only a couple would eat the mealworms. Only one will eat the dubia roaches, all of my others run from them.

I was shocked at how quick he went for it, I almost felt bad for trying to force feed him something he wasn't keen on, so there was much relief when he had something in him! But I suppose we all are getting used to each other at the moment, it's definitely a learning curve!

 

[NatashaG]

Sammie my Smithi, will only take Crickets, show`s no interest in Meal worms or Roaches , have tried on several occasions to try and vary her food. Crickets only please. .
Zoltan`s taste may change, every T is different.

I'm just glad that I have found something he seems very keen on I was sure he was in pre-moult. (although his colour does seem to be going a bit pale, so will try again in a week if he hasn't moulted by then)

 

[kormath]

I'm just glad that I have found something he seems very keen on I was sure he was in pre-moult. (although his colour does seem to be going a bit pale, so will try again in a week if he hasn't moulted by then)

The abdomen will darken to almost jerry black and become shiny when they start premolt.

 

[NatashaG]

The abdomen will darken to almost jerry black and become shiny when they start premolt.

Thanks for the tip! I've noticed that his abdomen has always been very dark, ever since we got him. But as of yet I've had no feedback on when his last moult was, even though I have asked. Do you know how often a juvenile should moult?

 

[Scoolman]

My Ts eat B dubia roaches, and have for years. Every now and again I will get some crickets for them.
They eat when they are hungry, they don't when they are not.

 

[TabithasMom]

I never thought I'd see the day my T. stirmi refuse a meal. She molted 2 weeks back, and yesterday she was back to her b*tchy self, rearing up as I tried to clean her water dish. So, I figured I'd treat her to a fat post-molt feast, and offered a super worm. You'd think I released a thousand hounds on her, because fangs were bared, and hairs were flying. Clearly, she did not care for this change in menu. I removed the worm (not without a few strikes to the tongs), and will try again in a few days with an old-time-favorite dubia. FWIW, she did have a cricket I found wondering in the kitchen sink yesterday (you know it's happened to you; don't lie), and destroyed that thing within minutes, so I know she's ready to go back on a feeding schedule.

 

[kormath]

FWIW, she did have a cricket I found wondering in the kitchen sink yesterday (you know it's happened to you; don't lie), and destroyed that thing within minutes, so I know she's ready to go back on a feeding schedule.

For me it's roaches. Seems every time my sob feeds we find a roach or 2 running around. I've had a few escapes myself but we've always caught them. Luckily no females have escaped. Right now I have a mature make lateralis roaming somewhere in my son's room.

When we find them we rotate through the Ts that can eat that size on who gets the treat

 

[NatashaG]

My Ts eat B dubia roaches, and have for years. Every now and again I will get some crickets for them.
They eat when they are hungry, they don't when they are not.

He ate a meal worm for us the day after he arrived, and we waited plenty of time for him to try another and he just refused. We then tried the next day with a cricket and he ate, so he must just be a fussy eater (or really dis-likes mealworms!!)

 

[NatashaG]

I never thought I'd see the day my T. stirmi refuse a meal. She molted 2 weeks back, and yesterday she was back to her b*tchy self, rearing up as I tried to clean her water dish. So, I figured I'd treat her to a fat post-molt feast, and offered a super worm. You'd think I released a thousand hounds on her, because fangs were bared, and hairs were flying. Clearly, she did not care for this change in menu. I removed the worm (not without a few strikes to the tongs), and will try again in a few days with an old-time-favorite dubia. FWIW, she did have a cricket I found wondering in the kitchen sink yesterday (you know it's happened to you; don't lie), and destroyed that thing within minutes, so I know she's ready to go back on a feeding schedule.

wow, sounds like you have a feisty lady on your hands!! That also seems to be the case with my little Zoltan, he just point blank refused to eat the worms we offered, we took them out and then tried a cricket the very next day (as we were seeing a hell of a lot more activity from him, so I assumed he was looking for food) and he wolfed it down! Sticking firmly with crickets from now on!

 

[NatashaG]

For me it's roaches. Seems every time my sob feeds we find a roach or 2 running around. I've had a few escapes myself but we've always caught them. Luckily no females have escaped. Right now I have a mature make lateralis roaming somewhere in my son's room.

When we find them we rotate through the Ts that can eat that size on who gets the treat

It's weird, but the crickets actually freak me the hell out! The other half has to deal with feeding those and giving them to our T, and if one escaped, he would knows there would be trouble!

 

[Phil]

My two-penneth. ....crickets have been the staple for mine over 20 years now. Never actually tried dubia mainly as my local pet store does not stock. Have mixed things up with locust, waxworms and mealworm but they seem to prefer crickets. Regarding the mealworms and dangling in front of Ts. Steven Spielberg got it right with the T-Rex. Remember. .."she doesn't want to be fed, she wants to hunt" ....lol ☺
Crickets get my vote.

 

[kormath]

agreed, crickets are the best feeders, they seem to trigger that hunting instinct more than any other i've used. Even the lateralis. I've watched lateralis run right under the T and it just sits there, any time a cricket gets close it's game on.

I've only had one or 2 eat from tongs. A. chalcodes was attacking the tongs, then ate the worm that fell from them and the larger GBB will sometimes eat from tongs, but usually the prey has to be on the web system to draw it's attention.

 

[Phil]

It's weird, but the crickets actually freak me the hell out! The other half has to deal with feeding those and giving them to our T, and if one escaped, he would knows there would be trouble!

I dropped a full box of Crickets in my bedroom once. Don't ever ever want a repeat of that again!

 

[kormath]

It's weird, but the crickets actually freak me the hell out! The other half has to deal with feeding those and giving them to our T, and if one escaped, he would knows there would be trouble!

same with me and roaches. I don't mind crickets, but when a roach grabs my finger and starts running up it it just sends chills down my back. I can't handle that. Probably why i've had a few escapes, i flick them off and then have to catch them lol.

 

[BLUE BEAUTY]

silkworms are my staple. Jade is a shy eater and Fireball will eat anything.

 

[NatashaG]

My two-penneth. ....crickets have been the staple for mine over 20 years now. Never actually tried dubia mainly as my local pet store does not stock. Have mixed things up with locust, waxworms and mealworm but they seem to prefer crickets. Regarding the mealworms and dangling in front of Ts. Steven Spielberg got it right with the T-Rex. Remember. .."she doesn't want to be fed, she wants to hunt" ....lol ☺
Crickets get my vote.

That's probably the best quote I've ever heard but It must have some truth in it, I can imagine a little meal worm isn't really much fun to eat...Little Zoltan is due a feed tomorrow, as it's been over a week, and I'm interested to see how he goes for it this time round!

 

[NatashaG]

agreed, crickets are the best feeders, they seem to trigger that hunting instinct more than any other i've used. Even the lateralis. I've watched lateralis run right under the T and it just sits there, any time a cricket gets close it's game on.

I've only had one or 2 eat from tongs. A. chalcodes was attacking the tongs, then ate the worm that fell from them and the larger GBB will sometimes eat from tongs, but usually the prey has to be on the web system to draw it's attention.

The first meal worm I tried feeding was from tongs, and he got it straight away. But with the rest of them (and the crickets) I've just dropped them in front of him, because I didn't want to bother him too much and just let him do his thing. But after realising that he wasn't eating them at all, I waved them about him, placed them by his hide where he was facing and they literally just crawled away without even a glance from him. I felt a little bad after he wolfed down the cricket first time, me waving food about that he just was not interested in!

 

[NatashaG]

I dropped a full box of Crickets in my bedroom once. Don't ever ever want a repeat of that again!

WORST NIGHTMARE!! People say that if they saw a tarantula in their room, they would move house. If I dropped a box of crickets, I'd move country!!