When do you feed your T's?

[Nada]

i havent had any problems feeding with tongs, and people say the same thing about feeding snakes and having the enclosure opened being associated with food but thats ill logic.

well, let me be the 1st to tell you; you're wrong. Feeding a Tarantula via Tongs is a very bad idea. mostly because it can hurt the tarantula.That right there is enough reason not to do it. It's also completely un-nessasary.

 

[GreenTreeSkink]

i dont see how a tarantula can get hurt from a piece of food dangling from tongs, if thats true then they can get hurt from lunging at food in the cage and hitting the side of the enclosure.
and if feeding a snake in its cage makes it cage aggressive then feeding it out of the enclosure would cause the exact same reaction, the snake would associate being taken out of the cage with eating and it would become aggressive that way. in fact feeding a snake out of its enclosure is more harmful to the snake because once they are done eating you have to move them to put them back in the cage, which could cause regurgitation. i have 4 snakes, all fed in enclosure and none are aggressive, not even that beautiful green tree python.
(i received a longer response via email but you must have erased the snake section of your response.)

 

[Nada]

i dont see how a tarantula can get hurt from a piece of food dangling from tongs, if thats true then they can get hurt from lunging at food in the cage and hitting the side of the enclosure.
and if feeding a snake in its cage makes it cage aggressive then feeding it out of the enclosure would cause the exact same reaction, the snake would associate being taken out of the cage with eating and it would become aggressive that way. in fact feeding a snake out of its enclosure is more harmful to the snake because once they are done eating you have to move them to put them back in the cage, which could cause regurgitation. i have 4 snakes, all fed in enclosure and none are aggressive, not even that beautiful green tree python.
(i received a longer response via email but you must have erased the snake section of your response.)

Yes I did delete the snak portion of my responce as I didn't feel it appropriate to talk about snake on a tarantula discussion. we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.
There's a big differenc between a fang hitting an insect and a piece of metal. hollow fangs are easily cracked, and the risk is not worth the reward.

 

[GreenTreeSkink]

I guess I'll just have to learn though experience like I have with my various other 45 animals

 

[Nada]

to each their own.

 

[jtrux]

I'll get involved. I look at it like this, whether tongs will cause harm or not is one thing but I simply don't have time to sit there and dangle crickets or whatever in front of each T until it eats. Some of my T's would probably eat from tongs because they tend to be aggressive feeders but a few of mine are shy and they need to be left alone to eat.

As far as the argument goes about tongs harming the T's fangs or not, why would you risk it? It's like playing in traffic, you might get hit and you might not but are you gonna risk it?

 

[harleyqueen]

I thought tongs were to drop food closer to the t, not to let them snatch food from.I had never used them until I bought my chromatid, one was being pestered by a mini hopper and the man gave me some tongs and I caught hold of it and dropped it in for an Avic he said would eat it. I have seen videos of people feeding with tongs tho and letting there ts snatch from them, you can't expect them to have table manners.

 

[Bast]

I had a Leopard Gecko that was so greedy she wouldn't wait for you to drop her food in, and she poked herself in the eye...so after that I just dropped them in by hand. When I mentioned earlier I had tried tong feeding, I meant that I dropped it in front of Karina; not that I waited for her to snatch it. After the incident with Kali, I wouldn't want to risk an injury.

 

[GreenTreeSkink]

it seems to me that you guys just dont understand how to tong feed. i feed much more agressive animals than tarantulas with tongs and never have my tongs been bitten, grabbed or even touched by an animal.
as far as it being a risk i still dont understand how it could be harmful at all.
seems like you guys just jump on kenny's back because he thinks he is the tarantula master.

 

[Bast]

I wasn't jumping on anybody's back; I recounted personal experience where tong feeding caused an injury. I kept various reptiles for 15 years, so I wouldn't say I was inexperienced or 'didn't understand' how to tong feed. I *had* tong fed my Leo successfully (along with my Tokay's, Day geckos among other herps) numerous times without incident; until the one time it was a failure....all it takes is that ONE time that it doesn't go 'smoothly' and you have a problem....THAT is exactly what risk is.

 

[Nada]

Hey, I don't think I'm a tarantula master. I'm just sharing my experiences. You don't want to except them, or even consider them, that's fine. My sole point, is that it is un-nessasary to feed Ts via tongs, and whether you agree or not; yes I have seen a T injured from tong feeding, and No, I wouldn't suggest any one to try it themselves (risk>reward).
You and I both appear to be very stubborn, so let's just leave it at that.

Edit: and the issue isn't agression its the hollow fangs, much different than a snakes.

 

[DalilahBlue]

Velma was being pretty active this morning so I figured she was looking for food. I decided to go ahead and feed her.

It was awesome. She saw me and went back in to her hide. I opened the top, aimed to drop the cricket in front of her hide so she'd be able to see/feel it better and let it go.

I honestly don't think it touched the ground. I seriously think she grabbed it midair!

 

[Bast]

Nice!

 

[DalilahBlue]

It seems like she's been ravenous the last week. Do T's eat more in prep for a moult? Or is she just settled in?

 

[Nada]

It seems like she's been ravenous the last week. Do T's eat more in prep for a moult? Or is she just settled in?

quite the opposite, they refuse food in pre-moult. You'll start to see a black patch develop on its abdomen(new hairs under the old) as it gets closer to a moult.

 

[DalilahBlue]

Gotcha. She just must be settled in.

 

[spider62]

I have never had any "luck" with tongs. I just toss a cricket in the enclosure. As far as mealworms mine always seem to burrow and not get eaten. Any advice would br welcomed!