Spider owners tips, feed videos and BS

I was concerned you’d say baby mice or rats...but still, roaches.

 

I've fed mice to tarantulas before ... it's something to witness for sure.

 

Kinda like a train wreck; you know it’s bad but can’t stop watching

 

How often do the spiders eat and how many roaches? Or throw a few in tank and they’ll eat when hungry?

 

Fuck spiders yo

 

I like to feed my spiders once per week and only 1 roach at a time except for the bigger ones. The roaches I breed come in all sizes so I can pick the appropriate size for each spider. If you toss a feeder bug in and the spider doesn't eat it within a few minutes it's best to remove the feeder bug. Tarantulas will refuse food for various reasons including if they are in a pre-molt stage, and you don't want a bug in there with them when they are molting since it could actually nibble on the spider when it's vulnerable.

 

Yeah, I’m reliving my trauma a bit here...

 

Fascinating and yet cringe factor all around!

 

I kissed this flying spider in my house on New Years Eve.

Edit: I spelled kissed as killed.

 

That's a Flying rat

 

I will kiss him again if he comes back

 

You know, you made the decision for me, and that's the one I'm getting.

I got a new place and figured I'd dedicate a small stand/bookshelf for it. Just wondering what size tank would be appropriate for it?

 

Since that is a fossorial (ground-dwelling) species it's best to have a tank that's about 2-3 times the width of the spider's outstretched leg size (just estimate), and as it grows transfer to larger tanks as appropriate. Also with fossorial species it's better not to leave them a ton of vertical room to climb to prevent injury if they happen to fall. Most fossorials are still great climbers but some can be clumsy of vertical smooth surface of tanks.

Quick checklist of what else you need for a tarantula tank setup:

• Substrate: This stuff is amazing and will last you a loooooong time if you only have 1 spider that is small to start with: https://amzn.to/35sVaRw
• Something for the spider to hide under if it wants. You don't have to buy a special hide as pieces of bark work fine. Just microwave the bark for like 30 seconds, or boil it in water for a few minutes, to kill any mold/bacteria that might be on it.
• Tiny water dish: bottle caps work fine for smaller spiders. Don't worry, the spider will not drown ... and it might not even drink from the dish, but having a water source is important to allow them to drink, but also to help keep some humidity in the tank. Keep the water dish filled.

Now, all that being said starting with a smaller spider can be way more challenging for a beginner if you've never kept spiders before. You sure you want to start with a tarantula that is only 3/4" long?

 

Morning update freshly molted and resting. I'll give her a few days for the exoskeleton to full harden before feeding.