# Can you overfeed Ts?



## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

i feed my chile rose around 2-3 crickets a week but last week i fed her 6 and i wondered if she eats them does that mean she is hungry and can i overfeed her?


----------



## Nicky_KM (Feb 7, 2010)

Definitely, you can overfeed Tarantula's yes and it also shortens their lifespan if you do.


----------



## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

ok then so is the 2-3 crickets a week good or bad


----------



## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

I know overfeeding can be a problem, There's just no real need to feed them that amount.

I feed mine 2 crickets every 10 days and all are fine.

I would leave her for about 2 weeks if she eats them and just give her 1 cricket.

:2thumb:


----------



## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Some of my spiders will eat 6 crickets in one sitting, or more commonly the equivalent like a large roach, but means they get fed less often, though generally my T's get fed one large item per month, even though given the choice they'd prob eat a lot more than that.

Its not so much over feeding but power feeding that shortens a T's lifespan, feeding a spider often to get it to grow faster, yes it works, but does shorten their lifespan, and as in a lot of animals it can lower fertility too, i really don't see the point in it personally.


----------



## Chaika (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm starting to think that overfeeding is a bit of a myth, mainly because noone seems to agree what the definition of 'overfeeding' is in tarantulas. Also, those that do have their definition have yet to show any concrete evidence to support claims of lowered fertility (which seems to be based on rumors as far as I can tell) or that spiders that are fed well live shorter lives (something that I could imagine happening but is still an opinion that appears to be based more on speculation rather than hard evidence).

In experience of feeding my T's I have found that it seems to be almost impossible to get them to eat more unless you use a heat mat to increase their metabolic rate. I keep all my 13 Ts at room temperature (around 21-26 degrees) and once they've had enough food, be that a large roach or one mealworm, they will just stop eating. And it's not that they will just ignore excess food, mine will actively eject uneaten food items from burrows and webs and will web up hide entrances when not actively hunting. 

This is not to ruffle anyone's feathers or anything, just that I have yet to see any real evidence of danger of overfeeding in Ts and I am going to keep an open mind and not worry too much until there is :blush:.


----------



## stephen666 (Jun 8, 2010)

i was told that tarantulas can go four weeks without eating but they need water more i feed all my t's 2 crickets or 1 medium locust a week i sometimes have to take the food out " with me rosea spieces"


----------



## ph0bia (Feb 21, 2009)

Nicky_KM said:


> Definitely, you can overfeed Tarantula's yes and it also shortens their lifespan if you do.


Bit of a short answer, and not entirely true. T's will stop feeding if they're full.

Overfeeding is a bit of a myth. Yes, you can powerfeed tarantulas: keep them warm, feed them frequently, and they tend to moult faster, grow larger and die younger.

On the otherhand, you can certainly get certain species of tarantula fat; but only certain species. Most spiders will eat their fill and then just ignore prey. G.rosea seem to be one of the exceptions, they're programmed to grab anything when it's their perceived summer, as there will be nothing in the coming winter. Thus, they grab everything you throw at them, they grow fat and falls become more dangerous. Eventually, they stop eating whilst it's their perceived winter - they hunker down, stop hunting, slow down, to conserve energy through the winter, I guess.

Ultimately, feeding 2-3 crickets a week isn't bad unless she's getting very... rotund. If she's holding a good size, keep it up. If not, perhaps drop to weekly feedings. Personally, mine's lucky if she gets a half-dozen a month, and she's still fairly round. Just ensure water is always available.

Every tarantula is different, even amongst the same species. You need to learn to gauge yours


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

stephen666 said:


> i was told that tarantulas can go four weeks without eating but they need water more i feed all my t's 2 crickets or 1 medium locust a week i sometimes have to take the food out " with me rosea spieces"


Try telling my chile rose this, she didnt eat for 20 months! :2thumb:

I feed my 2 adult T's approx 1-2 crix every 7-14 days


----------



## matto2k (Nov 30, 2006)

my adults tend to get 1 or 2 hoppers every 2-3 weeks and they all look fairly round. slings i normally feed 2-4 sizable crix a week. but if there not getting eaten i wont give them any more for a while. personnally i think slimmer T's look better rather then huge over fed things.


----------

