Read through all the feeder topics and want to know can you gut load roaches and why gut load ? when ? and with what?

also heard of calcium and vitamins any info ? when and how?

Thanks

Evening

Calcium and vitamins any info ? when and how?

Calcium and vitamins won't help the spiders, that is more for lizards and other pets.
It is said that to much calcium is bad for spiders, causes issues when molting.

can you gut load roaches and why gut load ?

Gut loading, is the process used to increase the feeders nutrient value.
Also using the feeder as a delivery system to the creature being feed.
A lot less stressful on your pet to ingest things the natural way then you having to force it down.

Gut loading can be used to condition a female for breeding or after an egg sack or a molt.

You can gut load anything meant for feeding purposes, roaches are normally allot more nutrient than crickets.
But can still be gut loaded regardless.

when ?

You must gut load your feeders a day or less before feeding.

with what?

Fruits, Tinned dog or cat food anything really, well as long as it has nutrient value, proteins, fats and other good things, not just processed cardboard. You even get products that are sold specifically for gut loading of feeders.
But just feeding your feeders and then feeding them off to your spiders is basically the same thing.

Often crickets bought from the pet store have been "gut loaded" and that is also another sales pitch some of the cricket supplies use. Gut loaded crickets for sale.

Re: Gut Loading
While this is done regularly in the arachnoculture hobby, and some pet shops make a concerted effort to sell everybody gut loading food for their crickets, there is scant or no evidence whatsoever that it does any good vis-à-vis tarantulas. The arguments that it helps to bring females into breeding condition or helps brooding females to recover is unsupported by any arguments or data except a circumstantial one that, "Other animals benefit from it, why not tarantulas?" Tarantulas are not other animals. And, they've demonstrated time and again that what works for goldfish, iguanas, canaries, or hamsters doesn't necessarily work for them.

For example, many enthusiasts (yours truly included, e.g., B. smithi, B. emilia, B. albopilosum, A. avicularia, T. blondi) have been "reasonably" successful at breeding a number of tarantulas without any gut loading whatsoever. This throws great suspicion on the necessity of the practice.

On the other hand, it doesn't seem to do any harm either. So, if you have that much money that you need to throw it away, I have this ABSOLUTELY, INCREDIBLY, FANTASTIC GUT LOADING FOOD for your tarantulas. And, it only costs R 50 per 100 gms! Plus international shipping and handling.

:happy:

Re: Calcium and Tarantulas

A total non-floater!

Read Whats best to feed crickets

Read I'm new; looking for advice from experienced T owners

So, it's a cool, windy, rainy, muggy day here in the Houston Texas area, and now I've managed to rain on your parade as well. Sorry.

sad

Enjoy your little 8-legged dietary delight!

:angel: