# *Feeding scale*



## infinity (Mar 4, 2006)

Figure we gotta get some sort of feeding scale on here (plus it will kinda help me too) - for what sort of prey is available for what sort of sized mantis etc, i.e. FFs for the hatchlings all the way up to perhaps pinkies for the adults as people always eeem to be asking...

but mainly (haha, cleverly disguised in there)... I want to know what sorts of things I can feed my juvs/ adult tarantulas! - Even large crix are too small and I don't fancy pinkies - it's hard enough hiding 50 or so T's from the parents! - so yeah, looking for easy to rear bugs that grow up to say, 3 inches... (this also comes under the WANTED category cos i'll buy some when i find them)


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## Rick (Mar 4, 2006)

Just feed them appropriate sized food. Something they can handle without it escaping their grasp due to overpowering them. It all depends on the species and the individual mantis' size.


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## Ian (Mar 5, 2006)

Yea, but thats the whole thing...people don't know, me included sometimes, what size food is actually appropriate.

It's a good idea Jon...dunno how we'd go about it tho :?:


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## Rick (Mar 5, 2006)

I don't know. I never had a problem with it.


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## infinity (Mar 5, 2006)

Just wondering because with some species of fully grown adult mantis, large scorps and especially larger Ts, the prey such as adult crix are sometimes a bit small - 'they' recommend feeding a tarantula a prey iten that is about half its full legspan- and species such as the salmon pink can grow up to 11 inches in legspan! - a 1 inch cricket seems a bit of a snack compared to what it could probably handle... - and i'm not too keen on the pinkie mouse idea.

I guess with species of mantis, this isn't such an issue but we've all had those *bottomless pit-stomached* mantises that seem to inhale adult crickets- I was just wondering whether there were larger roaches that grow quickly and that don't cost £3 each... The hissing species grow up to 3 inches i've heard but they cost a bomb!


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## KennethJ78 (Mar 5, 2006)

I allways feed my mantids prey items that are 1/3 to 1/2 of the mantid's length.



> we've all had those *bottomless pit-stomached* mantises that seem to inhale adult crickets


In that case I just provide them with as many crickets / small roaches that they eat at a time. :lol:


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## Jwonni (Mar 5, 2006)

locust are pretty big i just got some medium and they were bigger than i expected


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## infinity (Mar 5, 2006)

yeah locusts keep my scorps happy for a month or two if i've given them the adults but in terms of getting a colony together, they're a pain! - need very dry conditions and a very high enclosure (plus the fact that they knock themselves out when they jump into it...) :twisted:


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## specy (Mar 5, 2006)

Why not get a colony of Dubia or Discoids? I heard that they grow to about 2 inches and makes good feeders. It might take a few months to get the colony up, but once the colony is up, you wont have to spend a penny getting any more feeder insects.


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## infinity (Mar 6, 2006)

any idea where?!


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## specy (Mar 6, 2006)

I dont know if he ships to UK, but you could try

http://www.blaberus.com/

There is also someone selling discoids at livefood.co.uk (Dead head Roaches)

http://www.livefoodshop.co.uk/classified/p...esc.php?id=5570

Good luck!


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## Lee2k4 (Mar 6, 2006)

Have you seen how much he charges for death heads!? bit of an expensive treat that.


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## infinity (Mar 7, 2006)

on that topic... asked *blaberus* dude how much it costs to ship to the uk... $30 :shock: I only wanted 10 or so to start a breeding stock!


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## JoshTopp (Mar 7, 2006)

Although B. Discoidalis, and B. Dubia are good breeders, if you start with only 10 its going to take you maybe 10 months to a year before you're going to be satisfied with your colony, I would recomend starting with at least 50 to 100. This also does depend upon how many you plan to feed off, if you only have a small number of mantids, or better yet, T's which eat less often, then a colony of 25-50 may suffice after 3-5 months of rearing.

I personally like discoids and dubias very much, I have colonies of a few hundred of each, Another good roach which may take alittle longer to raise(not quite as long as hissers tho), but is large and moderatly priced, is Blaberus Fusca,.. another good smaller choice are Blatta Lateralis, which are like non-climbing ,egg laying, red versions of lobster roaches, I recomend Blaberus.com almost all of my roaches are from there, and James always gives good deals and good overcounts of roaches.

---Josh Topp


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## infinity (Mar 8, 2006)

Yeah, the prices look good on blaberus but I'm in england and a postage fee of $30 is a little steep... anyone know of british suppliers (reasonably priced too) of the *above* species...?


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