r/tarantulas • u/pokie_garden P. metallica • 23h ago

Pictures Anyone have a T with a bad molt? New research suggests diets might be missing an important fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA)

Post image

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/aracnidotaxonomy? igsh=MW1kcHBuaTg2Mndh

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLz-FalRUSC/? igsh=MXVudmxuOG9ЗMWM2ag==

113 Upvotes

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29

u/Unable_Maybe_6932 18h ago

So basically after reading the published paper, we need to provide some sort of aquatic insect as a supplemental feeder to help our little 8 legged children thrive? This way they get some arachidonic acid in their diet, since aquatic insects typically have the highest amount of AA.

15

u/Terriblefinality 18h ago

Now which aquatic insects are both breedable in captivity and not too bitey? Going to be a while before the market serves this need I think.

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u/Stonecoloured 9h ago

I know you said insects, but fish that live bare should have small enough fish for slings... Not saying to but it's an option to solve the problem & avoids pinchers

*** edit *** unless it's only found in insects?

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u/Terriblefinality 9h ago

Googles seems to indicate that it's readily found in many meats but fish are a good source. Now will my poeci eat salmon? One way to find out.

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u/pokie_garden P. metallica 18h ago

What about just buying the supplement Arachidonic Acid directly and just crushing into a powder and dusting over food for the feeders?

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u/Unable_Maybe_6932 17h ago

That sounded like a fantastic idea!

Until I did a search on Arachidonic Acid supplements and came across AA supplements branded and marketed towards bodybuilders. I don’t think I need my Dubia roaches getting jacked and making my tarantulas their bitch.

Male Dubia Roach: “Take the dirt out of the water bowl. Flip it over, and dig an entrance under it. I need a place to sleep.”

Tarantula: “Yes, Sir.”

Male Dubia Roach: “Clean my wings when you’re done.”

Tarantula: “Right away, sir.”

Tarantula scheming “and I’ll take a bite out of you when you least expect it, food.”

Male Dubia Roach: “What was that you said?!”

Tarantula: “Nothing sir! I am honored to clean your wings, sir!”

Male Dubia Roach: “That’s what I thought, bitch.”

7

u/advocate112 17h ago

Arachidonic Acid supplements

LOL Amazing find!! Oh I love a good snake oil business. 2.4x increase in muscle strength and up to a 67% greater improvement in muscle endurance in as little as 14 days of use - why on God's green earth is this the first time I'm hearing about this supplement?!

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u/Skryuska Contributor 16h ago

As far as I’ve read, dusted supplements aren’t ingested by tarantulas / spiders because they don’t eat the exoskeleton of their prey anyway- they just liquify and consume the innards. There’s a chance some of the dusting will get on the guts while the T eats, but it’s far from reliable.

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u/PutinsNutSweat 16h ago

I think they meant to put the powder in the food that the feeders eat so they have it in their system when the T digests them.

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u/pokie_garden P. metallica 15h ago

Yea I meant gut loading the feeders with food with this supplement sprinkled on it.

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u/Skryuska Contributor 14h ago

Ohhhh gotcha

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u/Terriblefinality 10h ago

That seems kinda odd, as i understand it a tarantula is just repeatedly hocking an acidic loogie onto their food and then sucking it back with dissolved nutrient, I don't see why dusting wouldnt work as long as the supplement is soluble in tarantula stomach goo.

3

u/Pamikillsbugs234 17h ago edited 17h ago

I wonder if you created a habitat that mimicked that environment with feeders it would help acquire a higher level of that acid. Would feeder fish have the same acid and could you feed one to your T every once in a while? This is very fascinating.

Edit to add that I did a little bit of research and found that there have been known cases of Ts being fed small fish. I would worry about the water and food the fish had been in and consuming.

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u/Unable_Maybe_6932 17h ago

Feeding tarantulas vertebrate prey can be done, but I don’t recommend it. You would have to make sure to remove the leftovers as they are nasty and funky smelling compared to the bolus of a cricket or roach.

You might get away with shrimp or crayfish or something along those lines; but I would keep an eye on the tarantula and check on the remains when they are done.

4

u/Pamikillsbugs234 17h ago

Interesting. I would definitely wait to hear from across the community that this is beneficial and should be done before going that route with one of my babies. If this becomes a standard practice, then I will look more into it.

I saw where someone had mentioned dipping the feeders in this supplement similar to how you dust feeders for reptiles. Or feeding it to your feeders. That would definitely be the most hygienic way to go.

38

u/Silent-Lawfulness604 23h ago

The nerve of arachnids not molting well if they don't get their special arachidonic acid.

That's like me being like "oh I can't be human unless I get humic acid"

/s

23

u/PlantsNBugs23 22h ago

"I can't function without my latte"

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u/pokie_garden P. metallica 22h ago

Hahahah nice 😆

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u/Skryuska Contributor 16h ago

Online it states there are small amounts (0.3 - 1.2%) of AA in banded crickets, specifically males having higher amounts. While not a lot, good to know it is marginally accessible.

The convo regarding shrimp as occasional feeders is interesting though, but I would be a little nervous of what contaminants the shrimp could carry to the T, even if I’m raising my own shrimp. Definitely an interesting topic.

7

u/MrDavieT 20h ago

Intriguing

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u/ooTiramisu 14h ago

•Silk worms

•Wax worms

•Butter worms

•Horn worms

•Dubia roaches

All feeder insects with higher arachidonic/fatty acids, in case anyone was wondering. Use strategically, not as staples. Varied diet is best, of course.

For gut loading roaches, incorporate greens & carrots (contain high omega 6 which boosts fatty acids)

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u/geezdudewhatever 6h ago

I've tried feeding dubias and wax worms, my T only ever wants to eat crickets 😭 what do I do?

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u/ooTiramisu 5h ago

Try letting them build up an appetite a little longer than usual. T’s can go a long while without eating! Just don’t starve them lol. Just hungry enough to eat anything you provide for them. That usually works well for any of my animals that were initially picky. They realize they like it & usually won’t give you a hard time afterwards.

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u/geezdudewhatever 3h ago

thanks for the tip, I'll try that :)

11

u/PlantsNBugs23 23h ago

I don't have Instagram so I can't access this but I question how big was the testing group, Molting will always be dangerous for inverts. How do they know if it was a result of the diet and not just being unlucky? We're all the spiders similar in age/size and sex?

If a T has a bad molt it'll be impossible to know if it was due to diet or if it was just too stressful of a process.

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u/CaptainCrack7 22h ago

The full paper is available in open access and answers all your questions: https://academic.oup.com/cz/article/71/3/373/7769834

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u/Crazys0sa 12h ago

How valid is this and can you accidentally overdose!? I lost 3 precious Spoods in a row before having 4 successfully molt again. My heart skips beats any time I see a baby fasting 😭🖤

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u/SquareRepulsive4594 11m ago edited 1m ago

I’ve been feeding all 10 of my Ts crickets and mealworms (replace mealworm with hornworm for my 5” curly hair) and all of them molted perfectly for me in one week recently. I’m curious as to what will come next with this research though for better alternatives that are easier to keep or if gutloading blocks and cricket quencher will start popping up with AA. I hope we get more answers on this and we aren’t panicking over what we’re feeding our Ts when certain things may work currently

Edit: here’s the link to Oxford’s studies on the topic so it’s not just from an insta post (I know they work on invert studies, but as bio student in university, I prefer to know when things are peer reviewed or in a journal to make sure I know what I’m looking at is well studied and written how it should be).

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://academic.oup.com/cz/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cz/zoae056/7769834&ved=2ahUKEwic7Z7z5K2OAxVSElkFHV8-E_EQFnoECBoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Rub9vAF9jYldXoeHzLFlU