A question that would-be tarantula owners often ask us is about what pet tarantulas eat. It is an important question after all, and one that you really should find out the answer to before getting one of these wonderful creatures. You might be surprised at how many people fail to consider this question before getting a pet tarantula and then balking when they realize that these spiders are carnivores and require live food sources.
Feeding Your Tarantula
So what do pet tarantulas eat then, and where do you find food sources for them? And once you’ve worked out all of this, another question might surface: how do you actually feed a tarantula once you have acquired a food source. We answer these questions for you in the following paragraphs.
Your pet tarantula will eat things such as:
- silkworms
- crickets
- mealworms
- cockroaches
- king worms
- horn worms
- grasshoppers
- cicadas
- millipedes
- caterpillars
- smaller spiders
- most other insects smaller than the tarantula.
Many of the insects can be sourced from a local pet store, and they are widely available online now, as well. In their natural habitat, tarantulas tend to survive on a diet of insects and other smaller spiders. Occasionally they might eat small lizards and mice. In captivity, it is obviously going to be up to you to provide their food, meaning that you will need to handle live insects to feed the spider.
Acanthoscurria gomesiana 
Blue Foot Baboon 
Mexican Fireleg
Nevertheless, when feeding your tarantula, it is important to choose appropriately sized food. Although larger tarantulas can eat prey that is of a similar size to itself, it is better to opt for something smaller.
Some newer tarantula owners will just throw in a few insects like crickets and the spider will be fine with this. However, this could cause stress to your spider as some insects may fight back and bite the tarantula, causing injury. It is far better to feed the spider one insect at a time but remove live food from the tank after about ten to fifteen minutes if it has not been eaten.
Water Dishes in Tarantula Enclosures
There is some controversy in tarantula husbandry about whether or not it is a good idea to place water dishes in your tarantula’s tank. Some believe that water dishes are a hazard that could lead to drowning and should never be placed in an enclosure.
Then there are those who believe that water dishes are essential and that misting the tank is not sufficient to ensure tarantulas do not suffer from dehydration. This writer has always used water dishes and has never had a tarantula or sling drown. It is my opinion that water sources are necessary for tarantulas as they do not get enough water just from their food.
I use water dishes that are shallow, and I place about half an inch of water in the container. I change this every day. Not only do my tarantulas have a source of water should they need it, but the water also helps to keep the environment moist and humid.
Brazilian Red Birdeater 
Chaco Golden Knee 
Acanthoscurria theraphosoides
How Often Should You Feed Your Tarantula?
If you have any baby tarantulas in your tank, you will need to feed them regularly. This is because underfeeding can quickly lead to dehydration. To encourage growth then, you may want to feed them a small amount every day.
Adult tarantulas do not eat as often and can go for quite a long time without any food. Some can even abstain from food for up to a month if they have had previously eaten a large meal. They will also not normally eat when they are preparing to lay eggs or are about to molt.
If your tarantula is eating smaller insects though, it is probably best to offer food at least twice per week. As mentioned above, remove live food from the tank after around fifteen minutes if your spider has made no attempt to capture or eat it. If there is any half-eaten food in the tank, remove it after twenty-four hours.
Photo Credits:
- Featured Image (Trinidad Dwarf Tarantula): Morkelsker – public domain
- Acanthoscurria gomesiana: Source: Hector M. O. Gonzalez-Filho, Sylvia M. Lucas, Felipe dos S. Paula, Rafael P. Indicatti, and Antonio D. Brescovit (2012) “On the Taxonomy of Acanthoscurria Ausserer from Southeastern Brazil with Data on the Natural History of A. gomesiana Mello-Leitão (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae)”, International Journal of Zoology, vol. 2012. doi:10.1155/2012/721793 Figure 1 – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
- Blue Foot Baboon: Quengsalinas – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
- Brazilian Red Birdeater: Hectonichus – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
- Chaco Golden Knee: PavelSI – public domain
- Acanthoscurria theraphosoides: Sjl197 – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
- Mexican Fireleg: Micha L. Rieser
