Remove cricket remains or they may infest the container with mites. If you use wild-caught insects, do not collect from areas that have been treated with pesticides. Do not feed spiny insects, and most recommend avoiding wild cockroaches. Pinky mice are a possibility, but this species generally is not a voracious eater and they are not necessary. Do not do so with the spider very high off the ground, as they can easily be fatally injured by even a short fall.
Mature males have very short life-spans, while mature females can go on for many years.
Do not buy a spider that is sluggish, especially if it is crouching with its legs curled under it at all, a sign of imminent death. Tarantulas molt frequently before maturity, as often as every few weeks when very young. Adult females usually molt once a year, although Chilean rose spiders have been known to skip years. Males die after the molt that brings them to sexual maturity. This species grows very slowly.