10 New Pulchra Slings

[Tortoise Tom]

They arrived Wednesday and I set them up in their little 16oz. deli cups. Each cup has a little rock, a plastic plant, and a water bottle cap for drinking. Substrate is straight coco coir.

I tapped the vials for the first few and got them out, but then I decided to just leave them in their vials and let them come out on their own. I figured they'd come out at night. Most of Thursday, I was busy and just left them alone. I figured I'd check on them and try to feed them this morning. All of the ones I left in their vials were still in their vials. Seems they like their vials better than the enclosures I made up for them:

Eventually I got them all out and in their enclosures, and then I dropped a little Blatta lateralis pinhead into each enclosure. I had lots of time this morning, so I sat and watched each spiderling for a little while to see how they would do. The first four had spent the last two days in their enclosures without their vials, so I figured they'd be comfortable and hungry. Nope. They all ran from the roaches.

Number 5 was the only one that ate, and he/she was one of the ones I had to dump out of the vials:

None of the others took their roach despite the roaches running right in front of their faces. Hopefully, they will feel a little more emboldened by the night, and take care of business in the dark.

 

[PanzoN88]

Excellent, I just recently got some slings of this species as well.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Excellent, I just recently got some slings of this species as well.

This will be my second time raising pulchra slings. The first time I bought three at a reptile show in 2008. Raised them all up and had two males and one female. I never tried to breed them and the two males eventually died at 5-6 years old. Still have my big girl after 10 years. I really like the species. Easy keepers.

 

[Metalman2004]

Thats a pretty good investment in a species! Enjoy!

 

[LuboMoravcik]

Are they as slow to grow as I've read?

 

[Metalman2004]

Are they as slow to grow as I've read?

All of the grammostolas are pretty slow growers and big fasters when it comes to premolt.

Cool profile picture.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Are they as slow to grow as I've read?

The bulk of my experience with tarantulas has been with Grammostola and Brachypelma. That is my main frame of reference for tarantula growth rates. I've got many new species coming in, so I'll be able to give a better comparison in a few months. Grammostola and Brachypelma growth rates seem pretty quick to me, but I also keep my reptile room warmer than most people keep their spiders, and I also tend to feed more since I have a plethora of roaches that need to be eaten. If other species grow much faster, I'm in for a wild ride coming up soon!

And I very much agree with Metalman's observation about the pre-molt fasting. And after molt too. My big one's often take 2-3 weeks before they want to eat after a molt.

 

[LuboMoravcik]

The bulk of my experience with tarantulas has been with Grammostola and Brachypelma. That is my main frame of reference for tarantula growth rates. I've got many new species coming in, so I'll be able to give a better comparison in a few months. Grammostola and Brachypelma growth rates seem pretty quick to me, but I also keep my reptile room warmer than most people keep their spiders, and I also tend to feed more since I have a plethora of roaches that need to be eaten. If other species grow much faster, I'm in for a wild ride coming up soon!

And I very much agree with Metalman's observation about the pre-molt fasting. And after molt too. My big one's often take 2-3 weeks before they want to eat after a molt.

I think you are in for a wild ride once you get a fast growing species haha.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

I think you are in for a wild ride once you get a fast growing species haha.

I hope so. I like wild rides!

 

[Aarantula]

Awesome! What kind of deli cups are those? I love the vented lids.

 

[menavodi]

Congrats to your slings. You will have males and females later on...I also like to buy 10 when it comes to slings and I can afford it!

 

[MassExodus]

This sp is VERY slow growing at room temp. Slowest I've seen in my collection, anyway. Great spiders though.

 

[PanzoN88]

This sp is VERY slow growing at room temp. Slowest I've seen in my collection, anyway. Great spiders though.

I'm assuming you've not had the pleasure of watching an H. orellanai grow (or lack of growth that is).

 

[Tortoise Tom]

This sp is VERY slow growing at room temp. Slowest I've seen in my collection, anyway. Great spiders though.

Mine have all been growing up nicely. They molted once a month for the first 8 months or so. Slowing down a bit now, but I've slowed down their food a bit too. Most of them are around 3" after a year. Growing at the same speed as my Lp and Stirmi.

 

[Tnoob]

Awesome! What kind of deli cups are those? I love the vented lids.

I do the same thing with my deli cups. You just burn the holes with a soldering iron, and bam there you go. I usually get the deli cups for free at Wal-Mart.

 

[MassExodus]

My female has been at roughly 73º for about six, seven years. She's around 3 1/2" legspan, refuses food more than she'll accept it, molts like a senior citizen, still charges anything that trips a web line, and the ***** bit me. I'm right in the middle of changing my house up, the tarantulas are about to be moved from my bedroom to another room, at 80º. At this point I'm quite positive I'll see a drastic change. You're the fourth experienced keeper to tell me this, and all of you are high temp guys. I've seen the difference temp plays in raising roaches, but not like this..Lp and stirmi? Whats your exact temp?

Mine have all been growing up nicely. They molted once a month for the first 8 months or so. Slowing down a bit now, but I've slowed down their food a bit too. Most of them are around 3" after a year. Growing at the same speed as my Lp and Stirmi.

growth rate? I'm doing it wrong..

 

[Tortoise Tom]

My female has been at roughly 73º for about six, seven years. She's around 3 1/2" legspan, refuses food more than she'll accept it, molts like a senior citizen, still charges anything that trips a web line, and the ***** bit me. I'm right in the middle of changing my house up, the tarantulas are about to be moved from my bedroom to another room, at 80º. At this point I'm quite positive I'll see a drastic change. You're the fourth experienced keeper to tell me this, and all of you are high temp guys. I've seen the difference temp plays in raising roaches, but not like this..Lp and stirmi? Whats your exact temp?


growth rate? I'm doing it wrong..

I don't really intend to keep them warmer. Its just that I have to keep them in the reptile room and the reptile room is heated to at least 80, day and night. Most of the year the daytime temps rises to the mid 80s. On hot summer days, ambient room temp climbs into the low 90s. I got my first G. pulchra 14 years ago and raised the three of them in this environment and they reached maturity within a few years. Back then I wasn't paying very close attention, but they all survived and did fine. The two males died off after about 5-6 years and the female is still going strong. I just bred her the other day, in fact. Waiting to see if I get a sac.

In my group of 10 slings some are bigger than others now. I'll get some size reference pics for you tomorrow. I got them as half inch slings from Casey K about 13 months ago, as seen in post number one of this thread.

 

[Phil]

They arrived Wednesday and I set them up in their little 16oz. deli cups. Each cup has a little rock, a plastic plant, and a water bottle cap for drinking. Substrate is straight coco coir.
View attachment 30148

I tapped the vials for the first few and got them out, but then I decided to just leave them in their vials and let them come out on their own. I figured they'd come out at night. Most of Thursday, I was busy and just left them alone. I figured I'd check on them and try to feed them this morning. All of the ones I left in their vials were still in their vials. Seems they like their vials better than the enclosures I made up for them: View attachment 30149

Eventually I got them all out and in their enclosures, and then I dropped a little Blatta lateralis pinhead into each enclosure. I had lots of time this morning, so I sat and watched each spiderling for a little while to see how they would do. The first four had spent the last two days in their enclosures without their vials, so I figured they'd be comfortable and hungry. Nope. They all ran from the roaches.
View attachment 30151

Number 5 was the only one that ate, and he/she was one of the ones I had to dump out of the vials:
View attachment 30152

None of the others took their roach despite the roaches running right in front of their faces. Hopefully, they will feel a little more emboldened by the night, and take care of business in the dark.

just browsing through some old threads
Any chance if an update?
Still got all 10? growth rate to date, got the black colours through yet? managed to sex any?
Just curious how you are getting on with these