Chilean rose size

[Tfghvghxhjj]

Hi everyone, new to keeping tarantulas. Just bought a 1cm sling off ebay and wondering how long it takes for then to reach the adult stage? Thanks in advance.

 

[SasyStace]

Hi there and welcome this depends on so much Shaun. Genus, feeding, housing etc.. If I am not mistaken they take a very long time and the growth rate has been compared to that of an oak tree- very very slow. I mean mine took 3 years to reach 2" . You've invested in a long time friend. Good luck and post a pic or two when you can

 

[Tomoran]

I have a G. rosea sling that I got as a freebie at about .3". I've had the little guy/gal close to two years, and it's kept between 70-75 degrees in the winter and 75-80 in the summer. In that time, he has fasted twice for several months and is now a whopping .6" or so. This is a VERY slow growing species overall, so you can expect it to take many, many years before you have an adult.

The good news is, you will have it for a looong time. I've had my female G. porteri for close to 20 years, and she was already 4" when I got her!

 

[SasyStace]

I have a G. rosea sling that I got as a freebie at about .3". I've had the little guy/gal close to two years, and it's kept between 70-75 degrees in the winter and 75-80 in the summer. In that time, he has fasted twice for several months and is now a whopping .6" or so. This is a VERY slow growing species overall, so you can expect it to take many, many years before you have an adult.

The good news is, you will have it for a looong time. I've had my female G. porteri for close to 20 years, and she was already 4" when I got her!

used to freak me out when my boy would fast that long.

 

[Tomoran]

used to freak me out when my boy would fast that long.

I won't lie. I know it's natural for them, but when tiny sling like that takes the winter off from eating, it does worry me a bit.

 

[Chubbs]

Gender, temperatures, feeding amount and routine, are all things that effect growth. Obviously the more you feed them, the faster they grow. Unfortunately with a genus like Grammastola which are all slow-growers, even feeding them more often won't make them grow too much faster.

 

[MassExodus]

8 years, full grown, is my rough estimate.

 

[micheldied]

I've never raised one too adulthood. When I got a 0.5" sling, it hit just over 1.5" in over 2 years. This was with regular feeding(it never fasted), and in over 80F tropical climate.

 

[Fuzzball79]

I found my B. Boehmei (another slow growing genus) got out of his "fragile" sling stage in less than a year (0.5" -1.5+" ), but he seems to be slowing down a bit now (although I think he will molt soon, as he's getting fat).
I don't have an issue with slow growers: At least you know you'll be able to enjoy them for many years and the grown on sling/juvie phase is just adorable, IMHO.

 

[Tfghvghxhjj]

Thanks so much for all the info guys! I was genuinely hoping the growth rate would be slow as opposed to fast, as i don't want to rehouse them too often. Also, i'm very excited to see them grow up, which is the reason i decided to add a sling to my small collection. They arrived today, and the guy sent me two even though i just ordered one! This made my day, and i can't wait to watch them both. Hopefully there'll be one male and one female , time will tell! Another quick question - what's the best thing to feed them? The local reptile shop seels tiny crickets and tiny locusts, but meal worms are also available. Will i have to pre-kill the live food or will they eat it live?

 

[Tfghvghxhjj]

And what's the best idea for a tiny water dish?

 

[Fuzzball79]

Most people use bottle caps from a very small T size. The spider can't drown in clear water, so it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Chubbs]

Just don't let the mealworms burrow out of sight. Those jaws can be dangerous to a freshly molted tarantula. This applies even more to superworms. Best thing to do is to crush the head before tossing them in.