New baby Brachypelma

[Steph]

Hello, I'm Steph & late Weds afternoon I received in the mail a baby Brachypelma smithi from Jaime's Tarantulas. My new friend arrived safe & sound, securely packed. The spiderling is about 3/4" leg span and I put together the spiderling-sized enclosure I also purchased from JTs, and got her safely transferred into her new home (I realize it's too early to know the sex of the sling, but I'm hoping for a female).
I've been following guidelines I found in Schultz & Schultz's The Tarantula Keepers Guide. I've not yet fed the sling, as the book suggests giving a new T about a week to get adjusted to their new situation. I have spritzed down the coconut husk substrate & within just over 24 hours of being put in her new home, the baby dug herself a nice little burrow.
I've never cared for such a tiny tarantula. I had an adult Grammastola rosea female just over 20 some yrs ago and did well with her till she finally passed away, but I'm kinda anxious about properly caring for my new buddy. Being so much smaller that my first T, the sling seems much more vulnerable. I also received 25 flightless fruit flies when I got the spider, and I've given them a chunk of banana that they seem marginally interested in.
I have what seems like a ton of questions, but my main one for now is: when do I first feed the baby? And do I give her just one fly, or a couple? I've written to JTs with these questions, but as of yet, received no reply. So I'm very much looking for advice from some of you more experienced spider-keepers. Any & all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks, Steph

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

Hi and welcome! I have brachy vegans, a versi and p irminia slings and I feed them once a week with one small mealworm each purely because I can't stand anything with wings or that jumps! I crush the heads so they don't bite back, and my irminia get's half a mealworm as it's so soo dinky.
When I got my first babies I had the same feeling that they were vulnerable, try not to worry. My brachypelma is a little terror and quite aggressive, although they think everything is food at that size (2 inches?). I panic over my big g porteri now, more than my little ones.
Leaving your baby for a while as you've said, to let it settle in is the best thing to do, try feeding once the week is up? I'm not too sure on the fruit fly feeding though and how much.

 

[Steph]

Thank you so much for your encouragement, I feel better about waiting a bit longer before I feed my little one. I decided on the flightless fruit flies as the food item for my b smithi, as the website said that was what that clutch of slings was currently being fed. I figured after all the upheaval the sling was about to go thru (being shipped), I'd try to keep at least one part of her life consistent w/ a familiar food item, so I got the flies. I just wish they'd show more interest in their food (a bit of banana), so that at the time they are feed to the spider, they'd be as nutritionally complete as possible. So we'll see how that goes.
Thanks again, TGirl! Steph

 

[Josh]

Don't forget to keep us updated

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

Thank you so much for your encouragement, I feel better about waiting a bit longer before I feed my little one. I decided on the flightless fruit flies as the food item for my b smithi, as the website said that was what that clutch of slings was currently being fed. I figured after all the upheaval the sling was about to go thru (being shipped), I'd try to keep at least one part of her life consistent w/ a familiar food item, so I got the flies. I just wish they'd show more interest in their food (a bit of banana), so that at the time they are feed to the spider, they'd be as nutritionally complete as possible. So we'll see how that goes.
Thanks again, TGirl! Steph

I always leave mine at least a week before doing anything with them, best to be on the safe side. Keep us updated, it's awesome watching your babies grow and transform through molts. Also, don't panic if they reject food, it might be the sign of an upcoming molt. Jen.

 

[Steph]

I'm glad you said that, I received the sling late last weds afternoon, and aside from lightly spritzing her enclosure every few days, I've left her alone. Then this morning, about half an hour ago, I gave her 2 fruit flies and the sling's response was to completely ignore them, at least while I had her enclosure sitting on the dining table. I watched her for several minutes, and she didn't seem to move a muscle. It was time to spritz down her box again, so I did that and then put her back on the shelf it sits on. Meanwhile the two flies crawled around apparently oblivious to her.
One of the folks I got her from said most of the slings from that clutch had molted a few weeks before now. But the bottom line is, I really don't know where she's at in her molt cycle. Ho hum. It's just kinda hard not to be anxious till the spider takes her first meal since arriving here. Patience is one of those virtues that I'm always working on.

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

I'm glad you said that, I received the sling late last weds afternoon, and aside from lightly spritzing her enclosure every few days, I've left her alone. Then this morning, about half an hour ago, I gave her 2 fruit flies and the sling's response was to completely ignore them, at least while I had her enclosure sitting on the dining table. I watched her for several minutes, and she didn't seem to move a muscle. It was time to spritz down her box again, so I did that and then put her back on the shelf it sits on. Meanwhile the two flies crawled around apparently oblivious to her.
One of the folks I got her from said most of the slings from that clutch had molted a few weeks before now. But the bottom line is, I really don't know where she's at in her molt cycle. Ho hum. It's just kinda hard not to be anxious till the spider takes her first meal since arriving here. Patience is one of those virtues that I'm always working on.

They're stubborn like that, I leave the food I give them in their enclosures and if they haven't gobbled it by say... 24/32 hours later i'll take it out and try the next week.
As I kill my food for the babies it goes off pretty quick *yuk*. They can be quite active feeders at night, so if you check the next day and they're gone you know the T is eating. My pulchra is eating shy, I have to put the lid back on, wait 5 and she's gobbling away. Don't worry with T's too much, they can fast for long periods of time. Main thing is humidity and moisture (obviously not soggy).
I got my P Irminia about a month ago (1cm) and it's been ignoring my feeding attempts then all of a sudden the abdomen and carapace went dark and it molted last night. It's like Christmas when they spring a surprise molt on you. Even better if you can watch .

 

[Steph]

Today I put 2 fruit flies in w/ the sling a little before 11 am and then I watched her for several minutes and she played it real cool, not moving at all. So I put her box back on the shelf where it usually sits & checked on her just before 1 pm and she'd grabbed at least one of the flies, chomping away. Yay! I looked & looked & couldn't see the other fruit fly anywhere I'm guessing it'd found a hiding place. So I put the sling's box back on its shelf. I'm glad she felt like eating. I figure I'll see her take a prey item one of these days.

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

Sometimes they go for the kill in a lightening flash or like my big girl, she toys with it first. Glad to hear your baby is eating, the other fly might of come to its demise.
It would be great to see a picture of your little one, smithis are gorgeous!

 

[Steph]

It's amazing to see how my little spider's abdomen has filled out just in the last 20-some hours since she ate. I swear she looks a slight bit bigger just since she showed up 6 days ago, but it's probably just because she's filled out since eating. She's still small enough (about 3/4") that I'm not sure I could get a decent pic of her right now. Actually it would give me a reason to get my DSLR camera out, then I'd possibly have a chance of getting a better pic. Then I'd need to figure out the uploading a picture thing.
Your girl sounds like she's part cat, toying w/ her prey before pouncing. That would be fun to watch. I need to watch more footage of T's taking their prey, I'm just just to seeing the T be stalk still one second, and in the next, nailing their cricket. I never get tired of being impressed w/ the speed at which T's attack. Very cool.

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

My babies are all chubby in the backside, if they get too fat it's straight on a diet for them, although they even out after a molt... oddly.
I'll try videoing her on the next feed .
To upload just go to "media" at the top of the screen then "add media" and just follow the steps from there. I should stop uploading pics of my bunch, I feel like I'm spamming this forum now hehe.

 

[Steph]

Thanks for the instructions, I will put that in my Saved Messages folder. And I love the pics of your babies I get a really good idea as to what that species looks like.
You mentioned having a P irmina. That's Psalmopoeus irmina, the Venezuelan Suntiger right? How is he/she behaviorally? I found one available for a reasonable price and I'm interested in it if it's not too aggressive. The pics I've seen of the adults are pretty, but I don't wanna base my decision just on appearances. So I thought I'd get your opinion (along w/ anybody else who wants to chime in). Steph

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

Thanks for the instructions, I will put that in my Saved Messages folder. And I love the pics of your babies I get a really good idea as to what that species looks like.
You mentioned having a P irmina. That's Psalmopoeus irmina, the Venezuelan Suntiger right? How is he/she behaviorally? I found one available for a reasonable price and I'm interested in it if it's not too aggressive. The pics I've seen of the adults are pretty, but I don't wanna base my decision just on appearances. So I thought I'd get your opinion (along w/ anybody else who wants to chime in). Steph

Thank you, I love getting shots of them, so purdy.
That's right, the suntiger. At the moment, FAR to young to determine a sex, it molted not long ago and is around 2cm leg span, legs are stupidly long but it's still a teeny teeny baby. It got out and happily sat on my hand but only time can tell what the temperament will be like when it gets bigger. They advise that no tarantula should be held and the suntiger is a look but don't touch species, their bite can be worse as they bite more than once. Some people get away with it, I think it's just down to how lucky you are on how docile they can be. All of mine bar the vegans (evil), are chilled out and friendly souls.
I take it you're hooked and looking at expanding the collection? The most addictive hobby ever!

 

[Steph]

That's a really good pic, I take it that's your suntiger baby? His/her legs are long. Kinda analogous to a young puppy with oversize feet, till they grow into them.
Yeah, I'm kinda hooked on this T-keeping pastime. I'd really like a Grammastola pulchra, but the only 3 I can find are not babies & are therefore outta my price range. I'm also interested in Paraphysa scrofa. Hope I spelled that right. I think it'd be interesting to have a dwarf-sized T, and they sound like a friendly little critter. Steph

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

It is indeed my tiny one. The big booties I go all gooey eyed for!
Pulchra's are gorgeous and the scrofa looks similar to a rosea.
Have you looked at the cyriocosmus elegans (Trinidad dwarf tiger rump)? They've got a little heart on their abdomen.

 

[Christell Erasmus]

I have great news, I received my B.Smithi a few days ago. she is still very small, about the same size as yours Steph. I cant wait to watch her grow and change as she molts.

 

[TarantulaGirl549]

Congrats on the smithi

 

[Christell Erasmus]

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