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1st Molting Experience

Sbirtell1

Sbirtell1

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132
Location
Chicago, Illinois
Hey everyone!

I didn’t think I was going to go through this experience so soon, but wow! Let me tell you it was extremely fascinating to say the least. I’m sure everyone has been through it a million times. But it was crazy and cool! I’m so glad I was able to experience this. I walked in the room to check on him after work last night and BAM, he was upside down. It’s behavior of going in to hiding and all the new webbing as of late now makes sense (after countless hours on the Internet reading and research).

Anyways, I left it be. Hopefully after I pull out the molt later in the week I can find out what the sex is. I also upped the humidity in the room just a tad to help with the process. It seems to be doing ok now, just resting. I was a little worried because I read that it’s a very hard process on their bodies and they sometimes don’t make it…but like everyone says, they know what their doing and patience is key! It has a full bowl of water at the moment. In a few days I’ll make sure to add some more and just let it recover.

I wanted to thank everyone for all their help and advice with my new kiddo! Especially Arachnoclown when I have questions!!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend and Happy Holidays!!!

~Sarah
 

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Sbirtell1

Sbirtell1

Active Member
Messages
132
Location
Chicago, Illinois
Arachnoclown said:
Congratulations on your first molt!!! Sounds like you have a good plan going forward. What a coincidence my Grammostola pulchra female molted last night!View attachment 62008
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She’s soooooo beautiful!!! You are very lucky. I hope mine is a female, but if not that’s ok! I just hope it’s ok and healthy. Thank you so much for sharing. And like always, thank you for all your help. It means a lot.
 
WolfSpider

WolfSpider

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Sbirtell1 said:
She’s soooooo beautiful!!! You are very lucky. I hope mine is a female, but if not that’s ok! I just hope it’s ok and healthy. Thank you so much for sharing. And like always, thank you for all your help. It means a lot.
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Everybody loves the Clown. Hard to find any one with his experience who is eager to share and (this is a big one) is a great guy.
 
octanejunkie

octanejunkie

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You never forget your first molt. Congratulations!
Can't wait to see he/she.

Also, no reason to raise the humidity in the room, the spider has all the moisture it needs to molt successfully within itself. Just make sure your giving it good access to water at all times so it can drink if it wants to, but the get most of their hydration from feeding.
 
Sbirtell1

Sbirtell1

Active Member
Messages
132
Location
Chicago, Illinois
octanejunkie said:
You never forget your first molt. Congratulations!
Can't wait to see he/she.

Also, no reason to raise the humidity in the room, the spider has all the moisture it needs to molt successfully within itself. Just make sure your giving it good access to water at all times so it can drink if it wants to, but the get most of their hydration from feeding.
Click to expand...
The winters have been brutal here with the heat on because it’s cold. I figured 5%-8% higher wouldn’t be too bad to add a little moisture in the room since I read they become very dehydrated. I have a humidifier already in the room. And yes it has a full water bowl!!! I’ll attempt feed it in about 10 days. I keep reading that’s a good time when their bodies harden up, and when their teeth turn black if I remember correctly?
 
D

DustyD

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I usually wait on feeding about 10 days as has been suggested here, especially if I can't first-hand determine the fangs have darkened from hardening.

As for humidity, it depends on species and on keepers. Fairly recently Dave's Little Beasties has recommended a higher humidity for G. pulchra the Brazilian Black Tarantula. I am not sure what the optimum humidity is for them but my room ranges from 30 percent to as high as 60 percent( in the summer) and my Ts seem to be doing well.

Other species gave different needs.

Some keepers think temperatures can affect temperament, which seems plausible in some species, although I have got to believe some are just naturally agressive/fiesty/ mean.
 
Sbirtell1

Sbirtell1

Active Member
Messages
132
Location
Chicago, Illinois
DustyD said:
I usually wait on feeding about 10 days as has been suggested here, especially if I can't first-hand determine the fangs have darkened from hardening.

As for humidity, it depends on species and on keepers. Fairly recently Dave's Little Beasties has recommended a higher humidity for G. pulchra the Brazilian Black Tarantula. I am not sure what the optimum humidity is for them but my room ranges from 30 percent to as high as 60 percent( in the summer) and my Ts seem to be doing well.

Other species gave different needs.

Some keepers think temperatures can affect temperament, which seems plausible in some species, although I have got to believe some are just naturally agressive/fiesty/ mean.
Click to expand...
During the winter it’s around 32-35% without the humidifier. I use the humidifier to bump it up to 50-55% during the winter. I bumped it up to 65-70% now just to keep it lower end tropical. I figured Brazil’s average humidity is around 80%.
 
Arachnoclown

Arachnoclown

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Upping room humidity will help keep the water dishes and substrate from drying out so fast. I keep my room at 50% humidity in the winter, keeps me from filling water dishes so often. It doesn't help the spiders out though, except to keep a drink in the dish. @Sbirtell1 your spider is from the U.S. not Brazil.;)
 
D

DustyD

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G. pulchra is native to Brazil's grasslands which can be humid but not as much as other parts of the country. I got this info from gpulchra.blogspot.com
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But I too agree tarantulas like these can be resilient and adaptable.

Edited to add: The stats may not show it, but I believe the grasslands are sometimes semi arid. So relatively dry is ok.
 
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