New B. smithi! (and a couple questions)

[DVirginiana]

I ended up picking up some dubia roaches and a 1-1.5" B. smithi at repticon today! So far I've got her (don't know what sex it is, but I'm going to call it 'her' out of optimism) in the deli cup she came in; complete with a bark burrow and everything, height about 1.5 times her legspan.

I've got some questions regarding spiderlings (slings?), mostly because no two caresheets can seem to agree on them. First, I have a water-bottle cap water dish; do I also need to mist half the deli cup every day or two?
Also, how often do you guys feed young ones? She took a small dubia roach not long after I got her home and is still busy with it.

I love working with new species of exotics and all the different species of T's out there are just ridiculously exciting to me. I don't normally get animals so close together, but Repticon just happened to be here this weekend and I couldn't resist

 

[MatthewM1]

I would leave the substrate mostly dry and overflow the bottle cap a little bit once a week. Once it gets to 2" you can leave it completely dry. I don't really care to mist any T enclosure, it freaks them out and also with NW species it can send urticating bristles they leave around the substrate airborne. I feed my little ones 2-3 times a week. Once they're fat I slow down to once a week.

Between how easy T's are to care for and the amazing variety of T's available in the hobby its hard not to accumulate them quickly. I started with 4 and that jumped to 35 in a year lol

 

[khatchet]

B smithi need it moist, from what I was told all sling should have it most untill about and inch, Here way you keep them moist until an inch, tarantula have a waxes layer on there exoskelton. They only get that after a few molts, so before then there body can not keep water very well. Them keep them as an adult. But b smithi always need it moist, not soaked tho. Keep them at about 75 or 80% humidity. For that small of a cage I would do as Matthew said and just overflow the water dish to keep it wet. If you mist when in a bigger tank just dont directly spray the spider.

 

[DVirginiana]

Thanks for the advice! One more question; how long should I expect to wait between molts for a small one like this?

I have to constantly police myself or I'd end up with way more exotics than I need. Justified this one by getting the dubias because, hey, if you've got a free food supply, why not?

 

[khatchet]

Molts will start to take longer at that size, Im not for sure I have never had a B smithi, But I know they grow slow, form that size it will be 4 or more years before it is an adult. I think it should be about 3 to 6 month at its size. Again I am not sure I have not had one, but from my slow grower that was about right. Sorry I couldn't help more.

 

[MatthewM1]

When my B. auratum was that size(their range in the wild overlaps smithi and are very similar) molted roughly every 45 days but I keep my T's around 80-82 so id guess around every 3 months or so for now if you keep them cooler then that. They come from arid regions of Mexico and definitely don't need moist sub once they grow. The only reason to add moisture to the substrate for any Brachypelma once they've gotten some size to them is to condition them for breeding.

 

[DVirginiana]

My T's are in my reptile room that stays around 78-82, so I guess I'll be looking for slightly less time between molts.

 

[khatchet]

My care on the B smithi comes from the tarantula keepers guide.

 

[hellknite]

Currently I have 2 smithi slings. I feed then 4x a week and like MatthewM1 said I slow down depending on their condition plus their interest on the food.

Between 1cm to 2cm I had like 3 to 4 weeks between molts.. but over 1 inch I had like 7 to 8 weeks.

The tiny slings I misted 2x a week at one side of the delicup wall lightly and slowly.

 

[DVirginiana]

This one is probably about 1.5 inches.

 

[hellknite]

It's new right? They didn't have records of its last molt.. u gotta wait then then I think give it less than 2 months before it molts again.. but that's still depending on your feeding pattern..

 

[Jesse254]

I got a B. smithi at Repticon today also. Were you in Dallas, Texas?

 

[DVirginiana]

It's new right? They didn't have records of its last molt.. u gotta wait then then I think give it less than 2 months before it molts again.. but that's still depending on your feeding pattern..

Yup, no records of the last molt.

I got a B. smithi at Repticon today also. Were you in Dallas, Texas?

Nah, Raleigh NC

 

[hellknite]

I'm curious about repticons and other expos there.. do they give a fair price?

A b.smithi here now costs like
1.5 inch - $16
1.25 cm - $7

I'll be in houston next year to visit my family. I hope I'd get to see a repticon.

 

[DVirginiana]

Wow. No, it was a lot more than that. I feel kind of stupid now (not too stupid, since I got the last one... apparently a lot of people were in my boat), but I was going by the weirdly high pricing for adults. I've never seen an adult for under $100.

That being said, it may be a bit bigger than 1.5" (based on comparing it to my wolf spider). All in all, it was in the ballpark of what I'd have to pay for a spider+overnight shipping from JamiesTarantulas which is where I got my G. rosea. Regardless, I'm glad I got it. I'd like to breed it when it reaches maturity (in 3 or 4 years lol).

 

[MatthewM1]

Don't feel stupid smithi prices are much higher in the US. Not many people here successfully breed Brachypelma's other than albopilosum and vagans. The majority you see for sale over here are imported from Europe.

 

[DVirginiana]

Huh, didn't know that. I feel better about it now; most of the ones I saw were older and more expensive than the one I got. I figured this size would be a good way to get used to actually raising T's.

 

[hellknite]

Bottom line is, we all enjoy our T's.

 

[MatthewM1]

They are leaps and bounds ahead of us over on that side of the pond. Buying then small is the best. I've raised all my T's except 1 from little slings. Its alot cheaper that way as well I recommend buying 2-3 of a species at a time it greatly increases your chances of getting a female. And the males and/or extra females can be sold/traded to recover your initial investment or get some new T's. This hobby can pay for itself pretty easily if you do things right.

 

[Jesse254]

I'm curious about repticons and other expos there.. do they give a fair price?

A b.smithi here now costs like
1.5 inch - $16
1.25 cm - $7

I'll be in houston next year to visit my family. I hope I'd get to see a repticon.

$16---WOW I paid $60 Where are you located?