P. Irminia breeding question

Python

Arachnolord
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I have searched for information on breeding P. irminia but all I come up with is for sale posts and threads. I have seen that the accepted growth size is around 5 inches or so, and the lifespan is somewhere between 5 and 10 years, but other than that, not much to go on. How do you know if it's big enough to mate? How do you know if it's molted for the final time or not? I would love to try breeding but this is the only animal in my care at the moment that is big enough (I think) to do it. If anyone would be interested in discussing a possible trade or maybe a 50/50, I would definitely be interested. I would love to hear from someone that has bred these before. Experience is better than books in my opinion. This may not be the best species to start with, and if that turns out to be the case, I would like to discuss a trade for an adult that is easier to breed. I appreciate the help.
 

FRAZE01

Arachnoknight
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This a question that interests me also and I would like to hear the advice also.
 

Python

Arachnolord
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I am also interested in finding out if there is anywhere to get reliable "breeding sheets" that are species specific and give information on breeding different species. One other thing, just an afterthought really, has anyone on here ever thought about taking the information on this site and compiling it into a book? Maybe even a series of books would be possible. I think there is enough info on this site to make it a viable publication and one that would help a lot of people that would like to get into the hobby. Not to mention the whole making money thing that would go along with it :D
 

syndicate

Arachnoemperor
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id say at 5" or bigger u should be safe to breed your irminia female.its possible u can breed them at even smaller sizes but a good rule of thumb might be to have the female larger than your mature male.alot of people have luck breeding species smaller than u would think possible.also from talking with other people i believe that usally with psalms the male will be left to cohab with the female for a few days to a week.u may want to contact Philth on here as he has had sucess with this species before.hope that helps
 

Python

Arachnolord
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Would I be better off sending it out to be bred or would it be ok to try it myself? I don't want to risk it if it's going to be too difficult.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Well I think you should try. I don't know if this was mentioned yet but look at this thread with the video from the announcement section. Its a fairly straight forward breeding, all you have to do is watch closely at the end of the mating. The females attitude will change, and a good indication of that is her legs curling over his while he’s locked up with her. When you see that it means she is coming out of her sexual trance and might make a stab at killing him. That is when you would think about helping your man escape without some new piercing. Other then that I think you would have an easier time then you think.
Just make sure you check for receptive signs when you introduce the male, if he’s drumming and he will, watch the female and see if she’s replying. Or moving slowly and deliberately.
Good luck give it a go! Check out this guys cool video though.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=94553
 

Python

Arachnolord
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Well, so far it sounds really encouraging. Does anybody that has successfully bred these before have any advice or tips? I would appreciate any help in getting the ball rolling so to speak.
 

Varden

Arachnodemon
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Okay, feed up your female extremely well the day before. Make sure she's within 3 months of her latest molt and that the male is still eating and still spinning spermwebs. Do not cohabitate this species, you're going to need to stand there and watch and maybe even help the male get out again. When you place the male in the tank, do not place him right next to her. He needs time and space to advertise that he isn't lunch. It may take quite a bit of maneuvering for him to find a position he likes--mine seem to like getting above the female, so if the container walls are slick, you might want to put up some cork bark to help him. After they've done the job, remove the male, feed them both and wait a few days. If he spins another spermweb, breed them again and then send the male on to someone else or retire him.

And now for the bubble-bursting part: hour for hour, you will without a doubt make vastly more money working the drive-thru at McDonalds than you will ever make selling the Ts you breed. I'm very sorry, but that's the truth. If you are getting into this thinking it's gold mine potential, you've got a serious disappointment coming. You are not Charles Botar, you're not Todd Gearheart, and you're not Jason or Joel at Southern Spiderworks. You will not be able to charge the prices they do for the spiders you sell. And before you just start aimlessly churning out slings, why don't you first try looking up something about the species you're trying to breed. All the information on this thread and that I've given can be found by doing a simple search. It's sheer laziness to rely on the hard work and experience of others, rather than to do your own research.

I don't mean to be rude or mean, but that's the truth of it.
 

Tescos

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Hi
Hope you don't mind but I am going to disagree with some of this.

Okay, feed up your female extremely well the day before.
No real need to do this. Just feed as you normally do. _For me this means a couple of crix or cockroach every couple of weeks or so.

Make sure she's within 3 months of her latest molt
Makes no difference what so ever. I would go far to say this is too soon in a lot of cases.

male is still eating and still spinning spermwebs
In some ways I would agree but I have had enough success with those old and worn out looking males that are supposed to be sterile to think otherwise.

Do not cohabitate this species
I agree whole heartedly there is no need to do so.

you're going to need to stand there and watch and maybe even help the male get out again
From all the Psalmopoeus sp. I have bred P.irminia is the most docile towards one another. I have never had any real outward aggression from the female towards the male or vise verser. The only male I have lost is a P.cambridgei and warnings from P.reduncus and P.pulcher which just resulted in the male backing off.
Sure the female can look like she is going to strike because of the way she spreads her fangs and waves her front two pairs of legs about, but as yet I have never had a strike from a female towards a male.

When you place the male in the tank, do not place him right next to her. He needs time and space to advertise that he isn't lunch
I my experince this takes a total of abot 10 seconds after being introduce to the female (and another 20 seconds for the female to responed).

It may take quite a bit of maneuvering for him to find a position he likes--mine seem to like getting above the female, so if the container walls are slick, you might want to put up some cork bark to help him.
With mine it is the same. Mating usslly takes place outside the container in the end.

After they've done the job, remove the male, feed them both and wait a few days.
I do the same also.

If he spins another spermweb, breed them again and then send the male on to someone else or retire him.
I would normally wait until a sperm web has been made before introduceing the male in the first place unless the previous owner has informed me he has made one. Once finished with all my females it is sent on unless it dies in the mean time. Retirement is not an option if I can help it.

Things I will add is that I have found for me the best time of year to mate them is October through to January (I have had my most success in these months and now hardly bother in any other months to mate many of my spids)
Come January I flood the substrate and then just let it dry out. Normally around febuary/March/April I have and eegsac then 1-2 months later spiderlings. Just a quick note that the offspring will ermerge at nymph 2 after about a month and half at temps of around 23-25 °c.

What Varden has wrote is not wrong at all so please don't think I think this. I have only quoted him so it is easier to show a bit of a different oppinion. Also my post is only based on my own experinces in the breeding of P.irminia nothing more so take it with a pinch of salt and do what you find best for you.
Cheers
chris
 

Varden

Arachnodemon
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Thanks, Chris! Yes, I was generalizing and just going by my own experiences. But spiders do vary and so do the breeding experiences.
 

Python

Arachnolord
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I appreciate the info, but the assumptions I could do without. First of all, I have already got friends that want any babies that may come from this and at the $0 I'm going to charge for them, I have no doubt that a sweatshop in Taiwan would pay much better. Secondly, if I post a question, it's because a search did not give me the info I needed. Hence the low post count for the last two years. I always search first, but in this case a search turned up a lot of for sale posts and threads and a couple of breeding reports that pretty much told me that they put the male in watched him do his thing, took him out and now they have a sac. Not really alot of info there. I came here to ask a question because I couldn't find the information elsewhere. For the record and for future reference, if you see my name next to a question, I did the search, I'm not selling any slings, and I have been keeping spiders, scorpions and snakes for about 15 years or more. I know how to keep them. I know who I am and who I am not. Doing a search is still relying on "the hard work and experience of others". I just needed the information not the commentary, but the next time I feel the need for abuse, I'll look you up.
But just to make sure everyone understands, I do appreciate the info.

And now for the bubble-bursting part: hour for hour, you will without a doubt make vastly more money working the drive-thru at McDonalds than you will ever make selling the Ts you breed. I'm very sorry, but that's the truth. If you are getting into this thinking it's gold mine potential, you've got a serious disappointment coming. You are not Charles Botar, you're not Todd Gearheart, and you're not Jason or Joel at Southern Spiderworks. You will not be able to charge the prices they do for the spiders you sell. And before you just start aimlessly churning out slings, why don't you first try looking up something about the species you're trying to breed. All the information on this thread and that I've given can be found by doing a simple search. It's sheer laziness to rely on the hard work and experience of others, rather than to do your own research.

I don't mean to be rude or mean, but that's the truth of it.
 

Varden

Arachnodemon
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Hm, didn't think I was being abusive. Blunt, maybe. Expecially considering the incredibly noob sounding questions coming from someone with 15 years of T, scorp, and snake experience.

How do you know if it's big enough to mate? How do you know if it's molted for the final time or not?
I did a search on irminia mating and got 3 pages, of which 13 posts would have answered anything you could have thought to ask. So if you did in fact do a search, maybe try changing your search criteria around to better your chances at getting the infomation you want.

I did misread the money comment you made, though. You were referring to publishing books and not to the potential of the slings themselves. In that I was wrong and will apologize, but even so I wasn't questioning who or what you are. Only that just because you breed the slings, you can't command the same prices as someone who's been in the hobby and gained the knowledge they have. And fat lot of good it'll do to have a ton of friends waiting anxiously for you to produce your freebie irminia slings when you really don't care what Ts you breed.

This may not be the best species to start with, and if that turns out to be the case, I would like to discuss a trade for an adult that is easier to breed.
Next time, maybe take the chip off your shoulder before responding.
 
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IdahoBiteyThing

Arachnobaron
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Why?

Why does every other question on this board have to turn into a beat-down? It would be soooo nice to be able to ask a question without worrying if you're going to anger an "arachnogod" and get a public pelting. I too apparently suck at using the search function on this board, but do you think I'd ever ask a question that might possibly have been covered at one point or another? Nope. I do go elsewhere to post potentially lethal questions, but never here. What would it take to get a little love on this board? What if "someone" had responded, "Sorry your search didn't yield the results you'd hoped for, here's the search terms I used and some links to some advice I consider reputable/accurate/relevant." Oh, and thanks to the folks that routinely go out of their way to provide respectful opinions and advice; your kindness and knowledge is greatly appreciated. To the rest, psstt psssttt (virtual prozac spraying).
 

demode

Arachnosquire
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Haha Arachnogod I love that term. Yes people need to stop secondguessing eachother and just chill out.. as for P irminia such a lovely species good luck mate.
 

Python

Arachnolord
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You know what, forget it, I'm not interested in it. I don't care if she ever gets bred. I normally use the search function and find what I need and I don't have to ask questions but when I can't find what I need and I do ask a question, I get this kind of response and I don't really need someone telling me who I am or what I can do or how I'm never going to make any money (whether I intend to sell them or not), or anything else. I don't post here often because I am not an idiot and I don't have a problem KEEPING them. I wanted to know how to BREED them, I did not want to read about someone else breeding them. They give very few details leading up to the breeding. All of the posts I read only dealt with the time between the introduction of the male and the retraction of the male. I get that and I didn't ask about it. What I did ask about (the two questions quoted earlier) I got no response to and I don't expect to either. I expect this will be another hijacked thread that espouses the use of the search function. I thank everyone for the helpful replies they offered but I am sorry I brought it up. I will not be responding to this thread anymore and I will not be attempting to breed this T. If anyone wants it, let me know and maybe we can work something out. I think it's a female of breeding age, but I am not positive. If I have anymore questions, I'll see if I can find it elsewhere first so I don't waste anyones time here.
 
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Botar

Arachnoprince
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I've been a member of this forum for a long time and have never been a huge fan of the search function. I am most likely not a big fan as I'm probably not using it correctly, but I see no point in having to spend hours wading through hundreds of posts to try to find something that SOMEONE will be willing to answer. I've had friendly debates with Scott and Debby about this over the years and I understand their point of view, but I know I'd rather ask a question of someone that could point me in the right direction than spend hours blindly sifting through piles of information trying to find the single nugget.

I get questions all the time by people who are confused by the contradicting information. This thread is a perfect example. You have two people giving somewhat different answers to the same question. The reason is because they both work. Personally, I don't change the feeding schedule, temperature, housing, or anything on this species. Once the male has matured and made a sperm web, I throw him in with a female of an appropriate size that I believe to be furthest from a molt. Sometime over the next few weeks/months, I'll most likely get an egg sac. I wish I had the time to record and compile data as the amount of raw data that is just completely lost here is unreal... I just don't have the time.

For the most part, tarantulas are pretty easy to keep. Whether you keep most of them at 73-76 F and 60% humidity, or 79-83 F and 75% humidity is not of much importance in most cases. Care sheets are created because people demand care sheets. Granted, if you keep your T. blondi in a refridgerator, it most likely won't last long. But, if you are doing that, you most likely couldn't read far enough in this post to reach the "nugget" of information you are seeking.

Lighten up... enjoy yourself... and buy more tarantulas... my daughter needs a new pair of shoes. :rolleyes:

Botar
 

Botar

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On the question of size, the answer is "big enough". I can tell you this much, I've seen WC females come in and make fertile sacs at a size much smaller that I would ever attempt to breed them. So I really think size isn't much of an issue as long as she is "big enough". I typically won't breed a female if she's smaller than the male. If you do, there is a good chance she'll molt before making a sac as they molt more often when smaller. If she does make a sac, it will be much smaller. Although I didn't really give you an answer, I hope that helps.

Botar
 

Varden

Arachnodemon
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How do you know if it's big enough to mate?
Around an inch or so from the 'maximum' size of the species. P. irminia are roughly 5", I'd try around 4" but only if the female is freshly molted and been eating at least a week. Otherwise she might molt out before laying. If she runs from the male, she too young or give it a week or two. If she drums, she's golden.

How do you know if it's molted for the final time or not?
The smarta** answer is when she's died. Otherwise, it's when she hits the size mark. 5" for an irminia.
 

Taceas

Arachnolord
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Well this thread got testy in a hurry. Oh well, I learned how to breed P. irminia two different ways. :p

I think its a classic example of people passing each other in the dark, and misinterpreting the meanings of the conversation more than someone intentionally trying to be an rude ass to someone "just asking questions". I think some people just need to take a step back and not take things so personally, because 9 times out of 10 they're never meant that way in the first place.

I've been on various forums throughout the years and "use the search function!" is one of those common urges some older members wish of the newer members. I am guilty of doing it myself. I truly don't mean any harm by it, as I'm sure most people don't. Then again I also read everything I can get my hands/eyes on before I trouble people to ask questions I know must have been answered a zillion times. But that's just me.

Then again this forum seems to have a higher tolerance for the same repeated questions day in and day out, well, except for when someone invariably asks about cross-breeding. :rolleyes:

I think Varden's post was a little more gruff than necessary, considering the original poster didn't sound like a complete imbecile and was asking pertinent questions in a mature and well spoken format. But I don't think any harm was intended and was merely laying it all out there for the OP to consider from their perspective and interpretation.

It is true most questions can be answered in a search...and most times I find a wealth of information on the topic I was searching and it keeps me busy learning for hours (six degrees of eggs with legs, if you will). But some people aren't that adept in using the search for whatever reason...mostly new people not knowing what terms to plug in to get best results and some are just plain lazy and want others to do the work for them. It's honestly hard to disseminate between the two.

To IdahoBiteyThing, I think you need to read around some more, very rarely have I ever seen anyone put down someone for asking questions. Either that or I have a lower standard of "putting down". If you want to ask stupid questions, go ahead, what're they going to tell you, use the search function? More times than not you'll get legitimate answers because people here seem fully willing to help others learn regardless of experience. But if you want to be a whiner about it, that's your choice as well.

Botar, what use could you possibly have for the search function? :p
 
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