Questions about G. Pulchra

[spookyspood]

Hello! About a month ago I got my first T, a G. Pulchra (I named Jellybean) I was lucky enough to find at my local pet store. Since I got them they have seemed to do well. I've done tons of research but can't seem to find answers to some questions I have.

How often does this species molt? Looking for any tips and tricks to keeping them healthy too.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Congrats here’s a guide https://arachnoboards.com/threads/tarantula-information-for-beginners-and-more.318718/unread

 

[sparticus]

Molt frequency is variable, depending on food, temps, genetics, etc. In general the bigger they get the longer they go between molts. At that size I would think maybe it would molt a couple times a year, but could be more, could be less. Too many variables to be able to give an answer. You'll just have to wait and find out. When it does molt that will be the best way to confirm the sex. Pics of the belly here are too blurry/small to see much.

 

[viper69]

Not often

 

[cold blood]

They molt about once a year...longer when they get bigger...very slow growing

 

[Gevo]

These are very slow growing. I have one that’s smaller than yours, and it last molted September 23 and is showing no signs of molting again anytime soon. The perk to this very slow growth is that they have long lifespans, with even males living quite a long time.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

@ladyratri has a great thread, “The Lava Life - a G pulchra Story” (sorry if I messed up the title!)

 

[ladyratri]

@ladyratri has a great thread, “The Lava Life - a G pulchra Story” (sorry if I messed up the title!)

Close enough. As much as I hype what a princess she is, she'll never know

As for molt frequency, this is just my one example:


So uh, maybe be ready for a sharp increase at certain stages

And yes, if you want to read a ridiculous G. pulchra diary, hit the link in my sig

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Close enough. As much as I hype what a princess she is, she'll never know

As for molt frequency, this is just my one example:
View attachment 468987

So uh, maybe be ready for a sharp increase at certain stages

And yes, if you want to read a ridiculous G. pulchra diary, hit the link in my sig

My small lp thinks it’s a Grammy , is that some sort of app to track growth?

 

[ladyratri]

My small lp thinks it’s a Grammy , is that some sort of app to track growth?

It's an app called ExotiKeeper that has been posted about on this forum before, that's how I found it. It can do a lot of stuff, including tracking pairings and egg sacs etc, but I mainly use it to track when I feed which spider, when they molt, and when I rehouse them. I don't actually feed them on schedule, but I like having a reminder to check if I haven't noticed them acting hungry...and a history to check when they are trying to claim they've never been fed before in their whole lives (kinda like the cats do every morning)

 

[spookyspood]

Congrats here’s a guide https://arachnoboards.com/threads/tarantula-information-for-beginners-and-more.318718/unread

Thanks so much this was so helpful!

Close enough. As much as I hype what a princess she is, she'll never know

As for molt frequency, this is just my one example:
View attachment 468987

So uh, maybe be ready for a sharp increase at certain stages

And yes, if you want to read a ridiculous G. pulchra diary, hit the link in my sig

Awesome thanks so much!

 

[freedomisle]

Hello! About a month ago I got my first T, a G. Pulchra (I named Jellybean) I was lucky enough to find at my local pet store. Since I got them they have seemed to do well. I've done tons of research but can't seem to find answers to some questions I have.

How often does this species molt? Looking for any tips and tricks to keeping them healthy too. View attachment 468855 View attachment 468856 View attachment 468857 View attachment 468858

I currently have two G.Pulchra females. I've had them from 2cm slings.

I purchased the first one in December 2019 and the second one in March 2020. I ordered two just to increase my odds slightly of getting a female. Now I have two females (facepalm).

They have both been kept in the same conditions, same temperature, same size enclosures, fed either roaches or mealworms at the same time and yet the second one I purchased is now approximately 12cm legspan, while the first one is only about 8cm. I have sexed them via molt using a microscope and they are both female.

I purchased them from the same place with only a few months apart, I presume they could be siblings, may not be though. Either way the second sling has molted far more frequently then the first sling and is around 30% bigger, this is despite being kept in the same conditions.

 

[cold blood]

Now I have two females (facepalm).

your face palming because you now have 2 ts worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $300....sounds profitable, and not exactly face palm worthy.

 

[Dorifto]

Hello! About a month ago I got my first T, a G. Pulchra (I named Jellybean) I was lucky enough to find at my local pet store. Since I got them they have seemed to do well. I've done tons of research but can't seem to find answers to some questions I have.

How often does this species molt? Looking for any tips and tricks to keeping them healthy too. View attachment 468855 View attachment 468856 View attachment 468857 View attachment 468858

Grammostola Pulchra L5
Nov 29 2017
Jan 22 2018
March 23 2018
May 27 2018
Jan 21 2019
March 24 2019
May 19 2020
Jul 28 2021
Aug 21 2023

Molting will vary between individuals, this is my female molting calendar.

Regarding to the T, keep it well aerated and not overly dry. They like drier substrates but they will enclose itself if the conditions are overly dry. So keep a small moist spot, like overflowing the water dish.

Lookikg to your setup, keep an eye on condensation, if you find dropplers in the lid, increase the amount of holes.