A Geniculata Breeding Question

[MeganW]

I've never bred tarantulas before, so this question is not specific to the species. What I've got:
1. Male A Geniculata that molted two months ago. After his molt, he is very leggy, with very pronounced hooks on front legs. He made a sperm web, I saw him upside down in his terrarium doing his thing, when I put his terrarium next to the female, he was drumming for her. He has refused all food since moulting and is looking quite skinny and scruffy, but is very active.
2. Female A Geniculata that molted a month ago. Before the T's molted, they were about the same size, now she's significantly bigger than him. She's furiously drumming for him. I've been feeding her every two days for the last two weeks. She doesn't always eat, but I think she's stuffed full.
3. Three days ago, I transferred her to a large plastic box with only substrate and a water dish. I've left her to settle in and calm down after the transfer.
4. Yesterday, I put the male and female terrariums next to one another (on the floor so no one can fall far) and opened them. The male climbed out and sat on the female's terrarium's rim. She drummed for him, and approached, but he always scurried away. After an hour, I gave up and put them away.
5. Today I repeated the process. He gets out and sits close, but as soon as the female approaches him (she drums and walks closer, no sign of agression) he bolts right across the floor. After a while, she pursues him, and the whole process repeats. After two hours I gave up and put them away.

Which brings me to my question. I know that usually the male gets introduced to the female's terrarium, and they are confined together. I thought leaving the terrariums open, in an area where they can't come to harm, and supervising all the time, I would give the male a better chance to get away after moulting and not be eaten. I thought he was supposed to be as keen as she is. But now I'm starting to think he's just a big scaredy cat and doen't intend to ever do the deed. Should I 'lock him up' with the female? Should I keep trying every day until it works? Or am I missing something and he's not ready?

 

[cold blood]

1. Male A Geniculata that molted two months ago. After his molt, he is very leggy, with very pronounced hooks on front legs. He made a sperm web, I saw him upside down in his terrarium doing his thing, when I put his terrarium next to the female, he was drumming for her. He has refused all food since moulting and is looking quite skinny and scruffy, but is very active.

He's gonna always look lke that. I would try to get him to eat something before trying again. Keep his sub damp and water always available...MMs need hydration.

2. Female A Geniculata that molted a month ago. Before the T's molted, they were about the same size, now she's significantly bigger than him. She's furiously drumming for him. I've been feeding her every two days for the last two weeks. She doesn't always eat, but I think she's stuffed full.

Feeding her up is the right thing to do...she just molted a month ago though, so you have plenty of time....keep offering food weekly...I like to offer larger prey items as well...but it sounds like you have her feeding covered.

I know that usually the male gets introduced to the female's terrarium, and they are confined together. I thought leaving the terrariums open, in an area where they can't come to harm, and supervising all the time, I would give the male a better chance to get away after moulting and not be eaten

No, males aren't "usually" confined together...only certain species would this be advisable with, a genic would not be one I would ever consider this with.

What you are doing is the right thing.

. I thought he was supposed to be as keen as she is. But now I'm starting to think he's just a big scaredy cat and doen't intend to ever do the deed.

First time breedings for males are often tentative. He may just be sensing the female is not ready...he may just need more time himself.

Should I 'lock him up' with the female?

Absolutely not.

Should I keep trying every day until it works?

No, every day is ridiculous over-kill. Give them time between pairings. Wait a week or so, then try, but if there isn't mutual receptiveness, pull him out and try again at another time. Be patient, when things line up right, it should work out well considering the female is continually drumming.
Do your pairings late at night, often this helps.

 

[MeganW]

Dear cold blood, thank you very much for the detailed reply. It's a relief. The tarantulas and I can have a rest! I was worried that there might be only a small window of time for a successful mating, or that I'm missing something important. I'm going to wait a week, then try again. In the meantime, I'm keeping them well hydrated, and attempting feeding every few days.
I'm not particularly anxious for this mating to succeed, the wellbeing of my tarantulas is paramount. I've had the female for quite a while but the male was a bit of a happy accident. I got him in November as part of a collection of unsexed mature tarantulas. At some time in future I would like to breed my various Brachypelmas and I thought seeing as this male happened, I might as well start learning how to do it.
I will post an update here to tell you what happens.

 

[jaycied]

Aren't scaredy cat males fun? I had a P irminia that was just the same way.

 

[MeganW]

UPDATE: Hooray, they did the deed!
We took a long break from trying, l just didn't have the time. I've kept them watered and well fed. The female has been eating, but the male refuses all food, and kills crickets if left in his terrarium. It rained for the last three days, and the female has been drumming persistenly. The male has been less active. Last night I put the two terrariums next to one another, opened them, and left them to see what happened. At first the female walked out of her terrarium and explored the floor a bit, then walked back and settled down in a corner of her box. The male did not move for more than an hour, then walked out and started exploring the female terrarium. Unlike last time, when she was chasing him all over the place, she stayed in the corner, and drummed gently every few minutes. The male took nearly an hour from first entering her box, to finally approaching her.
Then things happened very fast. They waved legs at one another for a about a minute, he flipped her right over and did his thing in a few seconds, then bolted at great speed.
Being a newbie, I have no way of judging whether the mating was successful. What I do know is that he didn't get bitten, and made a clean getaway. This morning they are both sitting quietly in their own terrariums.
I am wondering whether I should try another pairing just to be sure?

 

[Ungoliant]

Then things happened very fast. They waved legs at one another for a about a minute, he flipped her right over and did his thing in a few seconds, then bolted at great speed.
Being a newbie, I have no way of judging whether the mating was successful. What I do know is that he didn't get bitten, and made a clean getaway. This morning they are both sitting quietly in their own terrariums.
I am wondering whether I should try another pairing just to be sure?

I am not experienced with breeding, but my understanding is that if you saw an insertion, it's best not to risk an additional pairing.

 

[MeganW]

UPDATE: For the last two weeks she's been digging and enlarging her hide and refusing all food. Today I peeked into her hide and see that she's sitting on an egg sac and looking much skinnier. If things continue smoothly, we will have babies in four weeks!
It's late winter here in South Africa, days are becoming longer and temps are slowly rising. It is our dry season though, so I'm keeping an eye on humidity.

 

[cold blood]

dont worry about humidity...just keep the sub damp and remove the water dish so she doesnt dunk the sac

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

I’ve bred geniculata many times. Post photo of your male and female please.

 

[MeganW]

dont worry about humidity...just keep the sub damp and remove the water dish so she doesnt dunk the sac

Thanks, I've been warned about water bowls, so hers is confiscated. She hasn't emerged from her hide with the egg sac yet, as soon as she does I will snap a picture.

 

[sl808]

UPDATE: For the last two weeks she's been digging and enlarging her hide and refusing all food. Today I peeked into her hide and see that she's sitting on an egg sac and looking much skinnier. If things continue smoothly, we will have babies in four weeks!
It's late winter here in South Africa, days are becoming longer and temps are slowly rising. It is our dry season though, so I'm keeping an eye on humidity.

I'm glad that you succeeded. Can you please inform us on what happened with the egg sac, did you had babies? I'll try to mate my geniculata today for the first time. Hope everything gonna be as should be
Cheers
sl808

 

[MeganW]

I'm glad that you succeeded. Can you please inform us on what happened with the egg sac, did you had babies? I'll try to mate my geniculata today for the first time. Hope everything gonna be as should be
Cheers
sl808

I pulled the eggsac at 30 days, and got 780 live babies! There were probably about 1 000 eggs, but some were unfertilised or spoilt. I'm sure it was entirely beginner's luck. After transferring each little sling to its own tub, I had some panicky moments thinking that I would soon need to feed many little mouths. Fortunately, a trader took them off my hands. This has been a fantastic experience, but one I would be hesitant to repeat. Not being a trader, I think I was extremely lucky to find someone who was willing to take over the responsibility.
As for the parents, the male is still alive. He's looking skeletal now and doesn't move around much, but still occcasionaly eats when I feed him. The female is looking very scruffy but after I took the eggsac away, she started eating within a few days and is fattening up nicely. Once she molts, I'm sure she will be beautiful as ever.

Good luck with mating your spiders. I hope it's a great success!

 

[weibkreux]

Good read. Maybe next year I'll also start a breeding project once I'm pretty confident myself.

 

[Tenebrarius]

I was extremely lucky to find someone who was willing to take over the responsibility.

hey A genic who could refuse. I would have token one for the team and taken them(free of charge of course cause im such a nice). but I really doubt selling A genic is hard its very popular...even though I don't have one*broken heart emoji* maybe when you have more time you could try and breed again.

Good read. Maybe next year I'll also start a breeding project once I'm pretty confident myself.

once my 1.5" dls H pulchripes is mature its straight to breeding town for it...hope its female I don't have a pair for it yet.

 

[weibkreux]

once my 1.5" dls H pulchripes is mature its straight to breeding town for it...hope its female I don't have a pair for it yet.

Good luck with your H. pulchripes, hope you can sex it so you can find it a partner.

 

[Tenebrarius]

Good luck with your H. pulchripes, hope you can sex it so you can find it a partner.

yeah thanks it'll really not be fun if its male I'll still love it but I will have to give it as loan where as a female I can but a male and wait for it to mature as my female will still be there or get a loan...kind of want to experience it myself and all. good luck and good health to you and your Ts my frend