# Breeding Grammostola pulchra



## Kid Dragon (Jun 16, 2008)

My 6.5" G. pulchra that molted two weeks ago is getting a boyfriend that just had his ultimate molt and made a sperm web. I've bred _Grammostola _before, but this is my first time breeding G. pulchra. Anyone have any advice regarding breeding G. pulchra? Someone told me the female will be optimal three weeks after her molt. Someone also mentioned cooling. She is now at 77 degrees. Any temperature advice? All tips from breeders with Brazilian Black experience welcome.

Thanks, 
kd


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## Brian S (Jun 16, 2008)

I always raised the temps around breeding time to 77-83F. If your room was cooler a few weeks ago before it got hot you may be in business. I would raise the humidity a bit. Do that by flooding about half the tank. Do it on other side of where the spider's hide is.


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## daniel15 (Jun 17, 2008)

goodluck bro! i've heard that pulchras are hard to breed but i hope that you'll be successful! hehe


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## Kid Dragon (Jun 17, 2008)

Yes, I've heard that they are hard to breed, but I need more information. Is it hard to get them to copulate? Hard to get the female to lay a fertile sack? Any trick of the trade are going to be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
kd


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## Brian S (Jun 17, 2008)

Kid Dragon said:


> Yes, I've heard that they are hard to breed, but I need more information. Is it hard to get them to copulate? Hard to get the female to lay a fertile sack? Any trick of the trade are going to be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,
> kd


Kid, When it comes to breeding these damn things there is no "recipe" that will always work. It seems that the more you learn the less you know. Just try it! Be sure to get your timing right in the female's molt cycle. That seems to be the most critical factor when it comes to breeding spiders. Also, for what its worth, try to put your female in a large container and after mating just dont disturb her for anything. My breeder boxes are huge 61 liter with holes large enough I can slide a cricket through without opening the lid and disturbing the spider.


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## desertdweller (Jun 17, 2008)

*You go, Kid!*

I'm sure you'll do fine.  Like others have said, breeding is hit and miss.  It's up to the T and in this case, the ladies get to choose.  Best of luck and I'll volunteer to be first on your list of sling buyers.

I'm looking to breed my MF G pulchras too.  I don't yet have a male though.  Interested in sharing him when your ladies are gravid?


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## Rochelle (Jun 17, 2008)

I'd love to be on his Dance Card, as well! Elvira needs a date!


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## sick4x4 (Jun 17, 2008)

i wouldn't say that they are hard to breed but i will say its very difficult to get a sac from them...i have only gotten two sacs from my females and both were lost...also mine didnt do well with with the higher temps but a increase in the humidity is advised...

like brian said, there isnt a magical formula for these guys, that works 100% of the time but increasing the mating attempts with more than a single male, will give you a higher percentage of success...between my girls i used 3 males...

also ryan(talkenlate) has good advise on breeding and i will be soliciting his help with my next breding attempt with this species....
wayne


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## Kid Dragon (Jun 17, 2008)

*Temperature Advice*

The MM _G. pulchra_ doesn't belong to me, he's just on breeding loan, its up to the owner where he'll go next, but I'll pass on the request to Bill.

Thank you all for your responses, I can play coy dropping crickets in and leave her alone, but I have a specific question. I heard cooling after mating is critical, and of course my question is *how cool*? 70? 65? 60? 55? I have a freezer available if you get my point :? 

I understand there is no set secret formula (yet, but I'm working on it). Anyone have cooling advice? *What temperature did you cool to get a G. pulchra female to drop a sac?* Did your _pulchra_ drop a sac without cooling? Inquiring minds want to know! :worship:  :worship: 

Thanks,
kd


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## Brian S (Jun 17, 2008)

If I was gonna cool her off I would do so in the mid 60sF. What are your room temps now?


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## Kid Dragon (Jun 17, 2008)

*Beef up the diet*



Brian S said:


> If I was gonna cool her off I would do so in the mid 60sF. What are your room temps now?


77 but I have a place where I could go 65, I appreciate the advice.  

The *Princess of Pulchra-tude *suggested I wait one month after the female molted to breed her. Something else she said is that she fed the two females she got sacs from pinkies and beef heart. I am going to mimic success, vertebrates are not just for people and snakes anymore. My female G. pulchra is about to "beef" up.


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## sick4x4 (Jun 17, 2008)

i have never seen the need to feed any of my females beef lol....a large meal before introduction is all she will really need. pinkies and frogs all do the job really well and i can save my beef for the cats or dog.....


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## Kid Dragon (Jun 18, 2008)

*Success Breeds Success*

If Joy fed her female _G. pulchra_ pinkies and received a successful eggsac, I'll give you 10 guesses what my Brazilian Black is eating right now? 

For the first time in her life after a steady diet of pinheads and fruitflies, followed by crickets and roaches, my female _G. pulchra_ is eating a thawed pinkie like a champ! My technique was holding the pinkie with foreceps in front of her celicerae. She took it gently, I raised her from a sling, so she has very good table manners.  

For the next few weeks she is going to be eating like a baby snake. :} 

The male I received on loan is eating crickets in his new enclosure. :} 

Can you smell what kd is cookin?


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## Pterodactyl (Jun 28, 2016)

Kid Dragon said:


> *Success Breeds Success*
> 
> If Joy fed her female _G. pulchra_ pinkies and received a successful eggsac, I'll give you 10 guesses what my Brazilian Black is eating right now?
> 
> ...


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## Pterodactyl (Jun 28, 2016)

Hi all.

I thought I would bump up this old thread as I have a pair of G. pulchras, the male of which is a year younger than the female and he just underwent his ultimate molt and spun a sperm web. I have never bred tarantulas before (although I've kept over a dozen different specimens) and my only arachnid breeding experience involved an already-pregnant tailless whip scorpion, which was an unexpected but highly-educational experience. 

It seems that hobbyist forums like this one have been slowly replaced by Facebook conversations and YouTube tutorials these days, but I prefer getting my information this way. 

I live in SoCal, close to the beach, and don't have air conditioning or a humidifier. 

I understand that the female needs a "cooling off" period before mating and the male needs to be on the warmer side so I was thinking of waiting until winter when she would be cool and I could warm him with a small heat pad. I also understand the male is likely to live about 2 years after his ultimate molt (so long as he isn't eaten first). 

Does anybody know of any good places to look for advice on breeding G. pulchras or have contrary information to the above?  I understand that Joy Reed from a different forum is an expert on this topic but that forum's "join" link is broken (perhaps replaced by F-book). 

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!


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## Toxoderidae (Jun 28, 2016)

Pterodactyl said:


> Hi all.
> 
> I thought I would bump up this old thread as I have a pair of G. pulchras, the male of which is a year younger than the female and he just underwent his ultimate molt and spun a sperm web. I have never bred tarantulas before (although I've kept over a dozen different specimens) and my only arachnid breeding experience involved an already-pregnant tailless whip scorpion, which was an unexpected but highly-educational experience.
> 
> ...


Hi, whoever told you forums like this are replaced by facebook groups and youtube is wrong. I would make a separate thread for this, or ask in the breeding reports. I personally do not keep terrestrials, only just getting into them, but ask in the tarantula discussions. This is the main place to get any tarantula information, and aside from select blogs, I would never deviate from here.

Reactions: Agree 3 | Disagree 1


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## Darkness12 (Nov 29, 2016)

Brian S said:


> If I was gonna cool her off I would do so in the mid 60sF. What are your room temps now?


sir,when mom laid the egg sac,
what temperature is optimal when you hatch?

thanks!


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## Angel Minkov (Dec 1, 2016)

Toxoderidae said:


> Hi, whoever told you forums like this are replaced by facebook groups and youtube is wrong. I would make a separate thread for this, or ask in the breeding reports. I personally do not keep terrestrials, only just getting into them, but ask in the tarantula discussions. This is the main place to get any tarantula information, and aside from select blogs, I would never deviate from here.


He's not wrong. Many forums died and were replaced by facebook. I'm surprised AB is still as active as it is

Reactions: Agree 2


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## louise f (Dec 1, 2016)

Angel Minkov said:


> I'm surprised AB is still as active as it is


Thank god for that AB still is so active. The Danish forums are long gone dead, and that`s such a shame. FB is not the same as the forums, lets just hope that people will wake up some day, and see how much FB is ruining!!!

Reactions: Agree 2


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