A. Chalcodes molt frequency?

N8Legged

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Jul 6, 2015
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59
I bought a female A. Chalcodes two years ago. she can be quite interesting to watch given the right conditions. but it was my understanding that she was pretty young when i got her she had a period when she'd eat everything and she got quite fat. she doesn't look unhealthy now but she's slowed down on her intake. my major concern though is i've had her for 2 years and she hasn't molted once. I understand all species are different and I shouldn't judge one based off of others but all my other's that I bought around the same time have molted at least once. now she has little black marks on her head and legs around the joints and near her eyes and some on her butt that look like she was rubbing against something. My B. Smithi changed caprice color just before she molted. any ideas?
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Pictures never hurt.

It sounds like premolt, but we're missing a crucial bit of information... how large is it?
 

antinous

Pamphopharaoh
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Mar 28, 2013
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Aphonopelma are incredibly slow growers, I've heard of people not getting molts for years from small slings so an adult not molting in 2+ years is not surprising to me. But it sounds like you're describing a T when it's getting close to it's molt so it's completely normally. Can't post any photos as I don't have one of mine (against the rules to post photos that aren't yours).
 

KezyGLA

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I have 4.5" Female that has been in pre-moult for close to 4 months :shifty:
 

EulersK

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I have 4.5" Female that has been in pre-moult for close to 4 months :shifty:
Perfectly normal. My female of the exact same size was in premolt for over 6 months. You have to be patient with these arid species, they're almost unanimously slow-growers.
 

KezyGLA

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Perfectly normal. My female of the exact same size was in premolt for over 6 months. You have to be patient with these arid species, they're almost unanimously slow-growers.
I know. Aphonos are in it for the long run ahah
 

viper69

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I shouldn't judge one based off of others but all my other's that I bought around the same time have molted at least once.
Then don't compare if they are different species in terms of expecting similar growth rates. Even Ts w/in the same genus don't have the same growth rate at times.
]
It would help to know the DLS when you bought it
 

Tarantula20

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Oct 19, 2014
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93
Just for a bit of input from a person a bit newer to the hobby I had my chalchodes for nearly four years before she molted granted she was 4 inches but I digress, anyway her premolt/Fast lasted 8 months:shifty: beat that Eulersk lol
 

Chouinard

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Jun 18, 2016
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I've been weirded out tonight. I have a 1.75"-2" B. Albo.. and I have had him (assuming male) for two months.. and he has now molted twice. I know he eats well, and I live in Arizona so it's always warm.. but still... twice in two months?!
 

DeanK

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Jun 16, 2016
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I've been weirded out tonight. I have a 1.75"-2" B. Albo.. and I have had him (assuming male) for two months.. and he has now molted twice. I know he eats well, and I live in Arizona so it's always warm.. but still... twice in two months?!
My albo molted a week after I got it and then molted again almost exactly a month later. I think I saw @EulersK say recently that they seem grow quickly until the reach 3 inches then they slow down
 

Chouinard

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Jun 18, 2016
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My albo molted a week after I got it and then molted again almost exactly a month later. I think I saw @EulersK say recently that they seem grow quickly until the reach 3 inches then they slow down
That's just what happened here. Whew! Well we'll see if that holds true, at this rate it won't be long till he hits that 3" mark! I certainly hope he doesn't keep molting this often because he blocks his burrow entrance and then it's a couple weeks till I see him. I miss my morning coffee buddy! :p
 

Vanessa

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Mar 12, 2016
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I'm expecting to see far more total solar eclipses than moults from my 4" female A. chalcodes.
 

cold blood

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Without knowing the dls, it's a mystery...smaller ones molt with higher frequency, older ones molt rarely.

I do notice that when people sell a t by telling the age, they're almost always just making it up, and rarely even close to correct....not that age matters, dls matters more, which is why everyone wants that critical bit of info....I'm consistently surprised at the lack of important info people looking for help give us. My name is Dennis, not Nostradennis :p
 

Steve Rankin

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Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
8
I bought a female A. Chalcodes two years ago. she can be quite interesting to watch given the right conditions. but it was my understanding that she was pretty young when i got her she had a period when she'd eat everything and she got quite fat. she doesn't look unhealthy now but she's slowed down on her intake. my major concern though is i've had her for 2 years and she hasn't molted once. I understand all species are different and I shouldn't judge one based off of others but all my other's that I bought around the same time have molted at least once. now she has little black marks on her head and legs around the joints and near her eyes and some on her butt that look like she was rubbing against something. My B. Smithi changed caprice color just before she molted. any ideas?
IF YOUR T IS AS YOUNG AS YOU SAY DO NOT EXPECT A MOLT UNTIL SHE IS 2YO OR SO. YOU WILL KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO HAPPEN AS SHE WILL EITHER WEB HERSELF IN, HIDE AND STOP EATING.
 

Venom1080

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Sep 24, 2015
Messages
4,611
IF YOUR T IS AS YOUNG AS YOU SAY DO NOT EXPECT A MOLT UNTIL SHE IS 2YO OR SO. YOU WILL KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO HAPPEN AS SHE WILL EITHER WEB HERSELF IN, HIDE AND STOP EATING.
is your caps lock broken? no need for all caps.
 

Vanessa

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Mar 12, 2016
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Sometimes people will use capitals out of necessity and not by choice. I know many people who have extremely poor eyesight that will use them.
Because of that, I have gotten away from thinking of them as 'yelling' - unless someone uses them in obvious emphasis when everything else is in upper and lower case.
 
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