Breeding T's

[Bearskin10]

I just bought a male and female G. Rosia about a month or so ago I have never tried to breed or put two T's together before so I was wondering how you would know if they are ready to mate or not? With something in hand to separate them quick if need be I put the two together and they seemed to get the job done, So now I should put him back in every two or three nights? how many times? Thanks in advance, Greg

 

[Weapon-X]

heres what i have learned from others...

fisrt you need to make sure the female has molted recently(to avoid her molting and losing the stored sperm after the mating), also the male will have had to had made a sperm web and charged his palps, before attemting to breed powerfeed them both until they refuse food, then give it a try, keep a deli cup handy to place over the female or male if you think shes gonna eat him and a paint brush or something to help keep them apart, also make sure to introduce the male into her enclosure not the other way around(she needs to be comfortable), play some barry manalow and light some candles to enhance the mood heh j/k, if he is'nt eaten after the mating take him out a redo the entire process over and over until your confident or he gets chomped, if all is well she should be gravid, then produce a sac(hopefully not molt) and incubating the sac is whole other thing though, hope this helped some--Jeff

 

[Bearskin10]

Ok here is what is happening, I put the two together a couple days before I started this thread first week or so she seemed normal eating and hanging out in her normal spot but now she is acting strange, all over her tank I never know where I am going to find her, not eating but is getting very chunky... So here is what I think, She is in a premolt stage but she is fertile. So I think it is a race against the clock to make the eggsack before she molts. How long is it usually before they make there eggsacks? As I was just wondering what the chances where that she would beat the clock so to say.

 

[Tangled WWWeb]

Originally posted by Bearskin10
How long is it usually before they make there eggsacks?


There does not appear to be a set time for eggsac production. Personally, I have had T's make eggsacs anywhere from a few weeks to 11 months after mating. The high and low end numbers were both G. rosea. Also, I have had several unmated females that produced eggsacs (obviously infertile). This would seem to suggest that they are on their own clock when it comes to eggsacs.

John

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by JP version 1.0
There does not appear to be a set time for eggsac production. .... This would seem to suggest that they are on their own clock when it comes to eggsacs.

I've seen the theory that for breedable females they develop the eggs almost like having a period - the eggs develop and if they mate at any point during the development they hold onto the sperm until the eggs are ready to drop and lay the sac, if they don't successfully breed, the eggs get reabsorbed. In freak cases they may go ahead and drop the infertile sac even though they weren't bred. I don't know if it's true or not, but it makes sense.

 

[Mister Internet]

Originally posted by Bearskin10
So I think it is a race against the clock to make the eggsack before she molts. How long is it usually before they make there eggsacks? As I was just wondering what the chances where that she would beat the clock so to say.

So here's a question from a newbie T owner... I know that a molt will lose sperm, but if she has already fertilised her eggs, will a molt screw that up as well?

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Mister Internet
So here's a question from a newbie T owner... I know that a molt will lose sperm, but if she has already fertilised her eggs, will a molt screw that up as well?

They don't fertilize the eggs until they're laid, so yes. The female lays the mat of silk, drops the eggs, then spooges them with a mix of sperm and egg incubation goo, wraps the whole thing up, and gently mixes.

That's why you're SOL or at least sorely hurt if the egg sac doesn't get made properly and you have to pull and incubate the eggs separately immediately - even if you provide perfect conditions, most/all aren't fertilized.

 

[Mister Internet]

Originally posted by Code Monkey
They don't fertilize the eggs until they're laid, so yes. The female lays the mat of silk, drops the eggs, then spooges them with a mix of sperm and egg incubation goo, wraps the whole thing up, and gently mixes.

Well that's interesting... I guess I assumed it was more like centipedes, where I believe the eggs are laid fertilised...

 

[Nixy]

Odd, probably stupid question. But for curiosities sake. I find myself compelled to spit it out anyway.

I have read posts where the female T Has made an insufficiant sack for her eggs. Resulting in improper fetalization. Eggs rolling all over the place. Ect.

If one has a female with a history of building to thin, or too shallow sacks. Or if one wants to help ensure a strong sack. Could a trough or basin be dug out for the female?
If one did this and put in a shalow bowl. Or maybe lined it with cheesecloth or something simalre to " reinforce" the sack and ensure a deep enough depression so the eggs wouldn't be lost.

Do you thing the female would be opertunistic enough to use an existing indentation such as this?

Do you think the cloth would be utalized in any way? Or would it pose a threat. IE: claw hanging ect. A mold trap if the cage is kept to moist.


Just my mind beaning things around.

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Nixy
If one has a female with a history of building to thin, or too shallow sacks. Or if one wants to help ensure a strong sack. Could a trough or basin be dug out for the female?
If one did this and put in a shalow bowl. Or maybe lined it with cheesecloth or something simalre to " reinforce" the sack and ensure a deep enough depression so the eggs wouldn't be lost.

My take:

First off, unless there are really good reasons (e.g. only one of three females on the continent) I don't think anyone should be breeding from a T that has demonstrated a history of badly constructed eggsacs - do we want the equivalent of the English bulldogs with our Ts? Three strikes and you're out of the gene pool would be my idea of a rule.

Regardless, I doubt your idea would work. The T would most likely just bunch your cheese cloth up in the corner with some dirt. The flaws in eggsac construction are behavioral in origin so I have a hard time seeing how trying to point them in the right direction is going to change anything.

 

[Nixy]

True.
Thanks Code. Just letting a few odd thoughts stretch they're legs and walk about.
Breeding T's seems an act half frustation, half patience. And alot of luck. I suppose there comes a point when one feels they would stand on their heads and hold up step by step guides to eggsack building Just to improbably nudge the odds over a billianth of a bit.
To bad we just can't collect the eggs like hens and hand the male a playboy and do the mix and roll ourselves. LOL.
Then again, this is probably a good thing....

Could have been worse. I have much more bizzar questions. The stockpiles of the things that make ya go "Hhhhhhhhmmmmmmm.....what if...."

 

[Phillip]

The Monkey is dead on about the eggs being fertilized after being laid. That is why out of 1000 or so eggs I only managed to get 120 chaco slings. I had to pull them right away due to the sack not being rolled tight.

Also on the females not making a good sack I have seen them make a crappy loose one only to follow it with a perfect looking one the next time around. I believe it comes with the female simply getting a better grasp of what to do.

Phil

 

[minax]

Originally posted by Nixy
Odd, probably stupid question. But for curiosities sake. I find myself compelled to spit it out anyway.

I have read posts where the female T Has made an insufficiant sack for her eggs. Resulting in improper fetalization. Eggs rolling all over the place. Ect.

If one has a female with a history of building to thin, or too shallow sacks. Or if one wants to help ensure a strong sack. Could a trough or basin be dug out for the female?

Actually this is covered in the "Tarantula Keepers Guide", by Shultz, Nixy. His idea is the same as yours. He puts a bowel in there, to facilitate the making of the sack, to give the T a nice round area to roll it up in. Shultz also has pics. of coconuts being used as well. In my experience..............if you have a good set-up, and good quality substrate, it helps the female to make this depression or bowel herself, in her hide, or laying area. If it is more natural and familiar for them, it is easier for them to be successful in shaping the sack, though , obviously, failures still occur often.

 

[tarantulakeeper]

Phil wrote, referring to CM:
<<Also on the females not making a good sack I have seen them make a crappy loose one only to follow it with a perfect looking one the next time around. I believe it comes with the female simply getting a better grasp of what to do.>>

The first eggsac my E. camp made was poorly gathered and eggs were scattered everywhere. A year later she constructed and guarded a perfect sac with over 500 spiderlings. and my god, they are small. They are all still living togeter and I haven't counted them yet. I just know there are lots.

 

[Bearskin10]

Looks like I may have a few S'lings on the way =D, Pretty cool for my first shot at this, I also know there is a long way to go and a lot of preperation ahead. Oh and by the way that is the male I breed her with up on top of the cork bark, Pretty nice looking Red Phase Rose Hair, and then the female has more of a Purple tone to her. So I guess we will have to see what color phase slings come out

 

[Steve Nunn]

Originally posted by Phillip

Also on the females not making a good sack I have seen them make a crappy loose one only to follow it with a perfect looking one the next time around. I believe it comes with the female simply getting a better grasp of what to do.

Phil

That and substrate can play a large roll too.

Steve

 

[BigSam]

Tarantulakeeper will you be selling those little spiderling's

Sam,

 

[MrT]

My G.rosea made a sac. and it was rolled loose on the outside layers, but tight on the inside.
I pulled it, cut it open and the eggs were all stuck together in a hard ball. Like the T didn't add the egg lube with the sperm, if there was any sperm. I don't think the eggs are good, as they have started to turn dark.

Has anyone seen this before.


Ern

 

[Phillip]

Dark stuck together eggs for lack of a better way of putting it are simply bad eggs. They may have been infertile from the beginning or they may have gotten too dry during incubation but yes I have seen both the stuck together mass of eggs as well as the hard as a rock dark eggs out of bad sacks.

Phil