first time breeding tarantulas

[Tarantulas4life]

hello i have two avicularia avivularia that i had planned on breeding when they were ready and well after about 8 months the stars have aligned the female molted 1 month ago i have been feeding her as much as possible as well as the male however recently i went to visit my mom for about a week and left the Ts to my dad when i got back and asked about them he responded i didnt feed them so i had i week to feed the female until she wouldnt eat however i had lost my tongs and could not tong feed where i know the female had eaten instead i had to drop the cricket in her enclosure and check to see if i saw it the next day so onto the breeding part i know i need to put both Ts in a tote so when the male bolts he wont get far and i know i let the male walk into the females enclosure but im just so nervous to do it i dont want to lose my male not only is he my first T but it took them since december to be ready to breed i just need to know what to be cautious about im mainly worried the female since she only ever saw him once but attacked him im worried she will attack and kill the male so fast i wont be able to prevent it i just need your guys experience and need to know what to look out for when i pair them i know this was incredibly long but i just had so much i needed to be sure of thank you so much for taking time to help

 

[Liquifin]

First time breeding? Oh, boy... It can be a joy and disaster at the same time, but here we go.

I won't hate or discourage you, but I'll get straight to the point. If you're thinking about producing slings only then you're mistakenly missing most of the picture. It's a journey first before a goal and it's a lot more than baby slings.

Males getting eaten by females isn't really common if you're attentive and if the female is good on weight based on the abdomen. Always have a pair of long tweezers or tongs to separate them when needed as it's not very hard to do so most times. Breeding is only one part of the long process, but if you don't have the money, space, time, and resources then it's going to be either a nightmare or disaster for you during the next part. You're going to be stuck with a lot of slings and if you have no idea what to do then, you've basically got yourself into a situation. Just know that the Avicularia avicularia (M1) is the most common in the hobby and are flat out dirt cheap, meaning it's going to be hard to get rid of or sell slings easily if you're not prepared. You can literally buy adult females for $15-$20 if you know who to ask. So be prepared to have them for a while if no one takes them in. Also, if you're not confident in your skills then it shouldn't be tested as it's just a huge risk then.

I don't know your experience, but I always make sure I have the correct species to avoid hybrids and the Avicularia species can be confusing at times, so know what species you have 100% because the last thing you want to do is create hybrids as it's a taboo. If you're unsure or have doubts of what Avicularia species/morph you could possibly have, you better ask someone experienced as inexperienced keepers can mistake the morphs most times.

This is just some things to think about, I won't stop you but you need to a 100% certain on everything you're doing. You really don't sound confident, which is kind of scary honestly, but I hope you consider everything I stated. Best of luck.

 

[NukaMedia Exotics]

I'd probably give the female 2 months before pairing.

 

[viper69]

Do you know with 100% certainty the species you have? If YES, how did you learn what species they are?

Many people do not know what species of Avic they own. Hybrids are not good at all!