User Frogdaddy's Tarantulas: A Love Story

[Frogdaddy]

Finally!!! After 50 days in the hole, El Chapo my T. vagans has finally decided to unseal it's burrow and come out. Of course as soon as I opened it's enclosure to take a picture it dashed down it's burrow. But it looked beautiful. Love that black and red color scheme. That's a good looking spider booty.


Here is Septimus the Acanthoscurria geniculata. If you look close you can see the start of the white stripes on it's legs.

 

[Frogdaddy]

I've waited way too long to update this thread. The holidays are over and it's back to business as usual.
Every T is doing T stuff. Eating, molting, rearranging their enclosures.
I plan on rehousing my G. pulchra, T. vagans, and H. pulchripes this weekend. Pics of more spiders forthcoming. Be patient.

 

[Baby T]

I've waited way too long to update this thread. The holidays are over and it's back to business as usual.
Every T is doing T stuff. Eating, molting, rearranging their enclosures.
I plan on rehousing my G. pulchra, T. vagans, and H. pulchripes this weekend. Pics of more spiders forthcoming. Be patient.

No I will not! Present us with El Chapo!!!

 

[Frogdaddy]

No I will not! Present us with El Chapo!!!

It's coming Baby T. Unfortunately El Chapo has not been very cooperative as he would rather push dirt around and expand his burrow.
But I did wake up to this. Yansa the Grammostola iheringi on it's back and ready to molt. I hope to get some good photos of the molting process.



I have taken some good photos the last couple of days and I'll post a big update soon.

Molt progress

 

[Baby T]

Molt progress
View attachment 371907 View attachment 371908
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Excellent pics of the process! Never get tired of seeing these. Congrats!

 

[Frogdaddy]

It took about five hours for Yansa - Grammostola iheringi to complete it's molt. It's the second molt for this guy in my cars. This is a great species and at 2" DLS I'm looking forward to this guy putting on more size.


Septimus - Acanthoscurria geniculata
After it's third molt in my care this guy is back to being a bundle of feeding fury.

Rosie - Grammostola rosea has the potential to be a real stunner.

 

[Baby T]

It took about five hours for Yansa - Grammostola iheringi to complete it's molt. It's the second molt for this guy in my cars. This is a great species and at 2" DLS I'm looking forward to this guy putting on more size.
View attachment 372146

Septimus - Acanthoscurria geniculata
After it's third molt in my care this guy is back to being a bundle of feeding fury. View attachment 372147

Rosie - Grammostola rosea has the potential to be a real stunner.
View attachment 372148

Yay!

 

[Frogdaddy]

I rehoused a couple of T's recently.
Both were super easy as the T's decided to casually stroll into their new enclosures.
Inmate #76932 - Grammostola pulchra

It's already a beautiful spider. Calm demeanor and a strong feeding response.

I also rehoused El Chapo - Tliltocatl vagans. Ok @Baby T here you go.


Bonus! Nelson Mandela - Harpactira pulchripes.

 

[Baby T]

I rehoused a couple of T's recently.
Both were super easy as the T's decided to casually stroll into their new enclosures.
Inmate #76932 - Grammostola pulchra
View attachment 372227 View attachment 372228
It's already a beautiful spider. Calm demeanor and a strong feeding response.

I also rehoused El Chapo - Tliltocatl vagans. Ok @Baby T here you go. View attachment 372229
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Bonus! Nelson Mandela - Harpactira pulchripes.
View attachment 372231

El Chapo! How lovely to meet you! Nelson is a beaut too

 

[Frogdaddy]

Recently rehoused.B. boehmei, finally a small hint at those beautiful adult colors.


I also rehoused A. geniculata after it's 4th molt.with me.

 

[Frogdaddy]

I really need to update this thread more often. It's a good thing I'm not in charge of social media for some large corporation. I would be fired for never posting.
I've been busy spidering. Since my last addition of slings in October I've had 47 molts between 15 spiders in 6 months. Everyone is growing and doing well. I've done some rehousings and probably a few more to do soon depending on molts.
Here's my B. boehmei during it's molt last week.


Last weekend I made a bunch of substrate for future use.
I use rehydrated coco fiber.
Peat moss

Cheap top soil

I dry everything in the big tin foil roasting pans from the dollar store. All it takes is a 70 degree day and the soil and coco fiber dry out within hours.
The top soil I use is cheap. It's full of sticks and pebbles, so I sift it twice. I use this standard spaghetti striner first.

Then a second time using a finer mesh.
The last ingredient is vermiculite. I use a fine grade vermiculite, more like what's used for reptile egg incubation rather than coarse horticulture vermiculite. I think this makes the mix a little less chunky.

I made about 6 gallons of substrate, which hopefully won't last too long. I also have extra supplies to make more if necessary . Simple substrate,
2 parts coco fiber, 2 parts peat, 2 parts soil, 1 part vermiculite.
Final product.

This week I also received a nice order of cork bark and live oak leavea.
So this weekend I'm putting together some new enclosures.
Why?
New spiders coming!!!!!!

 

[Frogdaddy]

I got a decent photo of my Harpactira pulchripes last night.


Grammostola rosea munching on a cricket.

 

[Braden]

May I ask how old the G rosea is? I know they're slow growers, but exactly how slow are they?

 

[Frogdaddy]

May I ask how old the G rosea is? I know they're slow growers, but exactly how slow are they?

They are pretty slow growing. I got this T on 10/22/20 and it was a tiny sling, maybe a 1/4". She has molted three times for me 12/28/20, 2/13/21 and 3/27/21. She is probably pushing 3/4" now. So far no long fasting periods but I wouldn't really expect that from a sling. At least she is always a good consistent eater and full of personality.

 

[Braden]

They are pretty slow growing. I got this T on 10/22/20 and it was a tiny sling, maybe a 1/4". She has molted three times for me 12/28/20, 2/13/21 and 3/27/21. She is probably pushing 3/4" now. So far no long fasting periods but I wouldn't really expect that from a sling. At least she is always a good consistent eater and full of personality.

Oh wow, that's faster than I thought. My T albo sling is growing a bit slower.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Brachypelma auratum

Brachypelma smithi

Two of my four new arrivals.
More new spiders coming soon!!

 

[Baby T]

Congrats on your new spoods! Look forward to pics

 

[Frogdaddy]

Congrats on your new spoods! Look forward to pics

Hopefully new pics of new spiders tomorrow. I just got the message I've been waiting on. New spider on the way arriving tomorrow morning.

 

[Baby T]

Hopefully new pics of new spiders tomorrow. I just got the message I've been waiting on. New spider on the way arriving tomorrow morning.

Awesome news! I hope you have a safe arrival
On a different note I'm STILL waiting for my T. Vagans to molt!!

 

[Frogdaddy]

Awesome news! I hope you have a safe arrival
On a different note I'm STILL waiting for my T. Vagans to molt!!

No way! Still no molt? Mine buried itself again on Sunday. See ya in a couple of months. Write when you're hungry for a cricket. Lol