G. pulchra not growing

FrankiePinchinatti

Arachnoknight
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Apr 20, 2019
Messages
192
I've had my ~1" G. pulchra for about 3.5 months now. In the beginning it was eating like a beast, I was feeding it roaches almost the size of its carapace every day. Its abdomen was of course very big and shiny so I started cutting back to once every 4-5 days. The bedding is dry coco fiber and a little vermiculite that I spray half of once a week, leaving droplets on the side for it to drink (although it always seems to avoid the moist side of the enclosure like the plague until it dries out). There is also a water dish that I always keep full. While the enclosure itself isn't heated, I do keep it in a closed cabinet along with other enclosures that are heated so the ambient temperature in there is probably in the mid/upper 70s. Seems to me like the conditions should be pretty good, yet it seems like it's frozen in a state of suspended animation. I keep hoping that it will start refusing food because it is in premolt, but it's still eating like a champ whenever I offer. My only other 2 tarantulas that I've kept many years ago were a rose hair and an Antilles pinktoe, but I seem to remember them molting very frequently when they were small like this. What's the deal? Is there anything that I should be doing differently or should I just keep on doing what I'm doing and play the waiting game?
 

Vanisher

Arachnoking
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Oct 2, 2004
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Congratulations. You have chosen one pf the most slowgrowing speicies on the planet. :) Seriously, they are very slowgrowing and stays in premoult for a long time so your situation is totally normal This speicies eats better than a G rosea typically, but grows as slow or maybe even slower? I have not had huge experience with G pulchra so i dunno if they are more slow growing than a G rosea as juveniles? Cold blood may know
 

Vanessa

Grammostola Groupie
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2,423
Grammostola pulchra is one of the slowest growing in the genus - one of the slowest growing of all the beginner friendly species. They do love their food, and tend to get extremely fat quickly, and then they just chill for months on end looking like fat, black, ticks. They will moult eventually. I always suggest that someone have a faster growing species in addition to the slower ones, because that takes the focus off why the slower grower isn't growing.
If anything, tarantulas teach us to have patience. Grammostola pulchra are really good at that.
 

PidderPeets

Arachnoprince
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May 27, 2017
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At 1" - 1.5" (can't remember exactly), my pulchra didn't molt for 9 months. It was plump and shiny within the first 2 months of it's previous molt. People aren't kidding when they say these take forever to grow
 

Colorado Ts

Arachnoangel
Joined
Oct 16, 2019
Messages
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I've had my ~1" G. pulchra for about 3.5 months now. In the beginning it was eating like a beast, I was feeding it roaches almost the size of its carapace every day. Its abdomen was of course very big and shiny so I started cutting back to once every 4-5 days. The bedding is dry coco fiber and a little vermiculite that I spray half of once a week, leaving droplets on the side for it to drink (although it always seems to avoid the moist side of the enclosure like the plague until it dries out). There is also a water dish that I always keep full. While the enclosure itself isn't heated, I do keep it in a closed cabinet along with other enclosures that are heated so the ambient temperature in there is probably in the mid/upper 70s. Seems to me like the conditions should be pretty good, yet it seems like it's frozen in a state of suspended animation. I keep hoping that it will start refusing food because it is in premolt, but it's still eating like a champ whenever I offer. My only other 2 tarantulas that I've kept many years ago were a rose hair and an Antilles pinktoe, but I seem to remember them molting very frequently when they were small like this. What's the deal? Is there anything that I should be doing differently or should I just keep on doing what I'm doing and play the waiting game?
Grammostola pulcras don't grow...they evolve.

I would set up a feeding routine of once a week. A spider will consume, store only so much food before it moults and (in the case G. pulchra) evolve into something larger. If you are feeding it every day, or every other day, the spider will reach that point quicker, and thus prolonging the moulting period, as the spider's metabolism tries to play catch up. There are differing opinions on over feeding a spider, but the general consensus is that it is hard on the spider.

If you want to feed more often, get more spiders...wonderful solution.
 

boina

Lady of the mites
Active Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
2,217
I have 3 G. pulchra from the same sac. One of them decided it was done growing at a little over 1" - it didn't molt for two years. Then it molted once and is now 1.5" - since more than a year. Both siblings have molted two more times in that time and are now at 3 to 3.5". I've no clue why this one isn't growing, although obviously kept in the same conditions, but it's active and seems healthy and will eat when I feed it (which I usually don't because it does look like a big black tick).
 

Sinned

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 23, 2017
Messages
144
I remember reading somewhere G. pulchra's only molt during solar eclipses [citation needed] . Next one up is April 8, 2024. ;)
 

The Grym Reaper

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Jul 19, 2016
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This speicies eats better than a G rosea typically, but grows as slow or maybe even slower? I have not had huge experience with G pulchra so i dunno if they are more slow growing than a G rosea as juveniles?
I have G. pulchra and G. sp. "Concepción" and the pulchra grows slower out of the two. In fact, the only tarantulas I have that grow slower than my pulchra are A. bicoloratum, B. albiceps, H. chilensis, and possibly my Nicaraguan T. albopilosum that just refuses to grow.
 

RowanFG

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 16, 2019
Messages
28
Hmm i just got a 1/2" G pulchripes. I look forward to being taught the meaning of patience.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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17,851
Too much to read OP- you own one the slowest growing species- what did you expect?!

What does the growth rate of one species have to do with another that owned—-NOTHING haha
 

FrankiePinchinatti

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
192
I knew going into it that they were slow growing. I just wanted to know if my conditions are optimal for them so that I am getting their naturally slow growth rate or am I adding additional growth stunting factors on top of that. Basically, is feeding it a carapace sized roach every 4-5 days a good amount or should I increase/decrease that? Are mid/upper 70s a good temperature?
 

Jackuul

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
209
I have my slings from 2009 (born 2008), and one other (born 2007). One of the 2008's is still brownish, small, and hasn't molted since 2014. It's about 1.5-2"". Its siblings are bigger (2.5 and 3). It still eats. It still poops. But it just sits there most the time. Taunting me. Waiting. If I refill the water dish, it comes over, then when I sleep, flips the dish - or fills it with dirt sometimes. Other times I catch it drinking. I call it Shorty.

The other one - from the same group - is twice as big, and likes to wear the water dish like a hat when it is bored. It is otherwise a rock. Thus, Rocky. The third one digs and is even bigger. It has earned the name "Busy Body" from a relative because it is constantly moving around and re-arranging the habitat like a madman. It has stacked the plastic dishes it was given (I usually keep two water dishes in each habitat because they are all predisposed to flipping one eventually).

My older G. Pulchra (Missy), from a different brood is a powerhouse of hunger. It eats like there is no tomorrow. It is still smaller than the rosea - and it is female. It last molted in 2016. It is also an industrious spider and is around 3.5". It digs and digs and digs. Then it buries everything. Then it digs something new. This one also likes to "play" with things at night, moving around random items. I have given it a ping-pong ball, and it seems to enjoy pushing it around when no one watches.

All of them are strange.

I love them dearly.
 

aim00

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 19, 2019
Messages
7
I have two H.Chilensis sp red slings.
Got them end of summer. Molted two times but I swear they are still about 1cm .
and they rarely eat more than once a week (feeding them bean weevils)
 

Dorifto

He who moists xD
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Aug 10, 2017
Messages
2,681
Welcome to the club!! 🤣

This is my 2 and a half years old female pulchra.
IMG_20200211_190000.jpg

And don't worry is your Pulchra fasts for several months, last time, mine fasted for 9 months before molting. And they can fast way longer.
 

FrankiePinchinatti

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
192
Just an update bump and a question.

It has now been a little over a month since it has fed, taking that as a good sign. Its butt is shiny and seems to be getting darker, but that might be my imagination.

My question is: Ever since I had it, it has never webbed. Today I looked in there and it has made a little web between the hide and the wall and is raised a little off the ground. Is this a sign of an upcoming molt?
 

Vanessa

Grammostola Groupie
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Mar 12, 2016
Messages
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My question is: Ever since I had it, it has never webbed. Today I looked in there and it has made a little web between the hide and the wall and is raised a little off the ground. Is this a sign of an upcoming molt?
Yes, that sounds suspiciously like a moulting mat. Combine that with the black, shiny, booty and I will bet you that they are going to moult within the next 24 hours.
Keep us posted!
 

cold blood

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Messages
13,223
ng it was eating like a beast, I was feeding it roaches almost the size of its carapace every day. Its
Thats a laughably ridiculous feeding schedule.
started cutting back to once every 4-5 days. The
Still waaaay to often to feed such a slow growing species....2 or 3 times a month is more than enough...even at twice a month it will still easily be plumped before its molt cycle is complete.

The faster you feed, the longer they will fast.
ing droplets on the side for it to drink (although it always seems to avoid the moist side of the enclosure like the plague until it dries out). There is
if you have an enclosure big enough for a water dish, theres no reason to mist anything or dampen sub.
It has now been a little over a month since it has fed, taking that as a good sign. Its butt is shiny and seems to be getting darker, but that might be my imagination.
Mine have looked like this since thanksgiving...i just offered them food for just the 2nd time this year. Even as slings, molt cycles are stupid long with this species.
question is: Ever since I had it, it has never webbed.
This species rarely webs....a molting mat would be about the only time to see much webbing...maybe its going to molt soon....it is spring and that can be a trigger for many slow growers.
 
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