Longest your T has been in premolt/hasn't eaten?

[Dylan Bruce]

Hey everyone,

Just curious about the length of pre-moult in various tarantulas(from when they start refusing food), my juvi B. Hamorii seems to be having the longest Pre-moult ever at around 6 months, I'm thinking he may be coming near the end of it now I think I can see a shiny spot appearing. I know brachys and grammostola can be particularly bad for long pre-moult and fasting periods but I'm curious to see what other people have experienced.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Hey everyone,

Just curious about the length of pre-moult in various tarantulas(from when they start refusing food), my juvi B. Hamorii seems to be having the longest Pre-moult ever at around 6 months, I'm thinking he may be coming near the end of it now I think I can see a shiny spot appearing. I know brachys and grammostola can be particularly bad for long pre-moult and fasting periods but I'm curious to see what other people have experienced.

Depends mostly on your feeding regiment. Keep in mind that faster growing species will have no issue molting in steady intervals.

Arid species will still eat as often as you feed them, but they won't grow at the same rate. This leads to the spider fattening up quickly, and then fasting for some time. Either until they are ready to molt, or start eating again.

Lengthened pre molt periods are typically the result of over feeding. There are many variables, size, species, etc...it can take anywhere from days to months for the spider to molt.

 

[starnaito]

I have two Grammostola species in premolt right now. My G. pulchripes is going on three months since he stopped eating and my G. porteri is closer to four. No darkening of the abdomen yet, so I don't know how much longer it will be. On the other hand, my large A. genic took less than a month from the point he stopped eating to his molt. As a slower growing species, I wouldn't be worried about six months for a B. hamorii, as long as it's still plump.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

Lengthened pre molt periods are typically the result of over feeding. There are many variables, size, species, etc...it can take anywhere from days to months for the spider to molt.

Yeah I fed it once/twice a week after it had moulted which was probably a little too much. I know some faster growing species eat like tanks and only refuse food when they are in pre-moult. I suppose when you only have one T it will feel like forever but when you have a small collection there will usually be one in the process of moulting.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

As a slower growing species, I wouldn't be worried about six months for a B. hamorii, as long as it's still plump.

Yeah it's still plump and looking perfectly healthy. I just have a pet rock for a while until it decides to moult haha. As for the A. Genic that's one species I would love to own that I've heard eats like a champion

 

[starnaito]

Yeah it's still plump and looking perfectly healthy. I just have a pet rock for a while until it decides to moult haha. As for the A. Genic that's one species I would love to own that I've heard eats like a champion

I have mostly picky Ts, Ts that eat sparingly, and Ts with long premolts, so having an A. genic keeps my feeder population under control. He is a beast with a hearty appetite, haha.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

I have mostly picky Ts, Ts that eat sparingly, and Ts with long premolts, so having an A. genic keeps my feeder population under control. He is a beast with a hearty appetite, haha.

Haha yeah I'm lucky I own a mantis otherwise most of my feeders would go to waste.

 

[cold blood]

Rose hairs can (and will) go 2 years or more. Year long pre-molt fasts are almost typical for them when plumped quickly.

Heck, I have had a 1/2" B. albiceps sling go 6 months.

As mentioned, if you have a slow grower and plump it quickly, this will basically always lead to a significantly extended pre-molt period.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

Heck, I have had a 1/2" B. albiceps sling go 6 months.

As mentioned, if you have a slow grower and plump it quickly, this will basically always lead to a significantly extended pre-molt period.

Wow I really didn't know slings could go that long, I thought all slings no matter what the species would moult fairly quickly until they hit juvi size. And yeah I know all slow growing terrestrial species go through that pet rock stage every once in a while it's just unfortunate there isn't a "beginner" species that isn't a slow growing terrestrial species haha. Don't get me wrong I love my B. Hamorii but I'm looking forward to expanding my collection in a few years

 

[cold blood]

it's just unfortunate there isn't a "beginner" species that isn't a slow growing terrestrial species

G. pulchripes grow considerably faster than others, especially up to about 3" and make fantastic beginner ts. They are also fantastic eaters...as are all the ones I will mention here.

T. cyaneolum grows at a more medium pace as well. (best beginner species ever, IMO)

Then there are those fringe beginner species...like the LP for example, which tends to grow very quickly.

A GBB also grows at a moderate pace....certainly not glacial by any means.

B. albopilosum, which may be the best beginner Brachy...is also probably the fastest grower as well. My female is close to 4" and I got her at 1/3" about a hear and a half ago.

C. versicolor, which is one of the better beginner arboreals, grows pretty quickly as well if you are ever inclined to look in that direction.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

G. pulchripes grow considerably faster than others, especially up to about 3" and make fantastic beginner ts. They are also fantastic eaters...as are all the ones I will mention here.

T. cyaneolum grows at a more medium pace as well. (best beginner species ever, IMO)

Then there are those fringe beginner species...like the LP for example, which tends to grow very quickly.

A GBB also grows at a moderate pace....certainly not glacial by any means.

B. albopilosum, which may be the best beginner Brachy...is also probably the fastest grower as well. My female is close to 4" and I got her at 1/3" about a hear and a half ago.

C. versicolor, which is one of the better beginner arboreals, grows pretty quickly as well if you are ever inclined to look in that direction.

I was considering B. Albo for my first but it was easier to get a B. Hamorii at the time, GBB and C. versicolour are next on my list. I'm looking at picking up slings since they both have quite a transformation into adult colours.

 

[Ungoliant]

I know brachys and grammostola can be particularly bad for long pre-moult and fasting periods but I'm curious to see what other people have experienced.

My current record is an elderly female Avicularia avicularia that fasted for 13 months before finally molting.

My younger Avicularia avicularia just finished a 10-month pre-molt fast.

 

[boina]

AF B. emilia, fasting 14 months as of now, and she's NOT fat - though she's not skinny either. She doesn't seem to have lost any weight during all that time for some reason. I expect a molt sometime this summer.

2" G. pulchra fasting 10 months as of now and still fat and still not molting . I mean, really, come on, bigger is better, so why won't this little *** molt???

 

[Dylan Bruce]

2" G. pulchra fasting 10 months as of now and still fat and still not molting . I mean, really, come on, bigger is better, so why won't this little *** molt???

haha that's exactly how I feel, mines is nice and plump and just wont moult. I think the more i watch it the more he keeps putting it off

 

[Ungoliant]

I think the more i watch it the more he keeps putting it off

You know the saying: a watched T never molts.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I've never had anything stay in pre-moult for over 2 months lol.

The 2 month one was a juvie B. smithi that was already in pre-moult when it arrived.

My next longest after that was 50 days for my AF L. difficilis.

 

[Cuppy]

Hey all, so my P. Sazimai has had a shiny/balding abdomen for about a month now, and hasn't eaten for roughly 25 days. She is about 2.5 inches.
Is this normal? The longest I've had a T be in premolt without eating is a week or two.
And i'm interested in your current recorded time for this!

 

[JFaustus]

Hey all, so my P. Sazimai has had a shiny/balding abdomen for about a month now, and hasn't eaten for roughly 25 days. She is about 2.5 inches.
Is this normal? The longest I've had a T be in premolt without eating is a week or two.
And i'm interested in your current recorded time for this!

Well, I’ve got a G. Porteri holding up to its name, it’s been fasting since August

 

[The Grym Reaper]

The longest was 2 months for a juvenile B. smithi that was already in pre-moult when I received it.

Next longest was 50 days for an adult female L. difficilis.

Anywhere between a fortnight and a month is pretty normal for me although I've had some pull surprise moults on me.

 

[nicodimus22]

Oh, my G. pulchripes was like that for about 8 months. Fun times.