Mature male... what now?

[Cait666]

Hello,

I have a mature male brachypelma vagans who had his final molt a few months back. I've noticed he has been avoiding food and has been crawling around the top of his enclosure, I guess looking for a means of escaping to find a mate. I am somewhat new to the hobby, he was my first tarantula that I've raised from a sling and now that he's mature and seems to be searching for a mate I don't know what to do with him. He has been fully grown for a few months now and I know the species is a short-lived one. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice on what to do with him so I can make sure his life is fulfilled? Thanks

Here is a picture of him a few days after his final molt:

 

[Ellenantula]

Breeding loan!

 

[Cait666]

Breeding loan!

Yes, I have been looking into this. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[BobBarley]

Breeding loan!

Yup, and you could sell/trade it off it as well.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

No breeding loan. Just sell the male or keep it until death to you both part. Breeding loans with people never ends well. Pretend that it doesn't exist! That's my advise.

 

[14pokies]

Buy a female

 

[cold blood]

Breeding loans with people never ends well.

I have 160 G. pulchripes slings that say otherwise....never say never.

I agree that for the average person with a small collection, trading him to a breeder for another t or 5 is the best way to go. Dealing with a half a sac of slings can be a daunting task for someone not used to that type of volume. Plus a trade will guarantee a return on the investment.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

I wouldn't want the headache by doing a breeding loan. That's why I would just sell the male, if someone wanted the male bad enough that person will purchase the male and both parties are happy of getting what they want. Transaction closed and sealed and move on to the next project. Or like someone just mentioned purchase yourself a female.

 

[Walter1]

Buy a female

I agree. Buy a female. They are fun to breed, their slings sell well, and you could keep a few.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

I agree. Buy a female. They are fun to breed, their slings sell well, and you could keep a few.

Exactly! You share the slings to other hobbiest by selling the slings.

 

[viper69]

Can the OP define "fulfilled" ? That's a very open ended word to use, and depending upon your version of that word's definition determines the type of advise one would provide you that is meaningful to you.

 

[Poec54]

No breeding loan. Just sell the male or keep it until death to you both part. Breeding loans with people never ends well. Pretend that it doesn't exist! That's my advise.

Not particularly good advice; keeping it until it dies of old age does nothing for you. Sending it on loan to a reliable person with a good reputation, and keeping in touch with them makes a difference. Even better to set the terms up front: one successful insertion sessions and then the male is returned to you, same way you sent it to them.

Some people let males cohabitate until they're killed, or keep re-pairing them until they're killed. That's irresponsible to do with someone else's spider, and that should be spelled out before sending your male out. You get your male back, and maybe send him out to someone else.

Following this gives you a much better chance of getting slings.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Man sounds like a headache to me of loaning out a male from one person to another. The person that's interested in the male should purchase it. Sounds very simple to me. If no one wants to purchase the male than obviously no one is interested in breeding that particular species so the male will die unloved unless you yourself get your butt in gear and find a female for the male. It's pretty simple.

 

[beaker41]

I agree. Buy a female. They are fun to breed, their slings sell well, and you could keep a few.

Kind of depends on what you mean by "sell well". Vagans are pretty big sacs, my last one was 686. Selling them individually will probably take months and hundreds of packages, as well as hundreds of emails, some of which are going to flake out on you. You could sell them bulk to a dealer , probably looking at .25-.50 each. In the mean time you will have to come up with 600 tiny deli cups , 600 prey items a couple times a week, etc. raising slings really isnt quite as profitable as people think given the time you put in, until you've got something rare

 

[Poec54]

Kind of depends on what you mean by "sell well". Vagans are pretty big sacs, my last one was 686. Selling them individually will probably take months and hundreds of packages, as well as hundreds of emails, some of which are going to flake out on you. You could sell them bulk to a dealer , probably looking at .25-.50 each. In the mean time you will have to come up with 600 tiny deli cups , 600 prey items a couple times a week, etc. raising slings really isnt quite as profitable as people think given the time you put in, until you've got something rare

I like to sell a sac to several dealers. Just divide them up in several deli cups, feed them a couple times at 2nd instar, and ship them off. I avoid individual containers whenever possible. It'd be crazy to put a sac of 500+ slings in any kind of individual containers.

I have no desire to sell to individuals. You'll spend a significant amount of time on onesy-twosey sales, between communications, packing, & shipping, let alone maintaining hundreds of containers of slings for months.

 

[Poec54]

Man sounds like a headache to me of loaning out a male from one person to another. The person that's interested in the male should purchase it. Sounds very simple to me. If no one wants to purchase the male than obviously no one is interested in breeding that particular species so the male will die unloved unless you yourself get your butt in gear and find a female for the male. It's pretty simple.

Keep your males and let them die. Or sell them for a paltry amount. Not really ideal. Think small, stay small.

I'd rather ship them off and hit big on a few sacs. It's called "lots of free spiders", and that's how you can build a big collection at no cost, by selling/trading your slings. Part of that is breeding loans, whether you send your boys out, or you take in males when you don't have them yourself.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

I have no problems of keeping my males.

 

[bryverine]

I have 160 G. pulchripes slings that say otherwise..

That sounds like you're sitting on a gold mine there... I could take one of your hands of you're feeling overwhelmed...

I've never had a mature male, but when my H. Mac matures, I plan on loaning him out with 'strict rules' for use! I want him to fulfill his role as a male tarantula but I'd also love to get my 'fluffy buddy' back, if possible.

 

[cold blood]

@bryverine
Don't know about overwhelmed...or a gold mine

But if you were close enough to stop by, I would certainly hand you a few. I will likely be months before shipping even becomes a thought.

 

[bryverine]

@bryverine
Don't know about overwhelmed...or a gold mine

But if you were close enough to stop by, I would certainly hand you a few. I will likely be months before shipping even becomes a thought.

Lol apparently I can't read, I saw H. pulchripes.

Though G. pulchripes aren't nearly as costly, I do love me those gold knees!