Sling hasn't molted since I got it..

Lor&Chris

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
33
I got a brachypelma auratum sometime last summer, it is about 1/8 of an inch and it has never molted. Anyone have any idea why? Seems strange to me.

Lor
 

Mammothdog

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
41
It must be a very slow grower for that to happen. It may also have to deal with the temperature and it's feeding habit.
 

fartkowski

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Messages
4,904
I wouldn't worry.
I have a few slings I got about two years ago. They were 1/2"
Now they are 3/4"
Sometimes they just grow very slow:)
 

Lor&Chris

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
33
Thanks for the replies! I just noticed our pokie slings grew pretty quick, I guess this one is a bit more like a rosie when it comes to growing maybe.

Lor
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
Brachypelma on the whole is a slow growing genus. Taking many months between molts and sometimes a year+ is not unheard of.

We do not have that species, but we do have a B. smithi, B. emilia and a B. vagans. The B. vagans is the only one we have had since that size and it molted about once a month until it got to about 3/4" and now it has been months since it has molted. During those first months though, it was kept in an un-air-conditioned room during a humid Indiana summer, which gave way to months of 64-69F days this winter. It was fed 1(maybe 2) B. lateralis once a week or two.

The growth of your spiderling depends on the temps. that it is kept at and the amount of food it is given. If yours is taking forever to molt, then you can up both and hurry the process along. There is even a husbandry style called powerfeeding for spiderlings to make them grow faster. An advanced search, with the word powerfeeding in the tarantula section should yield you information on it. :)
 

Leviticus

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
357
What temperature are you keeping it at and how often and what do you feed your B. auratum?
 

webbedone

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
410
i keep all my slings in a humid environment ~80%, with 84F average temps and feed them 2-4 times a week, in my expirience all of my slings molted in 30 days or so even the rumored slow growers like my B.smithy which is getting a bit chunky >.<
 

Falk

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
679
Could be a female since they grow slower than males:) In the Brachypelma spp. i belive B. albopilosum and B. vagans grows the fastest
 
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