# Red knee growth rate



## CB89 (Jan 15, 2009)

Could somebody tell me the growth rate of the mexican red knee please?

Also how long it take to reach adult size for males/females?

Any help appreciated.


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## The T Lord (Mar 28, 2009)

There not the fastest growing tarantula, as a rule brachys generally grow slow, but some slower and some faster then others.


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## Jamie (Nov 18, 2007)

CB89 said:


> Could somebody tell me the growth rate of the mexican red knee please? *Very slow*
> 
> Also how long it take to reach adult size for males/females? *About 300 years*
> 
> Any help appreciated.


 *No problem*


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## The T Lord (Mar 28, 2009)

Jamie said:


> *No problem*


:lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## Jamie (Nov 18, 2007)

On a serious note..

Brachy's are slow growing species, they are notorious for it. But, a T's growth is also controlled by how much and how offen you feed it.

Feed a T 3 crickets a month, and it will grow very slowly.

Feed a T 3 crickets a week, and it will grow quicker.

Simples!


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## CB89 (Jan 15, 2009)

Jamie said:


> On a serious note..
> 
> Brachy's are slow growing species, they are notorious for it. But, a T's growth is also controlled by how much and how offen you feed it.
> 
> ...


Hm yes I can see that, but being 100% new to inverts I do not want to risk under feeding.

On what youve said above I assume a cricket a week would give a nice slow growth rate, but not lead to poor health?


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## The T Lord (Mar 28, 2009)

Jamie said:


> On a serious note..
> 
> Brachy's are slow growing species, they are notorious for it. But, a T's growth is also controlled by how much and how offen you feed it.
> 
> ...


:lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## The T Lord (Mar 28, 2009)

CB89 said:


> Hm yes I can see that, but being 100% new to inverts I do not want to risk under feeding.
> 
> On what youve said above I assume a cricket a week would give a nice slow growth rate, but not lead to poor health?


 Depends on size, for an adult, thats fine, but for slings, you wanna be feeding them twice a week IMO to see reasonable growth rate from a Brachy.: victory:


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## Jamie (Nov 18, 2007)

The T Lord said:


> Depends on size, for an adult, thats fine, but for slings, you wanna be feeding them twice a week IMO to see reasonable growth rate from a Brachy.: victory:


Yep, I agree with that.

Offer food twice a week, you can always remove the food if it doesn't get eaten. Your T will be fine with that.


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## The T Lord (Mar 28, 2009)

Jamie said:


> Yep, I agree with that.
> 
> Offer food twice a week, you can always remove the food if it doesn't get eaten. Your T will be fine with that.


Good to know you agree, as i know you know what your doing, :2thumb:
HESTON BLUMETHAL:whistling2:


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## ChrisNE (Jul 13, 2008)

Mine shot up from around 3cm to 4 inches from oct last year to now. Only feeding 1-2 crix a week. :2thumb:


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## The T Lord (Mar 28, 2009)

Thats a great growth rate mate!


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## ChrisNE (Jul 13, 2008)

Cheers mate. Was suprised because I knew how slow most brachy's go. My fire leg was 1cm in nov last year. Its 2cm now?! :whistling2:When the red knees fully grown I'll make a thread on growth rate with a pic from just after each moult.


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## TheFamousPeter (Apr 9, 2009)

Mine's about 4 years old, female, and 4 inches across on 2 crickets a week. Very beautiful and healthy :flrt:


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Lol chris that's what i've been doing with mine i take a few pics after each moult, i'm also keeping all the moults. I also keep a wee diary and write whos eaten when and when i find the moult. So far my GBB has had most moults (3).


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## ChrisNE (Jul 13, 2008)

Lol I used to keep all the moults but the smaller ones are so fragile. Now I only keep the more perfect ones, tends to be the larger. I think my Red Knee and GBB have moulted the most times. Heres my GBB.

When I got it in November









2 weeks ago









But my favourite spid is my red island birdeater. Got him at 1cm and hes now huge. He lost a leg in his last moult. 

November 08 in the corner of a normal cricket tub :2thumb:









Him last week









Maybe i'm feeding mine radioactive cherobyl crickets? :whistling2:


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## Jamie (Nov 18, 2007)

My GBB went from  to  in just over a year!


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## ChrisNE (Jul 13, 2008)

Gorgeous GBB! Hope my Gb's legs go that light in the next moult. :notworthy:


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

They take AAAAAAAAAAAGES. I've had a tiny redknee, bought him at about 2mm and now hes about the size of my smallest finger nail. Hes bloomin tiny and i;ve had him about 6 months!!:bash:


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## ph0bia (Feb 21, 2009)

I've had my B.smithi since January... *reaches over to exuvium tubs*

First molt was on 11/02/09, 6cm.
Second molt was on 23/03/09, 7.5cm.

I've actually fed this one as much as 3/4 times a week on adult crickets, but there have been weeks when feeding dropped to only 1. I just kept an eye on her size.

Hope that helps.


Oh! Whilst I was typing this, I just noticed that my P.murinus has just molted...
_Into an MM!_

I've been away a few days, when I came back it was nowhere to be seen (ie, in burrow). He's just come up to the surface...


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## SpiderGirl33 (Sep 2, 2007)

Growth rate would surely depend on a number of things, say how much food is given, and how good nutritionally they are, heat, a spider kept quite cold may grow slower?
So keep it heated and feed your crickets highly nutritious food :no1:


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## ChrisNE (Jul 13, 2008)

I feed my crix chunks of carrot and my T's are shooting up on 1-2 feeds a week. Morrisons carrots must have something in them. Red bull? :whistling2:


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## ph0bia (Feb 21, 2009)

SpiderGirl33 said:


> a spider kept quite cold may grow slower?


That is exactly correct.

As with any creature, growth occurs faster when the body is not busy worrying about other things.

ie, the best way to grow is eat lots, not do much else (except exercise, of course!), sit in the warmth with plentiful supply of moisture in a stress free environment.


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## SpiderGirl33 (Sep 2, 2007)

Haha yay, I was right


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

ph0bia said:


> ie, the best way to grow is eat lots, not do much else (except exercise, of course!), sit in the warmth with plentiful supply of moisture in a stress free environment.


works for me :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## samroyal2 (Oct 8, 2006)

ChrisNE said:


> Mine shot up from around 3cm to 4 inches from oct last year to now. Only feeding 1-2 crix a week. :2thumb:


Thats nuts mine aren't half as big and ive had mine since jun/july


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## ChrisNE (Jul 13, 2008)

samroyal2 said:


> Thats nuts mine aren't half as big and ive had mine since jun/july


Lol i'm telling ya its the morrisons carrots the crickets are on! :2thumb:


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## samroyal2 (Oct 8, 2006)

ChrisNE said:


> Lol i'm telling ya its the morrisons carrots the crickets are on! :2thumb:


The carrots were obviously given steroids instead of normal plant food then lol


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## BabyBunting (Dec 10, 2008)

i've been quite surprised as to how fast ours has grown so far, we've had him since just before christmas and was about 1.5-2cms, has shed every 6 weeks since then and is now about 6-7cms, though I've been told now at this size the growth rate will prob slow down...

we offer food about 2 or 3 times a week, depending on the size of the prey.


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