Ok,

so here is the deal. I recently bought a B. smithi and B. boehmei from seperate sellers. Both said that the spiders hadn't eaten and shed in quite a while, the B. smithi since the beginning of the year ...

I have had the T's for just over a month. I keep them in the high 20's in terms of temp and between 70 and 80% humidity ...

BOTH have shed within a month and both are eating like pigs...

So here is my question: I know that these species grow quite slowly, but surely with these environmental conditions, this process should be sped up significantly? or is the fact that both shed and eating well after a long period with someone else just a fluke?

Conditions do play a role in growth rate!

Your Boehmei should grow vast, but even if the Smithi eats like a pig, it would probably grow a lot slower than the Boehmei.... I am just talking out of personal experience... but the conditions has to be right for the T individually...

It seems that if you push the growth of a tarantula by power-feeding it and keeping it at high temps may have an adverse effect on its longevity. For me patience is key...

With T's from temperate climates it must also be beneficial to cool them down for a period during winter to simulate the conditions they originate from. Which should make them better breeders once they mature.

Just my own opinion...

Smithi's do grow way slower than Boehmei's. i have had my smithi 2 years now. got it at just under 1 cm and it is 4cm now....my 2 boehmei's i have had 6 months, from 1 cm to 6cm now. all kept in the same conditions and fed same food same day.

i dont mind the wait. coz what you get is so worth it