Brazilian Black Care Tips for a Noob

[ash051]

Hi everyone, I don't own a tarantula yet but I've wanted one for a couple of years. I think I've decided on the Brazilian black, as they seem to be pretty docile and easy to care for. A life is a life and I want to make sure I'm fully prepared before purchasing one, (s)he deserves a competent owner. Which size terrarium would be best? I have heard that all tarantulas are "escape artists", and as I'm in college, the last thing I want is for it to get loose and spook my suitemates, so I want the most secure lid possible, but I don't know any good brands or anything. I have also seen that I should give it 4 inches of coconut substrate, maybe? And that they should be fed once a week. Do I have all of this correct so far? I have been doing a lot of research, but is there anything else I should know about these things?
And also, where did you guys purchase your tarantulas? I would prefer to buy in person rather than online, but all that I have seen at Petco is the Chilean rose hair!

 

[Hoxter]

I'd say you check for any reptile/tarantulal expos in your area and get needed things there. You can start your research here, we have a lot of information on AB.
Oh, and you should decide whether you want a small sling or bigger one and make research what kind of conditions your T needs. Also G. pulchras take forever to grow up and , fast forward one year and your T might look almost the same as the day you got it.

 

[cold blood]

Tarantula escapes are usually the result of operator error....like not closing the top....Ts arent significant escape risks IMO. Centipedes on the other hand, are the real escape artists.

How/where its kept is completely dependent on the size of the t in question....do you plan to buy a sling? juvie? adult?

G. pulchra atm is a very high (over) priced species....if you want something less expensive and more easily available, look at G. pulchripes. Id take the pulchripes every time if i was starting out...theyre cheap, beautiful, great eaters and while not fast growers, they are much faster than pulchra....typically very docile as well....pulchripes make one of the very best beginner ts one can buy.

G. pulchripes #8

• cold blood
• Aug 16, 2019
• chaco golden knee tarantula grammostola grammostola aureostriata grammostola pulchripes pulchripes

 

[Goopyguy56]

Best advice is if you get a g Pulchra, get another t to keep you occupied because the Pulchra grows seriously slow.

 

[viper69]

If you have the cash, get a pulchra if that's what you want. I had an AF when they were SUPER cheap. I also have an AF pulchripes. Many tarantulas in terms of behavior quite similar. This is true of these 2 species. Ts aren't too active compared to snakes, lizards frogs etc....

SO, if you want a very slow growing pet rock, get the pulchra, if you want a T that is a bit faster in growth and larger than pulchra get pulchripes. Aside from their looks, they are the "same".

 

[Thekla]

Read this: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/tarantula-information-for-beginners-and-more.318718/
There's a great section on sling care as well if you get a sling.

 

[ash051]

Finding an expo sounds cool to me! And I'm okay with any age as long as it's not on death's doorstep. I'm also okay with it growing up slowly, I don't want anything where it's born, grows, and dies all in the span of like 2 years I get attached.

 

[Hoxter]

With this species your T might not change at all during those 2 years

 

[cold blood]

Finding an expo sounds cool to me! And I'm okay with any age as long as it's not on death's doorstep. I'm also okay with it growing up slowly, I don't want anything where it's born, grows, and dies all in the span of like 2 years I get attached.

Females of even the fastest growing species (ie shortest living) will still outlive most larger breeds of dog. Any Grammostola can live easily in excess of 20 years.

Slow growth is the biggest concern if you buy a sling, as it will be a sling for several years and not have adult colors for that time. Buy a slow growing sling and its like raising a rock for much of the time as it sits in pre molt for 4-10 months at a crack doing nothing very often

I've raised pulchra and pulchripes from slings...I wouldn't recommend a pulchra sling as a first or as an only t, just because of this...pulchripes on the other hand, are just fantastic slings to raise....if you want to raise a sling that is. Just throwing out a good option if pulchra isn't available or if you decide on a sling.

The best way to find selection, best pricing and healthy ts, is always to go through a dealer or breeder specializing in tarantulas...generally this means buying online. fwiw