First T

[RonC]

First hello to everyone. After a few weeks of researching I ordered my first T. Went for a Grammostola Pulchripes. Didn't want to break the bank till I prove to myself I can raise a T but wanted something a little different. I don't really plan on handling her (wishful thinking on the her part) but if the need should come up I didn't want to be freaked out over it. I've read the beginners thread and searched the forums and internet for info. Any other beginner tips or species specific info would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Minty]

First hello to everyone. After a few weeks of researching I ordered my first T. Went for a Grammostola Pulchripes. Didn't want to break the bank till I prove to myself I can raise a T but wanted something a little different. I don't really plan on handling her (wishful thinking on the her part) but if the need should come up I didn't want to be freaked out over it. I've read the beginners thread and searched the forums and internet for info. Any other beginner tips or species specific info would be appreciated. Thanks

Hello and welcome.

Which size of spider did you buy? Do you already have an enclosure set up?

Handling is a bad idea, I'd avoid doing it at all costs. You could drop your tarantula and injure it or worse, kill it. They don't like it and they don't get used to it. There is rarely, if ever, a real reason to handle one. You should always have a catch cup and lid handy, if you need to do maintenance on an enclosure, just incase the spider bolts out.

Don't worry if it doesn't eat straight away, it might not be hungry or could even be in premoult. If food hasn't been eaten within 24 hours of being in the enclosure, take it out.

Which substrate are you going to use? The gap between the lid of the enclosure and the top of the substrate, should roughly be around 1.5x the T's legspan.

 

[Pernicious]

G.pulchripes is a great choice! My favorite t in my collection is a g .pulchripes named taco! Dont be afraid to handle it if it wants to come out during feeding or watering either. Mine is constantly crawling into my palm and relaxing there.. a beautiful t with a great temperament in my book.

 

[Pernicious]

However i will agree that handling is somthing to avoid in most cases .i always just use common sense and never push it

 

[RonC]

Ordered the T and enclosure together. One to one and a half inch T and a juvenile enclosure(4x4x5) with coco fiber, cork bark, silk plant, and water bowl. Local pet store has feeders. Not planning on handling. A four foot drop is a long ways when you're little not to mention stress from handling.

 

[Minty]

Ordered the T and enclosure together. One to one and a half inch T and a juvenile enclosure(4x4x5) with coco fiber, cork bark, silk plant, and water bowl. Local pet store has feeders. Not planning on handling. A four foot drop is a long ways when you're little not to mention stress from handling.

Going to assume the dimensions there are in inches?

For the size of tarantula you'll have, ensure that there's no more than two inches of a gap, between the substrate and enclosure lid.

 

[Liquifin]

Love the G. pulchripes, I have three of them. 2 females and one male, all young juveniles. Be prepared for the longest fast if they decide to fast on you. My largest juvenile at 2.75'' has fast for over 11 months, which it still hasn't eaten. She's fat and I hope she molts, because it's been almost a whole year since her last molt.

 

[SonsofArachne]

A four foot drop is a long ways when you're little not to mention stress from handling.

Actually the smaller a tarantula is, the more likely it is to survive a fall. This is because of their smaller mass, meaning they don't land as hard. I had a 1/8 in. A. hentzi bolt off a 4 ft. shelf, and my cat knocked a deli container with a 1/4 in. B. albiceps inside off a 3 ft table. Both survived and have molted since with no problems.