Dang, that's some seriously growth! What temp do you keep them at?
More accurate words were never spoken.
I think the GBB is doable for beginners, provided you have no intention of handling. GBBs tend to be skittish. Handling it would pose a risk of escape or injury (to the tarantula). While they are fast, in my experience, they tend to retreat into their webbing rather than make a bid for freedom.
For a single tarantula, it's not worth maintaining a colony of feeder insects. Just buy feeders as needed.
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I also have another G. pulchripes started from 1/2" acquired at almost the same time but was kept in AMAC box with deep sub.. it burrowed down immediately and was in habit of sealing off burrow for weeks at a time so it ate far less often and grew slower.. it's 2"-2-1/2"ish or so. The other one pictured above was in condiment cup with 1/2" substrate and never burrowed(it dug out a space under the shelter in the current enclosure though). The difference in size is amazing for sure. I've started to keep especially slings of slower growing terrestrial species in condiment cups with just enough substrate for this reason.
They're in the living room so they got room temps. During spring & winter, as low as 65F, occasionally down to 62 when I did not realize it was going to be a colder night. 70-72ish days. Summers are super hot- 110-120F so the AC has to be on.. usually 72-75F days during the summer. During the nice period in between summer heat and winter chill(inland So. Calif) with no heat or AC it can be 65-80ish.
http://www.herpshow.net/
Those would work for a while, but once the sling starts webbing it up it’s going to be pretty hard to see in and observe anything, which you are definitely going to want to do with your first few slings.
Those airholes look a little big for a sling. You want airholes to be smaller than the width of the carapace, these guys are surprisingly good at squeezing through small spaces.
Those things are great. Here's one of mine. I put an upside down deli cup in the bottom so that my Ts will burrow along the sides where I can watch them. Takes some practice to drill airholes in them without cracking the acrylic, I hear a soldering iron is a much easier method.
I have three G. pulchripes and they've grown well in the past year since getting them. Started out a little smaller than 0.5" and they are now between 2.5"- 3.5". I know there are some sp. that grow faster, but my experience with them hasn't been slow growth. Their growth will likely slow down as they get bigger, but as slings, they grew pretty fast.
