I'm new and have a few questions.

[william98]

Would a few more of y'all mind telling me more of your stories from when you were first starting out as beginners? Like any mistakes you may have made or anything that you wish you would have done differently. Then maybe some tips and tricks that you've picked up from your experience owning a T. All the info you guys have given me is a huge help, that's why I'm trying to get as much as I can!

 

[Tia B]

Well, I started out with a very tiny A. genic sling. I don't think I messed up too much, but I did keep knocking over the vial . Don't do that.

Hmm... something I wish I had done different...I wish I got more right from the start! I had only the genic for one and a half years. That spider didn't do much and I bugged the poor thing all the time.

 

[mconnachan]

Well, I started out with a very tiny A. genic sling. I don't think I messed up too much, but I did keep knocking over the vial . Don't do that.

Hmm... something I wish I had done different...I wish I got more right from the start! I had only the genic for one and a half years. That spider didn't do much and I bugged the poor thing all the time.

That's why if you're going to start out with slings but 5-6, different species etc....you can get so many stunning looking slings these days. Your choice at the end of the day but the sling route is more interesting IMHO.

 

[Tia B]

That's why if you're going to start out with slings but 5-6, different species etc....you can get so many stunning looking slings these days. Your choice at the end of the day but the sling route is more interesting IMHO.

I really like raising things and watching them grow in the first place, and slings take up so much less space than any other pet, so keeping slings is my favorite part of keeping spiders.

 

[Ungoliant]

Would a few more of y'all mind telling me more of your stories from when you were first starting out as beginners? Like any mistakes you may have made or anything that you wish you would have done differently.

My first attempt at rehousing could have ended in disaster. I received a mature female Avicularia avicularia) as a birthday gift (my first tarantula), and it needed to be rehoused into something more appropriate for an Avic. I was naïve enough to think it would be OK to get her to walk onto my hand and then put her in the new enclosure.

Wrong.

As soon as I tapped her from behind, she bolted up my arm and ran around to my back. Fortunately, luck favored me, and when I placed my back against her new enclosure, she went right in.

Needless to say, I have learned a lot about rehousing tarantulas since then.

You might also enjoy this thread: If you could go back to your first day of T keeping, what advice would you give yourself?

 

[darkness975]

So I really want to get into the hobby of keeping T's. But I want to do my share of research so I know what I'm in for. So if a few people can offer their opinions it would be a huge help.

So first question: I'm completely new and want to buy a Brachypelma Smithi ( Mexican Red Knee ) but what size should I start with?

Second question: Is that a good species to start with? I chose it because I read they are calm by nature, and personally I find them beautiful.

Getting answers for these questions and future ones I can think of in the future are going to determine if I start purchasing T's. But I'm pretty sure I am already!

Brachypelma smithi was renamed to Brachypelma hamorii

You should start with a sub adult or adult specimen. They are far more forgiving of mistakes than a more fragile sling would be.

B. hamorii is a good species, but the term "calm" is relative. All Tarantulas are capable of bursts of speed and personality swings.

It is best not to handle them. I have some calmer specimens and some extremely defensive ones, but it does not matter since my fingers are never anywhere near them.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

In regard to the growth rate and development of colour with the B. hamorii...

After receiving it only took my nondescript hamorii sling 4 months to show colour, and 10 months to exhibit closer to the 'classic' B. hamorii appearance. This spanned over 4 moults. I have to estimate, but I'd guess it was at maybe 3/4" upon arrival.

Its growth rate was slow, as t be expected, but not glacially slow in my opinion. NOW it has slowed down, of course. For the purpose of this post, I just took a measurement, and the spider is 3.5 inches.

I received it on September 9, 2014. It's seventh moult, at which point it reached its current size happened on May 23rd, 2017.


Of course this is just a sample of one and there are a lot of variables to take into consideration.

And holy smokes it took be a long time to gather the info and compose this post! I had to check photos, records, take a photo of the spider in order to use my measuring program, prep the photo for posting, and then check to ensure that I got it all correctly.

Taken just a bit ago. No the small water cap is NOT dry. But when I looked at the photo, I thought, "Is that cap empty?" and had to check for myself. The plastic cup is his "toy". It used to be buried as a sort of hide which it never used to my knowledge. It eventually dug it up and it sometimes moves it around, so I've left it in there. Obviously, it also likes to crap on it now and then.

 

[william98]

For future reference, I do not plan to hold the T. What I should've typed in my previous post is that I've never seen a T up close. The closest I've ever come is seeing one in a science museum. I have also read about the sudden runners. Although I find it a wee bit funny I do see the concerning side of it. On a similar topic, I have a question about the urticating hairs. Is that due to happen only when provoked or is it just apart of the Ts life to shed them (like to find relief).

 

[The Grym Reaper]

On a similar topic, I have a question about the urticating hairs. Is that due to happen only when provoked or is it just apart of the Ts life to shed them (like to find relief).

They're generally used only as a defensive measure although they can just become dislodged and fall out over time.

Depending on the temperament of the individual, it could vary between "never kicks hairs" and "kicks up hairs every time you open the enclosure/look at it funny/breathe near it".

When approaching a moult your tarantula might kick off a bunch of hairs around the area that they intend to start their moult, this acts as a defensive barrier between the tarantula (which is defenceless while/after moulting) and any nasties that might be lurking at ground level.

 

[Ungoliant]

And holy smokes it took be a long time to gather the info and compose this post! I had to check photos, records, take a photo of the spider in order to use my measuring program, prep the photo for posting, and then check to ensure that I got it all correctly.

That's why I keep a log of important events concerning each tarantula (rehousing, molts, size, etc.).

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I keep a rudimentary one, which is where I get my numbers. Mainly of moults though, really. I also have the app, which is a good one, but since it is on my Kindle, I usually forget to use it and use the simple one that I've been using on the PC since I got my batch of slings. Some of the stuff on the app is extraneous to me. Breeding records for example are useless to me as I don't breed tarantulas. But that's just me, I'm sure it is very useful to people attempting to breed, so that is not a criticism.

 

[Paul1126]

I would buy a juvenile T to start out With, it's what I did.
I bought a B. hamorii 6cm DLS.
Mine digs a lot, eats like a tank but is pretty skittish normally bolting into his hide if spooked.
I have never seen mine kick hairs.

B. hamorii

• Paul1126
• Nov 26, 2017

20171216_155821

• Paul1126
• Dec 20, 2017

 

[Dylan Bruce]

I would agree with some of the other guys on here, best thing to do is buy a juvie at around 5-6cm dls which is exactly what I done with my B. hamorii. At that stage it has its adult colours and is less fragile than a sling but you still get to watch it moult and grow into an impressive adult. just be aware that at that size the growth rate is painfully slow or at least it has been in my experience, mine has moulted once in the year and a bit I've had it( although I think its nearing a moult right now).
mine never bolts for its hide even when i open the tank and start topping up the water dish or cleaning out boluses and has never flicked hairs once but that all comes down to the individual T. Although they can be a pet rock at times I cant recommend them enough for starting out in the hobby.