I'm new to this world

[KingDontay]

Hello. I'm new to tarantulas. Ive been researching for months. I had an enclosure ready. Yesterday I caught a small tarantula. It is about 3' fully stretched out. Black hair with a red bum.
My question is: Is taking it from outside and making it a pet cruel? I've had some people in my animal groups tell me I should've bought one at a store or from a breeder.

 

[Ellenantula]

To capture an animal, force it reside in conditions safe from predators and offer it a regular supply of food? Cruel indeed!!!

Feel free to post a pix of whole enclosure with T inside if you'd like assistance in setting things up for your new pet.

Congrats on first T!

 

[KingDontay]

Here it is. Its a 10 gallon terrarium

 

[Ellenantula]

Since they climb glass -- and can fall -- I offer deeper substrate (to reduce height of enclosure) and pack it down hard -- they hate walking on loose soil. Generally distance from substrate to tank top should be about 1.5X the DLS size of T.
The rocks are pretty but I would keep them away from edges to prevent T from falling on them. I never use rocks for decoration but that's gotta be your call. Ts can especially become clumsy nearing moulting.
I offer mine a hide (basically a half-round buried a bit down in substrate) and they hide out in/under it -- sometimes mine ignore the hide, sometimes they sit on top like king of the mountain. lol
Some folks use fake plants and some don't -- for a New World terrestrial (which appears to be what you have) I don't know if they will benefit your T at all -- more decorative than anything. Your call again.
Keep substrate dry for your genus -- your water dish is all yours will need.

I suppose my enclosures would look fairly spartan to you -- you are more creative in decorating than I!

Good luck and welcome to an addicting new hobby!

 

[nicodimus22]

I would:

1) Take the rocks out. If your T is climbing on the lid and falls on one, or burrows under one and it collapses, splat.

2) Add a lot more substrate. If your spider is 3 inches in legspan, you only want about 4.5 inches between the substrate and the lid to prevent falls that can rupture its abdomen.

 

[KingDontay]

Thank you both. I didnt think about him falling or burrowing.
I will take it out but can I wait a couple of days to add more Eco earth? He is still grumpy and I was hoping to give him space. If not I will add it today.
I used fake plants because I didnt have a natural hide, its just a green tub hide so I covered it to make it more comfortable for him.

 

[KezyGLA]

Its a mature male. So in this respect it is a little cruel.

That means it doesnt have long to live. I would release it where you found it and let it continue on its natural path to mate and continue its purpose. Rather than deteriorate and die in captivity.

 

[Anoplogaster]

Thank you both. I didnt think about him falling or burrowing.
I will take it out but can I wait a couple of days to add more Eco earth? He is still grumpy and I was hoping to give him space. If not I will add it today.
I used fake plants because I didnt have a natural hide, its just a green tub hide so I covered it to make it more comfortable for him.

I wouldn't wait. Adding substrate will stress him just the same, whether you do it now or later. If you wait, you'll increase the odds of a fall by allowing more time for it to possibly occur.

Btw, looks like you have a mature male. Still very cool, but don't expect a long life out of him. Males don't live very long once they reach maturity.

 

[mconnachan]

Hello. I'm new to tarantulas. Ive been researching for months. I had an enclosure ready. Yesterday I caught a small tarantula. It is about 3' fully stretched out. Black hair with a red bum.
My question is: Is taking it from outside and making it a pet cruel? I've had some people in my animal groups tell me I should've bought one at a store or from a breeder.

Yes, you've taken it from her natural environment, and are now holding her captive, cruel, yes, undoubtedly, put her back exactly where you found her. If you're so into tarantulas go and buy one, taking one from the wild is a no no, please put her back it is cruel. What a shame for the spider, who knows what irreversible damage you may have caused!

 

[Ellenantula]

Thank you both. I didnt think about him falling or burrowing.
I will take it out but can I wait a couple of days to add more Eco earth? He is still grumpy and I was hoping to give him space. If not I will add it today.
I used fake plants because I didnt have a natural hide, its just a green tub hide so I covered it to make it more comfortable for him.

Very creative-- I didn't see the hide!!! Well done you!

No harm in waiting a few days -- odds are good a fall won't occur -- we just don't take unnecessary chances, yannoe, because it can (and has) happened?

I hope to see you posting in a year with a dozen tarantulas. rofl

 

[ispectechular]

Hello. I'm new to tarantulas. Ive been researching for months. I had an enclosure ready. Yesterday I caught a small tarantula. It is about 3' fully stretched out. Black hair with a red bum.
My question is: Is taking it from outside and making it a pet cruel? I've had some people in my animal groups tell me I should've bought one at a store or from a breeder.

I personally dislike it when people take animals out of their natural habitat and put them into a cage. I would hate it if it was happening to me. I refuse to buy wild caught animals of any kind. I will spend extra cash to buy captive bred. I paid a little more for my G Rosea because I wanted one that was captive bred. Please consider putting the tarantula back into the wild. Here are some great website to buy tarantulas from...
Jamiestarantulas.com
fearnottaarntulas.com
kenthebugguy.com
arachnoiden.com

 

[Ellenantula]

I wouldn't wait. Adding substrate will stress him just the same, whether you do it now or later. If you wait, you'll increase the odds of a fall by allowing more time for it to possibly occur.

Btw, looks like you have a mature male. Still very cool, but don't expect a long life out of him. Males don't live very long once they reach maturity.

I can't tell. I tried embiggening pix too. Maybe I need new glasses. lol
But it's a first T -- and we may have new convert to the hobby!

 

[KingDontay]

Should I release him & search for one who is already is in captivity?

 

[mconnachan]

Very creative-- I didn't see the hide!!! Well done you!

No harm in waiting a few days -- odds are good a fall won't occur -- we just don't take unnecessary chances, yannoe, because it can (and has) happened?

I hope to see you posting in a year with a dozen tarantulas. rofl

I really thought you would be against it being kept pal, I don't think it's right, but each to their own I suppose, I just don't like the thought of taking a wild animal out of it's natural environment, so you were being extremely sarcastic in your first post, oh well as long as it is treated properly, really where's the harm.

 

[Ellenantula]

I personally dislike it when people take animals out of their natural habitat and put them into a cage. I would hate it if it was happening to me. I refuse to buy wild caught animals of any kind. I will spend extra cash to buy captive bred. I paid a little more for my G Rosea because I wanted one that was captive bred. Please consider putting the tarantula back into the wild.

Okay -- hate me. But I so wish I lived in an area where I could just 'catch' a T. Sorry, but true.

 

[mconnachan]

Should I release him & search for one who is already is in captivity?

Yes

 

[ispectechular]

Should I release him & search for one who is already is in captivity?

YES! Please. A few sources again to look at.
Jamiestarantulas.com
fearnottaarntulas.com
kenthebugguy.com
arachnoiden.com

 

[Ellenantula]

I really thought you would be against it being kept pal, I don't think it's right, but each to their own I suppose, I just don't like the thought of taking a wild animal out of it's natural environment, so you were being extremely sarcastic in your first post, oh well as long as it is treated properly, really where's the harm.

In the olden days they were all wild-caught. To be honest (speaking as US citizen) I see too many pesticides in use and feel people gotta enter the hobby some way. I picture this OP as someone who will catch the T bug and want to start purchasing some captive breds. I hate to discourage folks who catch a T and fall in love -- it's a beginning, yannoe?
I can take criticism, so no hard feelings.

 

[Anoplogaster]

I personally dislike it when people take animals out of their natural habitat and put them into a cage. I would hate it if it was happening to me. I refuse to buy wild caught animals of any kind. I will spend extra cash to buy captive bred. I paid a little more for my G Rosea because I wanted one that was captive bred. Please consider putting the tarantula back into the wild.

I'm a bit on the same boat with this, too. Organisms in the wild all play a role in the ecosystem. This little guy serves as a predator to help stabilize the insect populations, while also being a source of genes to pass on to future generations of his species. This is one of the biggest motives for captive breeding efforts: To avoid further impact to wild populations.

It would be very responsible of you as a naturalist to return him to the wild, and browse our classified section for a beautiful captive-bred spider

 

[mconnachan]

I hope to see you posting in a year with a dozen tarantulas. rofl

Yes captive bred sp. not WC,