Soon-to-be-Owner

[Lumberguy]

Hello all! I found this board a few days ago and just got access to be able to post, so that's what I'm doing .

I have been doing lots of research lately, because I want to purchase my very first tarantula, and I have decided on a Grammostola aureostriata. I have a few concerns before I actually decide to buy my tarantula: The source that I am looking at for purchase has them for $10 at 1/4" spiderlings, and $20 for 1/2" babies.

My initial idea was to buy a spiderling and raise it to adulthood, so this sounds great to me, however, I have no idea as to the death rate of the baby Ts, and I would be very upset if I were to get one and then have it die a few days after I receive it. Obviously this is a possibility, but I was wondering how large of a chance there actually is of this happening?

Another concern I have pertains to food: where am I going to get crickets small enough that a 1/4" spider can eat them? There are pet stores near me that sell crickets, but I don't even know if they come that small :?

Is there anyone that has experience with raising this particular species from spiderling size that could help me out with specific requirements about the food, as mentioned, and perhaps about any requirements as far as heating and humidity goes? I have read that the Golden Knees are sub-desert dwellers, which I assume means they don't need excess humidity, but I'm not sure if I'm going to need to place the spiderling near something warm or if I shouldn't worry overmuch about that.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Aurelia]

Great choice! :clap: The first sling I ever raised was G. aureo and I had no problem with her. She grew pretty fast too. Right now she's about 3.5" at 2 years old without powerfeeding.

For tiny slings I would recommend feeding either fruit flies (you can buy cultures at petsmart) or the back legs of crickets. If you are lucky, maybe you can find roach nymphs or pinhead crickets.

This species likes it really dry when they're older, but I keep all of my slings with slightly moist substrate since they're too small for a water dish. With G. aureo I think you can get away with wetting a small patch of substrate once a week in order for it to drink and to facilitate molting.

 

[KJE]

Great choice for a 1st t.

I would recommend buying at least 2 of them, that way you will have a better shot of one of them turning out to be a female.

As for food, you can just crush the head of the cricket you feed them if you can't find anything small enough. They will eat freshly killed prey for a while.

 

[JNG]

just ask for pinhead crickets. Unless, its a PETCO. Then gota say "the littlest crickets you have". Petco's here dont know what a pinhead cricket is.

 

[Lumberguy]

Awesome, thanks for the quick responses! That trick about crushing a larger cricket sounds good for me if I can't get smaller ones. For substrate for Chacos, I was thinking for coconut husk mulch (I don't know what it is really called) but I heard some people prefer peat moss. Should I not worry about this until my T gets bigger and I can put it in a larger enclosure, or should I get a bit of one or the other for the spiderling from the start, if only to dampen it a bit?

 

[Aurelia]

Awesome, thanks for the quick responses! That trick about crushing a larger cricket sounds good for me if I can't get smaller ones. For substrate for Chacos, I was thinking for coconut husk mulch (I don't know what it is really called) but I heard some people prefer peat moss. Should I not worry about this until my T gets bigger and I can put it in a larger enclosure, or should I get a bit of one or the other for the spiderling from the start, if only to dampen it a bit?

Either works fine, but I would recommend peat moss for a burrowing sling. You can find bed-a-beast at most pet stores. It's a compressed brick of peat moss that you add water too. Really good stuff.

 

[JNG]

Awesome, thanks for the quick responses! That trick about crushing a larger cricket sounds good for me if I can't get smaller ones. For substrate for Chacos, I was thinking for coconut husk mulch (I don't know what it is really called) but I heard some people prefer peat moss. Should I not worry about this until my T gets bigger and I can put it in a larger enclosure, or should I get a bit of one or the other for the spiderling from the start, if only to dampen it a bit?

I dont know about that coconut stuff. I've just been using peat moss, since i've started this. a few others have said they are just using peat moss too. But, i guess I shoulda let somebody else answer that. I only have 2. But, the peat moss has worked though

 

[Mina]

Welcome to the boards and to the hobby!!!!!! You made a great first choice for a T!!! I would suggest getting the larger of the babies available, it will make it easier for you. If you can afford it, I would get two babies as well, just in case, sometimes babies have health problems no matter how well they are cared for.
The coconut mulch bedding is good, that is what we use and we are very happy with it. Its called bed-a-beast as well as some other things.
You can get larger crickets than your baby can handle if you crush their heads or cripple them in some way so they can't harm the baby.
The best way to deal with water is have a damp, but not soaking wet, side of the enclosure and a dry side. The baby will go where it wants.
Feeding, if you have to feed larger crickets than your baby needs, one a week is more than enough, if they are correctly sized for the little one (no bigger than its abdomen) you can give two a week. Any more than that is power feeding, which is considered by some to be bad.
Good luck and enjoy your first T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I would really advise finding someplace selling them at least 1" in legspan. (Swift's Inverts has 1" for $25 dollars, for example.) Trust me, as a spider newbie you have no comprehension of just how tiny a 1/4 or 1/2 spiderling is until you actually see it. My first order of Ts included an L. parahybana in between the two sizes and I was convinced I'd break it just looking at it.

Dealing with microscopic spiderlings is way more intimidating than getting them slightly larger. It's very hard to rehouse them, to feed them, to open the vials and do ANYTHING while trying to control this tiny fast fragile little bug that's terrified of you.

My 1-1.5" G. aureostriata spiderling from that same order was a dream compared to that. All my original Ts are still around and doing well, but man. If I could go back in time and *not* have bought that microscopic parahybana, I would.

 

[testdasi]

Great choice but wrong size.

Chaco is a very slow grower (faster than a rosea but still very slow) and 0.5" spiderling will take a long time to grow.

I think you should try your best to get something bigger. In my experience, at least 1.5" is much better though will be pricier.

 

[deathcrew]

Great choice but wrong size.

Chaco is a very slow grower (faster than a rosea but still very slow) and 0.5" spiderling will take a long time to grow.

I think you should try your best to get something bigger. In my experience, at least 1.5" is much better though will be pricier.

I def. agree with testdasi. Something like a chaco (witch is an awesome t ) takes a long time to get any size so you might get a little bored. I would get something a little bigger. I would get the chaco and get a hold of Teresa from Tarantulas Inc. and get you're self an adult A.sp.Brownsville! I got one from her in Oct. and it quickly became one of my favorites. That way you have one to watch grow and one to handle.

 

[Sterlingspider]

Dealing with microscopic spiderlings is way more intimidating than getting them slightly larger. It's very hard to rehouse them, to feed them, to open the vials and do ANYTHING while trying to control this tiny fast fragile little bug that's terrified of you.

Or even worse, one that is in no way scared of you whatsoever.

At least the spooked ones you can generally trust to stay put once they've hunkered down and decided they are invisible.

I got a 5/8" OBT this weekend that I can practically hear saying "oh hey, what is it that you are doing over there at the edge of the top? Oh, did I say THERE? I meant RIGHT HERE, RIGHT WHERE YOUR HAND IS HERE..."

It's so tiny that just cracking the lid is enough for it to escape and I know I have no way whatsoever of blocking it if it starts to come out.

 

[Lumberguy]

Well I just did some searching at the local petstore and then again at Wal-Mart and neither had bed-a-beast or peat moss without Miracle Grow fertilizer in it, which was disappointing. I am, however, going back to Houston in a little over a week, so I shouldn't have any trouble getting what I need there.

That is an interesting consideration about the size, and since a lot of you seem to agree about getting a larger spiderling, maybe I should do some more searching to find a 1 incher... Does anyone have a good source for getting one? I saw a for-sale post on this forum which had the two sizes I mentioned before, which is why I decided to go with that (I figure it should be a legitimate source if it's on the boards here). I just feel a little iffy about giving out credit card info over the web.

If I can't find a larger spiderling, maybe I'll do as you guys suggest instead, and buy more than one smaller one in the case that one of them has a health issue.

 

[deathcrew]

Go here http://www.groworganic.com/item_PSO113_Beats_Peat_3_Cu_Ft_Brick.html?welcome=T&theses=3649299

 

[Mushroom Spore]

(I figure it should be a legitimate source if it's on the boards here).

Good idea, but incorrect. Scammers and people who don't pack well for shipping and just plain bad businesspeople can pop up ANYWHERE. We do have a review forum though: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/forumdisplay.php?f=8

G. aureostriata is pretty popular, you should be able to find varying sizes at almost every popular dealer. Don't worry about credit cards, most of the big hobby dealers work through Paypal - and if a dealer isn't trustworthy, their review thread will say so.

 

[Sooner]

I bought three 1.5" chacos from Kenthebugguy a few months ago and all three are going strong. You can't go wrong with these guys but do go for something around 1-2" so you won't get bored

They are hearty eaters and a pleasure to care for.

 

[scottyk]

Go here http://www.groworganic.com/item_PSO113_Beats_Peat_3_Cu_Ft_Brick.html?welcome=T&theses=3649299

Is that a brick of peat moss or coco fiber? It says "Absorbs and retains more water than peat moss" so i'm assuming it's coco fiber, but you can't tell from the picture...

 

[arachnube]

I use the the coconut stuff and it works well. My G.Rosea burrows in it a bit. Just make sure its not too wet, the stuff holds moisture like crazy (chekc the thread coco Nuts for suggestions from others).

I too was looking into getting a small sling for the first time. B Vagan .5in". I'm reconsidering it now that I've read this thread. Anyone know about how the B. Vagan likes things set up (temp/Hum. Etc)?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Anyone know about how the B. Vagan likes things set up (temp/Hum. Etc)?

The same as most hobby species: room temp (between 65-85 F) and mist them once every week to ten days until they're big enough for a water dish. Caresheets are crap.

 

[arachnube]

The same as most hobby species: room temp (between 65-85 F) and mist them once every week to ten days until they're big enough for a water dish. Caresheets are crap.

Thanks Mushroom! I agree about the care sheets that I've seen at alot of places.