# I Killed my Chaco Golden Knee



## WingedLycan (Sep 5, 2012)

Today started out in the most horrible way possible: I killed my chaco golden knee sling. For some background, I'm completely new to the tarantula hobby and started about a month ago where I got my first Ts. They were a Mexican Redknee and Chaco Golden. It seemed that the Chaco golden knee was able to squeeze its way out of my kritter keeper on the first week and I thought it long gone since a month passed since that day. 

Fast forwards to the present. My house has a small infestation of brown widows and so I kill off the mature ones every once in a while to prevent any more breeding since more spiderlings are showing up. Well this morning, I wake up to see a dark brown spider crawling on the mirror next to my bed, or more like a brown splotch since I can't see well without my contact lenses. I immediately catch it with a small container that the chaco golden knee was bought with to begin with, but I didn't have anything around me to put under the spider and bring out. Well I look at it through the semi-translucent container and figure it's just a mature brown widow and laughed to myself because I was hoping it was my lost Chaco...and so I killed it. 

Once I got my contact lenses on however, and got a closer look at it...it WAS my Chaco. It was so much darker (not sure why), and smaller than the Chaco I bought before that I didn't realize it was my Midas (his/her name). I'm pulling my hair out and screaming inside my head at what I just did.

In short, I'm disheartened at killing one of my first Ts and because I'm new to the Tarantula hobby I feel like I don't deserve to take care of them anymore. I consciously thought, "Is this my Chaco?" and decided no... it's all my fault for not making the effort to catch it and for that I am so deeply ashamed. I need some guidance to get me to continue with the hobby because I feel like my actions will shadow me for the rest of the hobby. Any criticism, sympathy, anger, sadness etc. is welcome because I want to forgive myself for what I did and face it head on, rather than push the thought to the back of my head and not learn from it. 

RIP Midas, your death could have been completely avoided. :cry:

Reactions: Sad 6


----------



## captmarga (Sep 5, 2012)

Don't be too hard on yourself.  I accidentally smooshed a sling I was packing up... I was dealing with 100 of the running around in the incubator, up my arm, etc, and dropped the tweezers on it.  

For your next baby (you will get another...) keep it in a little vial until it outgrows the vial.  Then in a larger vial.  Don't do a KK until it's over 2" or so, which is years for something like a chaco. 

We all make beginner mistakes.  Just be glad it wasn't a super-expensive spider!  Next time cup the spider, wait until you have on eyes, then look again.  PS - some people would have kept the widow anyway...

Marga

Reactions: Agree 3


----------



## donniedark0 (Sep 5, 2012)

I would feel incredibly bad too. Poor little fella. But it was an accident. Enjoy the hobby and be a good t owner
Next time around. Don't stop now.


----------



## Dr Who (Sep 5, 2012)

Yeah don't beat yourself over this, as sad as it is.

Look at it this way.. the only ''real'' mistake you made was giving it a chance to escape due to improper housing.
Some people here have been keeping T's for waaaay longer and still haven't learned that lesson.
It could have died anywhere/anytime during it's road trip.. 
Unfortunate things happen, but at least you can get a ''Midas the 2nd''..

I hope you do.. maybe not right away but in the future.
Best of luck


----------



## longviewsteven (Sep 5, 2012)

We live and we learn. Look at it this way. You will not make that mistake again. Keep your head up, we have all made mistakes. None of us were born with knowledge of how to care for Ts.


----------



## maxxxieee (Sep 5, 2012)

Agreeing with the other posts... yes.. don't beat yourself up.  We all have to start somewhere.  I too am a beginner and learning and realize that things can happen unexpectedly we sometimes regret and blame ourselves big time.  You definitely will have another and you most definitely will be a wonderful keeper of the new one!  Just believe that!


----------



## cerialkiller (Sep 5, 2012)

Like the others all said keep your head up, we all make mistakes we just have to learn from them, I hope you get another and stay with the hobby next time in this order...
Vile
Pill jar
Bigger pill jar
Critter keeper if the t is 2" or bigger 

caught somewhere in time...


----------



## roaddog (Sep 5, 2012)

Hey Buddy, where in So Cal do you live?  It actually was not your sling you killed, he came to visit me for a mini vacation and would like to go back home!  He told me that he molted prior to leaving and said one of those pesky widow's was wearing the molt and pretending to be a chaco!  PM me and we can make arrangements to get him back to you he is a little homesick!

And no worries, he has a free return ticket in hand!

Reactions: Like 39 | Love 1 | Creative 1 | Award 1 | Lollipop 1


----------



## Storm76 (Sep 6, 2012)

roaddog said:


> Hey Buddy, where in So Cal do you live?  It actually was not your sling you killed, he came to visit me for a mini vacation and would like to go back home!  He told me that he molted prior to leaving and said one of those pesky widow's was wearing the molt and pretending to be a chaco!  PM me and we can make arrangements to get him back to you he is a little homesick!
> 
> And no worries, he has a free return ticket in hand!


This is one of the nicest and friendliest posts that I've read on here since I joined! Kudos to you...this is awesome!


----------



## DannyH (Sep 7, 2012)

Don't worry, we've all been there.


----------



## icemanx2 (Sep 7, 2012)

i know the feeling... i accidentally sat on my marshalli  while looking for her after she escape from her enclosure... and I really feel bad about it.

Reactions: Useful 1


----------



## donniedark0 (Sep 7, 2012)

just goes to show you that there really is wonderful people in this world. God bless you roaddog.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## roaddog (Sep 8, 2012)

*Flying back home Monday!*

Just to let everyone know that he will be flying back home Monday to his owner.  He enjoyed his brief stay in SD but misses home, and he may have a few stragglers following him home!  

Thanks for the kind words and PM's.

Reactions: Like 14 | Love 2 | Award 1


----------



## Anonymity82 (Sep 8, 2012)

Exceptionally nice, gracious people do exist? What a wonderful thing to do! 

BTW, I accidentally squished my adult female P. metallica that was in my Jaguar that was in my Beverly Hills mansion. I didn't happen to leave any of those over there did I?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## pokemepokey (Sep 8, 2012)

Keep your head up and stay in the hobby sometimes we do loose slings. It never gets easy as a T parent. And Roaddog that was an incredibly stand up thing to do what a nice guy.


----------



## cerialkiller (Sep 9, 2012)

roaddog said:


> Just to let everyone know that he will be flying back home Monday to his owner.  He enjoyed his brief stay in SD but misses home, and he may have a few stragglers following him home!
> 
> Thanks for the kind words and PM's.


I just wanna say that is an awesome stand up thing to do for someone,  my car club calls that "m-h-m" ( members helping members) 

caught somewhere in time...


----------



## SilverTycho (Sep 9, 2012)

roaddog said:


> Just to let everyone know that he will be flying back home Monday to his owner.  He enjoyed his brief stay in SD but misses home, and he may have a few stragglers following him home!
> 
> Thanks for the kind words and PM's.


That is so thoughtful of you! Happy to see such great kindness.


----------



## JungleCage (Sep 9, 2012)

When I first got a T I had no idea how to take care of it. I caught mine in a forest having no idea people actually kept them as pets! Little did I know. Its eventually died from dehydration. I felt bad because I thought there was no way to get another. I don't feel too bad because later I found out it was just a mature male and probably died of old age lol.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Kazaam (Sep 9, 2012)

roaddog said:


> Just to let everyone know that he will be flying back home Monday to his owner.  He enjoyed his brief stay in SD but misses home, and he may have a few stragglers following him home!
> 
> Thanks for the kind words and PM's.


Have my babies, please.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


----------



## WingedLycan (Sep 13, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your kind words. After a few days of thinking the situation over and over in my head, I think I've mostly come to terms with it. I've realized that I may be new to the hobby, but I absolutely love it and simply cannot give it up. (because honestly, who can say no to a cute T, get it? Cute-T, cutie? :giggle: )

I'm still a little saddened over what happened, but Rodie's response really brightened up my day and I have so much to thank him for bringing me back into the hobby. Furthermore, while Midas was vacationing at his house, Midas made some new best friends who just couldn't bear to see him go so they followed him home. I now have a P. Irminia named Helios and a curly hair which has not been named yet all thanks to Rodie. 

Okay, funny story. I was not keeping up to date with this thread, so I had no idea that Rodie was also sending more than a Chaco. When the package arrived I thought, "Whoa, the tarantula is packed in a large deli cup, how big is it?" because I was used to the small Ts being in vials or straws. I then kinda panicked and started removing the toilet paper packing layer by layer, and actually had to stop and catch my breath every minute or so because of how tense the moment was. Finally, when I reached the middle there were the Chaco, Curly Hair, and Irminia. I then just stared at them and thought, "Holy <edit>..." I feel like I'm a little in over my head with the Irminia, but hell, if he thinks I can take care of it, then take care of it I will. 

You're all probably getting tired of hearing this, especially Rodie since I've told him like 10 times already, but thank you so much. You have no idea how much all this means to me, and I hope to get to know you guys more eventually because I absolutely love this community, so I'm here to stay. ^^

PS: Tarantulas are gorgeous. I just spent like 15 minutes staring at one groom itself, it's almost hypnotic.

Reactions: Like 7 | Optimistic 1


----------



## Storm76 (Sep 13, 2012)

WingedLycan said:


> I'm still a little saddened over what happened, but Rodie's response really brightened up my day and I have so much to thank him for bringing me back into the hobby. Furthermore, while Midas was vacationing at his house, Midas made some new best friends who just couldn't bear to see him go so they followed him home. I now have a P. Irminia named Helios and a curly hair which has not been named yet all thanks to Rodie.


This is really awesome! Enjoy them 



WingedLycan said:


> I feel like I'm a little in over my head with the Irminia, but hell, if he thinks I can take care of it, then take care of it I will.


You'll be fine. Just keep your fingers out of the enclosure and keep on your toes, they're hardy T's that grow quite fast and look absolutely gorgeous!



WingedLycan said:


> PS: Tarantulas are gorgeous. I just spent like 15 minutes staring at one groom itself, it's almost hypnotic.


I think all of us can sit for hours on end (if we have that much time) looking at whatever they're doing. From a certain size onwards, there's always something to watch

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## trayothegreat (Sep 22, 2012)

i know your feeling, we all make mistakes..  i accidentally drop my smithi enclosure, two legs broken and tomorrow he died.. and I really sad about it. :cry:
but life must go on, and until now i have more T at my room..


----------



## donniedark0 (Sep 23, 2012)

great story. Love it. Goodluck with everything, roadie is the man! thumbs up!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Scorpionidae (Sep 23, 2012)

trayothegreat said:


> i know your feeling, we all make mistakes..  i accidentally drop my smithi enclosure, two legs broken and tomorrow he died.. and I really sad about it. :cry:
> but life must go on, and until now i have more T at my room..


He died tomorrow?


----------



## arachnofab (Sep 24, 2012)

Very sweet gesture, roaddog. You can't hold a mistake against yourself. Like with anything living is learning as long as we learn from our mistakes for future reference. Good luck on your journey through t. collecting!

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## arachnidsrva (Oct 4, 2012)

this makes me want to put an apron on and bake roadie a cake

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## RockinOutAmber (Oct 4, 2012)

roaddog said:


> Hey Buddy, where in So Cal do you live?  It actually was not your sling you killed, he came to visit me for a mini vacation and would like to go back home!  He told me that he molted prior to leaving and said one of those pesky widow's was wearing the molt and pretending to be a chaco!  PM me and we can make arrangements to get him back to you he is a little homesick!
> 
> And no worries, he has a free return ticket in hand!


This made me a little teary-eyed. That is extremely nice of you! I wish more people were like you. 

Must be that time of the month again LOL.

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Aarantula (Oct 4, 2012)

The generosity here is awesome and one of the things that makes this hobby so enjoyable!!! Thumbs up to RoadDog!!! :


----------



## Rhysandfish (Jul 27, 2017)

Its 2017 and people are still reading this thread. This is why i love this hobby already. OP i hope you're still keeping T's

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


----------



## JoshDM020 (Jul 28, 2017)

Rhysandfish said:


> Its 2017 and people are still reading this thread. This is why i love this hobby already. OP i hope you're still keeping T's


Thanks for resurrecting this thread. This was one of the best things ive ever read. OP hasnt been seen since 2013, but i hope theyre still in it, too. This reads almost like fiction, its so wholesome.

Reactions: Like 1 | Love 1


----------



## Rhysandfish (Jul 28, 2017)

JoshDM020 said:


> Thanks for resurrecting this thread. This was one of the best things ive ever read. OP hasnt been seen since 2013, but i hope theyre still in it, too. This reads almost like fiction, its so wholesome.


It was a little saddening as I was looking to buy a golden knee lol, but it was still a great thread to read.


----------



## Bipolar Spider (Jul 28, 2017)

DannyH said:


> Don't worry, we've all been there.


I haven't tbh lol

Reactions: Lollipop 1


----------



## NukaMedia Exotics (Jul 31, 2017)

Damn that sucks man but I think most of the people that have a lot of Ts have ended up killing one at some point so I mean it can happen. May I ask what size it was when it slipped out of the keeper?


----------



## ShyDragoness (Jul 31, 2017)

Best thread to res ever, nice people exist!

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## TylerFishman5675 (Jul 31, 2017)

its like an instinct smushing bugs, once my mantis climbed out on my neck and I wasn't aware and I isntantly smacked it, he fell on the floor, and was in shock for a bit, but he overcame it. Its kind of like a reflex, probally protected our ancient ancestors from mosquitos


----------



## darkness975 (Jul 31, 2017)

I killed a mature female _Hierodula membranacea _once in a half asleep stupor.  Once I realized what happened I spent the rest of the night in anger and guilt.  
Actually I still feel guilty about it ...  =/

Reactions: Sad 1


----------



## TylerFishman5675 (Jul 31, 2017)

darkness975 said:


> I killed a mature female _Hierodula membranacea _once in a half asleep stupor.  Once I realized what happened I spent the rest of the night in anger and guilt.
> Actually I still feel guilty about it ...  =/


Dont worry, I think any rational person would kill a giant insect crawling on their bed at night

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## darkness975 (Jul 31, 2017)

TylerFishman5675 said:


> Dont worry, I think any rational person would kill a giant insect crawling on their bed at night


It was on me.  Somehow she got out and one of the male crickets matured and was chirping at the same time so I spent half the night irritated by that and then when she ended up on my arm I just went WHACK.  

When I turned the light on and woke up more I just kind of sat there when I realized what happened.  


That was that


----------



## TylerFishman5675 (Jul 31, 2017)

darkness975 said:


> It was on me.  Somehow she got out and one of the male crickets matured and was chirping at the same time so I spent half the night irritated by that and then when she ended up on my arm I just went WHACK.
> 
> That was that


Funny thing is a silverfish just landed on my arm, You can guess how that ended

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## darkness975 (Jul 31, 2017)

TylerFishman5675 said:


> Funny thing is a silverfish just landed on my arm, You can guess how that ended


I  used to feed those to my mantids actually.  Not my Spiders though.


----------



## Debbie Mcclure (Nov 8, 2017)

roaddog said:


> *Flying back home Monday!*
> 
> Just to let everyone know that he will be flying back home Monday to his owner.  He enjoyed his brief stay in SD but misses home, and he may have a few stragglers following him home!
> 
> Thanks for the kind words and PM's.


You are so sweet


----------



## Garth Vader (Nov 8, 2017)

This thread is old but I am glad I read it. So heartwarming!!!

Reactions: Like 1


----------

