About Aphonopelma seemanni

[Arcana]

I am very close to purchase Aphonopelma seemanni (blue, hopefully) and it will be a tiny sling, as usual I've done research about this species but I'm left with hunger for information. So anyone who has or had had A. seemanni, please share your experiences about this beautiful T because I trust todays keepers more than care sheets found in internet.

How is it like? Does it eat like a horse or like a G. rosea at its worse? How do you keep your A. seemanni? I will NEVER handle my tarantulas, but do you handle your A. seemanni or does it do a lot of threat postures? Like humans, Ts are also individuals but at least I get some kind of picture what to expect when my possible future seemanni sling grows.

I've faced info about A. seemanni that doesn't support one another. One says it's not a good T for beginner (like myself) and one says it makes a good first T. What's your opinion about A. seemanni? If I'm not utterly mistaken, A. seemanni is quite similar to B. vagans when it comes to conditions in enclosure.

Feel free to give any advises regarding to A. seemanni or if you think it's not suitable for newbie like me, feel free to tell me (and suggest another tarantula!)

 

[TownesVanZandt]

I did have a subadult female (normal colour form, not the blue one you´re getting) for a year or so, before I sold it to free up some space for other species. My specimen at least were not very defensive. They like to burrow, so provide it with enough substrate to allow that. The feeding response was good, but the growth rate seemed pretty slow. You should consider whether you really want two slow growing slings, or if you would prefer another species with a faster growth rate. Apart from that, they are a good beginner species IMO.

 

[Poec54]

Beautiful species. They're easy to keep, & not defensive. Typical of tropicals, they're on the nervous side, but not excessively. Give them deep, moist substrate and they'll dig a retreat in it. Go for it.

 

[Arcana]

I did have a subadult female (normal colour form, not the blue one you´re getting) for a year or so, before I sold it to free up some space for other species. My specimen at least were not very defensive. They like to burrow, so provide it with enough substrate to allow that. The feeding response was good, but the growth rate seemed pretty slow. You should consider whether you really want two slow growing slings, or if you would prefer another species with a faster growth rate. Apart from that, they are a good beginner species IMO.

I own one G. rosea sling so... Yeah, slow growers are totally fine for me

 

[Formerphobe]

I am very close to purchase Aphonopelma seemanni (blue, hopefully) and it will be a tiny sling, as usual I've done research about this species but I'm left with hunger for information. So anyone who has or had had A. seemanni, please share your experiences about this beautiful T because I trust todays keepers more than care sheets found in internet.

How is it like? Does it eat like a horse or like a G. rosea at its worse? How do you keep your A. seemanni? I will NEVER handle my tarantulas, but do you handle your A. seemanni or does it do a lot of threat postures? Like humans, Ts are also individuals but at least I get some kind of picture what to expect when my possible future seemanni sling grows.

I've faced info about A. seemanni that doesn't support one another. One says it's not a good T for beginner (like myself) and one says it makes a good first T. What's your opinion about A. seemanni? If I'm not utterly mistaken, A. seemanni is quite similar to B. vagans when it comes to conditions in enclosure.

Feel free to give any advises regarding to A. seemanni or if you think it's not suitable for newbie like me, feel free to tell me (and suggest another tarantula!)

I think A seemanni would be a great starter tarantula. If you're a first time T keeper, I would recommend starting with a juvenile versus a tiny sling as it would not be so fragile. They do like to burrow so allow plenty of substrate depth. As an adult, mine is usually out and about, but will still retreat to her burrow occasionally.
Keep substrate mostly dry, overflowing the water bowl periodically. (Younger slings will need slightly damp substrate in addition to a water bowl.)
I don't handle my tarantulas. My female has always been more prone to flight than fight, but that can be an individual thing that can change with the molt cycle, weather, etc.
Mine has always had an excellent feed response. Slings and small juveniles can eat once a week. The larger they get, the more you can space out their feedings. My girl gets one cricket or superworm every 6 weeks or so.
They will rearrange the enclosure to their liking, so don't expect any decorations to remain where you put them. This includes the water bowl... At about 4 inches, I gave my girl a ping pong ball which is currently buried, but she digs it out periodically, moves it around, puts it in her water bowl, etc.

 

[TownesVanZandt]

I own one G. rosea sling so... Yeah, slow growers are totally fine for me

Ah, you Finns have a lot of patience!

 

[Arcana]

Ah, you Finns have a lot of patience!

Oh yes we do!

Many thanks for responses. It's time to update a little. I recently received A. seemanni 'blue' and fed her yesterday. And wow, she is a mean spider! I thought my B. vagans was vicious but she's not even near to this seemanni sling I got. I opened up her enclosure to remove roach remains and she went totally nuts, haha. Even kicked hairs at me! I didn't realize that even that small slings do that... Or do they? She's barely 3/4 inch size. Did I misunderstand her behaviour? Anyway, I will have an interesting road to travel with this one and she's only a sling, gosh

I named it Beetlejuice. I don't care is it a male or female, Beetlejuice that is with some character

 

[Poec54]

Tropicals do tend to be wired.

 

[Vanessa]

They are a species who very often comes up on online sources for sale as juveniles and adults. It seems that they are one of the first to go when people are downsizing their collections and adult females are usually reasonably priced.
I have never purchased one because they are a bit outside my comfort zone. They seem to be one of the most available adult species in Canada.

 

[Formerphobe]

They are a species who very often comes up on online sources for sale as juveniles and adults. It seems that they are one of the first to go when people are downsizing their collections and adult females are usually reasonably priced.

Mine is on my keeper list. If I ever downsize, she won't be going anywhere.

 

[Vezon]

You might as well get an adult/juvie as others have said. They are (at least the ncf) relatively easy to find, and they're reasonably priced (3-4" unsexed $25). The blue color form are a bit harder to get as adults and they are more expensive.

 

[Walter1]

Oh yes we do!

Many thanks for responses. It's time to update a little. I recently received A. seemanni 'blue' and fed her yesterday. And wow, she is a mean spider! I thought my B. vagans was vicious but she's not even near to this seemanni sling I got. I opened up her enclosure to remove roach remains and she went totally nuts, haha. Even kicked hairs at me! I didn't realize that even that small slings do that... Or do they? She's barely 3/4 inch size. Did I misunderstand her behaviour? Anyway, I will have an interesting road to travel with this one and she's only a sling, gosh

I named it Beetlejuice. I don't care is it a male or female, Beetlejuice that is with some character

If I can note, no vagans I've ever had or heard about from friends came anywhere near the term bicious.