Beginner tips?

transparentChaos4280

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
1
Hello everyone! I recently got into keeping arachnids as pets about a year ago and started saving up to get some. I just ordered two from Jamie's Tarantulas, both beginner bundles (slings with enclosures and all needed supplies), a G. Rosea (I know not the best beginner but I might as well try it) and a B. albopilosum.
I've watched many a YouTube video and I have a few questions now that I'm actually getting some Ts.
-What are the do's and don'ts of keeping slings?
-How fast will it take these two species to reach a size that I don't have to stress about them as much? (I know that doesn't really makes sense, I'll reword it later.)
- How well does Jamie's fare against other sellers?
-I've seen many mealworm farms, how do I go about creating one of those? (I don't want to have to drive every week to get crickets.)
Thanks!

Edit: I meant superworms not mealworms whoops
 
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TownesVanZandt

Arachnoprince
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
1,041
-How fast will it take these two species to reach a size that I don't have to stress about them as much? (I know that doesn't really makes sense, I'll reword it later.)
-I've seen many mealworm farms, how do I go about creating one of those? (I don't want to have to drive every week to get crickets.)
Thanks!

Edit: I meant superworms not mealworms whoops
G. rosea grows slow. It takes forever for them to reach a decent size. B. albopilosum moults more frequently. It should grow from a small sling to 3-4 cm within a year. As for superworms, you can just buy a bunch of them, put them in a KK with oat, wheat bran or rice as substrate and feed them fruit or vegetables. Beware though, they make eerie sounds when crawling around in there, so it´s best to place them in a spare room. Mealworms are easier IMO, as they can be fed, then placed in the fridge for months. No sound, no smell, it´s all hunky-dory.
 

Poec54

Arachnoemperor
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Mar 26, 2013
Messages
4,745
Crickets are much more readily accepted by tarantulas than mealworms. You can keep crickets alive for months, no need to make a weekly pilgrimage.
 

bryverine

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
890
I just ordered two from Jamie's Tarantulas, both beginner bundles (slings with enclosures and all needed supplies), a G. Rosea (I know not the best beginner but I might as well try it) and a B. albopilosum.
I've watched many a YouTube video and I have a few questions now that I'm actually getting some Ts.
Anyone else hear "The Murder" music from Psycho when they read this? ;)

1. Youtube's cool, but be VERY careful about taking advice from there.
2. Along those lines, anything that cites specific humidity is garbage. That's right, I'm taking about you Mr. Caresheet! :punch:
-What are the do's and don'ts of keeping slings?
First, what size are these slings?
C. Regardless of size, keep them well hydrated, NOT in a swamp. If they're 1-1.5" or bigger, offer a bottle cap as a water dish (don't worry, they don't down).
-How fast will it take these two species to reach a size that I don't have to stress about them as much? (I know that doesn't really makes sense, I'll reword it later.)
IV. Depends on a lot of things. Keep them warm and feed them regularly if you want them out of sling stage faster. Once they hit 2-3", they're pretty stable.
- How well does Jamie's fare against other sellers?
V. I personally have bought 5 tarantulas from her, she might take a bit to get back to you, but I greatly enjoyed every transaction and would do each one again.
-I've seen many mealworm farms, how do I go about creating one of those? (I don't want to have to drive every week to get crickets.)
Thanks!
F. I keep dubia roaches, they breed fairly easy, don't die like crickets, and offer "higher nutritional value". Then again, you didn't ask about other food sources, just throwing in my two cents.

G. With feeding slings, you may want to offer prekilled or at least crushed head food. This especially applies to superworms with those tarantula killing mandibles.

8. Remove uneaten prey after 24 hours.

Welcome to the wonderful world of tarantulas!:)

Appendix
a. No heat mats or heat lamps
b. Misting is only superficial and doesn't raise humidity like a syringe
c. Invest in some long tweezers and a paintbrush
d. Tarantulas get nothing from being held
 
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cr4igo

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
21
I've referenced a few things being new to the hobby---> RobC or Tarantulaguy1976 on YouTube---> has some great videos on arboreals and enclosures! Mikesbasictarantulas.com is another great site for husbandry and species caresheets. These are what I have used thus far. The members here seem to be pretty responsive too. Welcome! Check out the buy/sell/trade section for comparable or better pricing on slings and Ts!
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
There's been a lot of great info in this thread, so I'll keep my post short. Concerning feeding slings, I almost always prekill prey for a couple reasons. Firstly, slings (unlike juvies and adults) are scavengers. Many will take live prey, but all will take prekilled prey. It also makes the cleanup process much easier. Since you'll have a humid environment, uneaten prey will certainly mold. Prekilled prey is easy to find if the sling did not eat. Another common thing for new users to do is limit the food intake for slings - no need. Feed them until they refuse food. Their entire goal in life until they're a juvie is to grow as quickly as possible.

I've got a few half-decent YouTube videos myself, as do several other members on here. Check out my signature.
 

Estein

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
153
Welcome to the hobby! Though I've had an adult G. porteri for a couple of years now, I only just got my first sling (G. pulchripes) in March, also from Jamie. I was really impressed with the cost and the quality of the packaging. I've only ordered from her once, but so far I've been super pleased and I plan to order from her again.

I agree with everything bryverine has said, plus I wanted to throw in one of my favorite resources. Tom over at tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com has some great beginner guides chock full of information on feeding, molting, housing, temperature and humidity, etc. that I often reference. He lays out different options, practices, and opinions very concisely, and many of his articles elaborate on information others have touched on here. While there isn't an article that focuses specifically on slings, there are several that have sections dealing with them. Hopefully there will be some helpful info for you there.

Good luck with your information gathering!
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
Glad to have you in the forums, OP! Hope to see more from you :D
Sounds like you have two great T's there. How big are they? I know I will have some small juvies soon, so I'm in the same predicament. Good luck with the slings :)
 

PanzoN88

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 15, 2014
Messages
713
I will get right to the point: relax, take it easy, no need to stress, take any and all advice and or constructive criticism to heart and apply it to every aspect of keeping tarantulas. Some criticism may seem harsh, but it really is not, it is just people who are like minded (everybody on the forum) with concern for the tarantulas safety and the owner of the said tarantula. Any advice and criticism you may face, could very well help not only you but also the tarantula from any situation that may arise. From member to member: welcome to the forum and most importantly welcome to the "cough" addiction "cough" I mean hobby.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
-What are the do's and don'ts of keeping slings?
-How fast will it take these two species to reach a size that I don't have to stress about them as much? (I know that doesn't really makes sense, I'll reword it later.)
- How well does Jamie's fare against other sellers?
In order asked

1. DO read this forum, DON'T read care sheets (or your T may die)
2. Depends upon temperatures, frequency of feeding and QUALITY/TYPE of prey item provided
3. Jamie's a good seller/breeder IMO, I've bought a few Ts from her before.

Watching YouTube videos shouldn't be the main source of your T knowledge, you won't learn that much. You should read extensively on a forum, such as this one. It's the best U.S. forum out there for Ts.
 

mistertim

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
548
Agreed. Youtube videos are fine in conjunction with this forum. The main reason I say that is that once you learn enough here you can immediately spot a youtuber who is giving bad advice and avoid it (ie they talk about heat mats, specific humidity numbers, etc). That being said there are definitely some very well versed and informative youtubers out there.
 

edesign

AB FB Group Moderatr
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 23, 2004
Messages
2,104
Read the review subforum if you want feedback on a particular seller :)
 
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