Brand new owner

[LisaJanes]

hi everyone , I'm buying my first ever spider next week , a Chilean Rose and I just wanted General advice , especially about eating , heating and lighting.

How often should I feed her , do I have to remove any crickets after a certain length of time ?
I want to do the best I can so all advice would be appreciated

Thank you

 

[ledzeppelin]

There's a million threads like this on this forum, but I can give you a few fundamental rules:
You don't need any heating - room temperature is perfectly fine.
Secondly, tarantulas hate light, so you should keep your Ts without extra lighting. There are some exeptions with red light etc, but my advice would be no extra lighting. Thirdly, you should always remove any uneaten food after at least 24 hours. Dead crickets can mold and mold is not good for your T. And the worst thing that might happen is, when your T is molting, the crickets that are left roaming the enclosure can kill it. So remove anything after at least a day. One cricket a week is enough. You can feed twice a week but it is not necessary. I personally like 1 item a week.
Remember, G. Rosea lives in dry conditions, so keep the humiditly low. Only a waterdish which you overfill about once a month, maybe less frequent.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby

LZ

 

[ledzeppelin]

Oh my advice was for a grown spider. Are you planning on getting a sling or a grown one?

 

[14pokies]

As lz stated. There are hundreds of G.rosea care threads here is one of the most comprehensive..

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/ch...w-to-really-take-care-of-your-g-rosea.226727/

This should help with most other questions

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/quick-reference-guide-to-answer-common-questions.145454/

 

[cold blood]

My advice...pick a different first t. A rose hair was my first, and while its easy to take care of, their inactivity, long frequent fasting bouts, low food requirements and incredible slow growth mean they will take forever to actually learn anything from...much less enjoy. They are frequently frustrating new owners as you can see if you do a quick search or just look around enough.

Euthlus sp., G. pulchripes, and B. albopilosum would be my suggestions. And I would suggest a juvenile...slings are more delicate, and adults slow down while juvies are a nice balance of activity, growth and feeding response. Watching them grow is one of the real cool things about them, which is another reason to get one still growing.

If I could go back and start over, based on what I know and have experienced, I wouldn't hesitate to get a G. pulchripes. The perfect blend of growth, feeding response, looks and demeanor for a beginner.

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• cold blood
• Oct 15, 2016
• 1

little pulchripes

 

[Rittdk01]

Knew nothing about tarantulas when I got a Rosie. i use coconut husk for dirt (Eco earth). 5.5 gallon tank if it's a bigger tarantula. I have never been real sure about feeding any of my tarantulas, but haven't killed any yet. I let the tarantula decide how much to eat by tossing in food every few days. Once they are full, they will quit eating. I remove crickets at the end of the day if they aren't consumed. The stirmi, lp and ghost ornamental are unlike any other tarantulAs because they never refuse food. I just look at there butts and can see that some of mine are too fat, so I won't feed them much till they molt. Make sure they always have water. I put a water dish at both ends of every enclosure. And yes, I've seen several drink from their dishes.

My two Rosies are my most handle able. You don't want to pull them out much, but Rosies don't seem too flustered when I do. I've had my biggest one out in my hand probably fifty times. She just sits there and let's my nephews gently pet her. I love mine and would say a Rosie would be a great first tarantula.

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

I'd go for the B. albo. Just picked up a 3" juvie myself the other day! Love her to bits. From what I've heard, they are much more active and have a greater feeding response than any rosehair. Also have that great look, with a very similar look to a rosea. Rose hairs can also have attitude problems, with some being evil monsters that will fast for months on end for almost no reason. Love my albopilosum already, I'd go with that as a juvie over any size rosehair IMO

 

[Icculus]

I'm new to the hobby as well. just brought home a G. pulchripes sling recently and is by far my favorite of the three we have. it's always out and about and has undertaken a pretty serious construction project. very fun to watch

 

[Walker253]

Hi Lisa, I hope you enjoy your new addition. Rose hairs are super easy to keep, but can be frustrating for a new keeper, They're known for long fasts and that can be quite frustrating for a new owner. Once it starts a fast, you will continually second guess yourself thinking you are doing something wrong. Nine out of ten, it's the tarantula and not you. I had a rose hair fast for a year. It was frustrating. I finally gave it away and left the hobby for about 7 years. I knew of no resources like this board. By being here, you are ahead of the game already.
Enough of my rant. I'm not going to try and talk you into another species, that's your choice. Here is a good link on caring for your rose hair. It's good enough, it got pinned. Good luck

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/ch...w-to-really-take-care-of-your-g-rosea.226727/

 

[Vanessa]

While G.porteri are good for beginners from the easy care aspect, they are not as ideal for a first tarantula. As others have stated, their propensity towards fasting, their unpredictable and severe mood swings, and their extremely slow growth rate, make them less than perfect.
If you have your heart set on one, I would suggest getting a B. albopilosum as well. They are far more active, far more fast growing, and will eat what the G.porteri won't. They should always be a package deal.
G.pulchripes are a good alternative as well, but they grow to be the largest of the beginner species. If that makes you uncomfortable, I would stick to the B.albopilosum.