Cyriocosmus elegans info please.

[Aron W]

I recently discovered the C. Elegans tarantula, and I am thinking about buying one (that is, if I can even find one for sale). Any care sheets or information would be very helpful. <edit>
Thanks in advance.

 

[viper69]

A small dwarf, fast, good appetite- search the forum plenty of people own them, myself included

Care sheets KILL TARANTULAS!!!!!

Affordable is a MEANINGLESS term

 

[Aron W]

A small dwarf, fast, good appetite- search the forum plenty of people own them, myself included

Care sheets KILL TARANTULAS!!!!!

Affordable is a MEANINGLESS term

As far as care sheets go, I just meant a list of things that are needed and important for the well being of the spider.
As far as affordable goes, I don’t have a large budget and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a tarantula.

 

[Thekla]

I'm using @moricollins approach...

Google Search

As for the price, I haven't got a clue about the US, but here they sell for about 5-10€ as slings.

 

[testdasi]

I recently discovered the C. Elegans tarantula, and I am thinking about buying one (that is, if I can even find one for sale). Any care sheets or information would be very helpful. <edit>
Thanks in advance.

C. elegans slings are extremely affordable but they are super tiny (it frequently says "0.5 cm" as size of C. elegans sling and even that is optimistic!). You definitely need fruit fly to feed these slings.
Otherwise, keeping C. elegans sling is pretty similar to any other NW terrestrial / fossorial sling.

Juvie / SA / adult are super hard to come by because (a) they are very cute so few / anyone wants to sell; most of the bigger-than-sling sales are quitting-the-hobby / migrating-to-another-country sale and (b) you are likely to be very emotionally bonded to any being that you raise from 0.5cm size.
But if you manage to get one that is not a sling, think A. seemani, then scale it down to the size of your C. elegans and you will be fine.

 

[moricollins]

I'm using @moricollins approach...

Google Search

As for the price, I haven't got a clue about the US, but here they sell for about 5-10€ as slings.

Well played!

To the OP, this is my favourite species... Small (so they don't take up much room), HUGE appetite, lots of web, and as adorable as you will ever find!

 

[jrh3]

I recently discovered the C. Elegans tarantula, and I am thinking about buying one (that is, if I can even find one for sale). Any care sheets or information would be very helpful. <edit>
Thanks in advance.

There are quiet a few for sale in the classified right now. <edit>

 

[viper69]

As far as care sheets go, I just meant a list of things that are needed and important for the well being of the spider.
As far as affordable goes, I don’t have a large budget and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a tarantula.

without a dollar value, subjective terms are meaningless.
anyway, search the classifieds
I give up.

 

[CommanderBacon]

I paid $60 for my first C elegans sling, but I think the prices are a bit lower now. More recently I think I picked one up for $40? I honestly can't remember the price but it seemed cheap compared to $60 3 years ago. It was an impulse buy <edit> at a show.

The prices in Europe are nothing like the prices in the US, so just look around a bit to see who is selling them and for what prices to get a feel for current pricing. Additionally, be aware that prices fluctuate quite a bit based on demand and availability, but for popular species like C elegans will cycle back into availability if you are patient. I have never seen them available in the US for less than $35.

As mentioned, they are fast, so be aware and ready with a catch cup if you get one. I really enjoy mine.

 

[Aron W]

I paid $60 for my first C elegans sling, but I think the prices are a bit lower now. More recently I think I picked one up for $40? I honestly can't remember the price but it seemed cheap compared to $60 3 years ago. It was an impulse buy <edit> at a show.

The prices in Europe are nothing like the prices in the US, so just look around a bit to see who is selling them and for what prices to get a feel for current pricing. Additionally, be aware that prices fluctuate quite a bit based on demand and availability, but for popular species like C elegans will cycle back into availability if you are patient. I have never seen them available in the US for less than $35.

As mentioned, they are fast, so be aware and ready with a catch cup if you get one. I really enjoy mine.

About how big are the slings? I know they are dwarf tarantulas and so are very small, but I just want the closest estimate I can get to better judge if this is the right tarantula for me.

 

[CommanderBacon]

About how big are the slings? I know they are dwarf tarantulas and so are very small, but I just want the closest estimate I can get to better judge if this is the right tarantula for me.

They are tiny but mighty. All of my C elegans have been good eaters who will happily take down large (to them) prey items, but be prepared for a tiny sling if you get them at 2-3i - think about the size of a flax seed with legs. They are easy to care for though and fast growers.

 

[Aron W]

They are tiny but mighty. All of my C elegans have been good eaters who will happily take down large (to them) prey items, but be prepared for a tiny sling if you get them at 2-3i - think about the size of a flax seed with legs. They are easy to care for though and fast growers.

Thank you so much!

 

[Chebe6886]

The one think I’ll say is you don’t have to get flightless fruit flies or other tiny feeders. My two scavenge anything I put in there and I can barely see them. They seem to really like XS cricket legs and carry them all around despite being 2x their size
Also I paid 30$ for mine

 

[Kitara]

As far as affordable goes, I don’t have a large budget and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a tarantula.

Mine was about $70 or $80, but it was well past the microsling stage. I found it at an expo and didn't even know that it was "big" because I didn't know at the time how big slings were commonly sold. I think she was about 1/2" or a little bigger. I didn't realize she was "so big" until I saw others post about how not big their slings are. I've had her for about seven months and she's a little over an inch now.

I love this spider! She's super fast, but she just runs down into her burrow when spooked. I rehoused her with no problem at all. I had to dump her out because she was buried all the way to the bottom of the deli cup, but I was super gentle and she didn't mind. She climbed right into the vial and I placed that into the new enclosure and let her come out at her leisure. She's down in her burrow about 70% of the time and then visible about 30%. She used to be 100% down in the burrow, but lately when I check on her she's been out many times.

She eats really well. If she doesn't grab the B. lataralis (red runner roach) right away, I take it out and give her a prekilled mealworm just in case she's in premolt.

I've only been keeping Ts for a year and I have 8 of them. I'm still a beginner, but I felt/feel pretty confident with this one.

 

[Reezelbeezelbug]

About how big are the slings? I know they are dwarf tarantulas and so are very small, but I just want the closest estimate I can get to better judge if this is the right tarantula for me.

Here's one I bought (I think for about $40) that came with a 1/4" leg span. This little fella would happily pounce on a cricket leg at that size, I've never had to do fruit flies. Great little spiders, feisty eaters, and adorable as can be. This one has been in a 2oz deli cup since I bought it in March 2019, but I think is now ready to move up to a (slightly) bigger enclosure.

 

[Kitara]

Here's one I bought (I think for about $40) that came with a 1/4" leg span. This little fella would happily pounce on a cricket leg at that size, I've never had to do fruit flies. Great little spiders, feisty eaters, and adorable as can be. This one has been in a 2oz deli cup since I bought it in March 2019, but I think is now ready to move up to a (slightly) bigger enclosure.

Oh my gosh, SO cute and I love that picture on the ruler! Can you see their little heart butt when they're that small or does that come out later? I guess mine already had adult colors when I got it.

Left: November 1/2"(ish)
Right: today 1.2"(ish)

 

[Chebe6886]

Here's one I bought (I think for about $40) that came with a 1/4" leg span. This little fella would happily pounce on a cricket leg at that size, I've never had to do fruit flies. Great little spiders, feisty eaters, and adorable as can be. This one has been in a 2oz deli cup since I bought it in March 2019, but I think is now ready to move up to a (slightly) bigger enclosure.

Yeh mines 1/2- 1/3 that size rn now and drags cricket legs around like he just got some fried chicken. It’s hilarious although I do hope he molts soon so I can actually see it with out magnification

 

[Kitara]

so I can actually see it with out magnification

Yeah, I know I'm 100% not ready for that small of a sling. My smallest was my A. genic which was about 1/2" or maybe a tad smaller. And before I blinked it was over an inch.

 

[Chebe6886]

I was definitely worried when I first saw it but like most things it’s seems a lot worse than it is

 

[moricollins]

This thread makes me want to go buy one of these beauties again... Here's one of mine from 15 years ago