Difficult to care for species

Tarantula Chris

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It's a common question in the hobby...which are the 'best' species to get as a first T?

I'm curious (as I've never owned a species that is particularly difficult to keep)...
Are there any species of T that require specific conditions or extra attention, or just down right fussy?
 

TownesVanZandt

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Avicularia slings aren´t very hardy and might easily die if not kept right. Also T. blondi/ stirmi has some specific requirements when it comes to humidity. For sure there´s more, but those were the first to come to mind.
 

Tarantula Chris

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I have a Versicolor that I've had since 2nd instar, thought some people might have experiences or knowledge of something a bit more 'specialist'.
 

BorisTheSpider

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I think the general husbandry is pretty straightforward depending on the species . It's the speed and defensive nature that make some Ts a little harder to keep . My albo starts to climb out of her enclosure during maintenance , no big deal . One of my OBTs decides it's a good day to "play catch the T" then that is an issue .
 

Venom1080

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Lampropelma slings are tough, same with H mac slings. Avicularia are hardy if kept in a well vented cage. i dont like raising Cyriopagopus either.
 

Tarantula Chris

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Lampropelma slings are tough, same with H mac slings. Avicularia are hardy if kept in a well vented cage. i dont like raising Cyriopagopus either.
I completely agree about Avics. What made the Lampropelma tough? Their temperament?
 

Venom1080

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I completely agree about Avics. What made the Lampropelma tough? Their temperament?
fragile as slings, they need humidity but too much or too little. H macs need that too when young, they turn bulletproof after about 2".
ps they are both very fast and defensive spiders.
 

cold blood

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Yes, Lampropelma do require moisture or they have molting issues. Aside from that, they're not too tough, they like to hide and are photosensitive to the nth degree, so they usually flee right to their burrow at the slightest anything, so they're not even that difficult to work around IME, but get them out and they're fast and easaily spooked and are no stranger to a threat posture.

I agree on the H. macs. It took me a while to get their sling care down, too much moisture and they go south really quick...same for ventilation. Very sensitive as slings...and while many are, these don't grow too fast, so they stay slings loner than I like.

B. albiceps were a pain to raise, not because of any specific conditions or requirements, just because they grow soooo slow and have terrible appetites when small. Mine would go as long as 177 days between meals, and I'm talking a sub 1/2" sling....then they would finally molt, and there was no discernible growth...very very frustrating to raise. After 2 years they hit an inch, and started to get adult colors...at that point they became spectacular eaters and grew much faster. 2.5 years from 1/4"-1.25".....in the next year they went from 1.25" to over 3"...so its just when small that they are a pain...but its all worth it, as they are a really nice looking species...probably my favorite looking Brachy.
 
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EulersK

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Phlogius sp. "Black" is an absolute pain to care for. It needs high humidity, but not too high. Very narrow range that makes it comfortable. It also needs a fairly large enclosure for the size of the spider, and it needs to be set up as a burrower and a webber. On top of all that, it's an excessively skittish tarantula that is very quick to bite. It has no problem scurrying out of its enclosure when scared, and it's always scared.
 

Vanessa

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Personally, I stay away from any species requiring a higher than average moisture level. I find that avoiding mould and unwanted buggies to be a constant battle.
I'm good with those who require a bit of overflowing the water dish between dry spells, but not comfortable with anyone who requires constant moisture.
And any spiderling is a pain in my books. Sorry, but I just get so frustrated, and worried, when they aren't eating and barely grow with each moult. Some of my spiderlings have shortened my life with the amount of worrying I do over them.
Yes, I'm looking at you A.versicolor and Euathlus.
 

Walker253

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Personally, I stay away from any species requiring a higher than average moisture level. I find that avoiding mould and unwanted buggies to be a constant battle.
I'm good with those who require a bit of overflowing the water dish between dry spells, but not comfortable with anyone who requires constant moisture.
And any spiderling is a pain in my books. Sorry, but I just get so frustrated, and worried, when they aren't eating and barely grow with each moult. Some of my spiderlings have shortened my life with the amount of worrying I do over them.
Yes, I'm looking at you A.versicolor and Euathlus.
You nailed it. The only thing I could add are any T's with extended fasting. Maybe, it's not hard to keep, but they are extremely frustrating to keep imo
 

Chris LXXIX

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In general is better to start with Theraphosidae (if juvenile or adult females, better) that do not require a particular level (I'm not talking about numbers %, that's nonsense) of "humidity". Unlike for centipedes, on that sense, there's a lot to choose among when it comes to "easy to care for" T's.

That's why a Megaphobema robustum, Hysterocrates gigas, genus Theraphosa, genus Ephebophus etc aren't (not even considering now their speed and nervous/high strung temperament) the best for start, especially for beginners that never witnessed a molting process directly.

If you ask me, it's pretty easy and if you follow this rule nothing will happen: lots of inches of moist (moist, not wet) substrate, a piece of cork bark, a water dish always full, and no matter if inside there's an Asian OW or a NW that require a more 'humid' environment, "you" mastered that.

That never betrayed me.
 

Andrea82

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E.sp.Red are fussy, even though they have a sweet disposition and are good beginner species.
My sling makes me pull my hair out because it is such a fussy eater. Prekilled, not too big and not too large. My first instar B.albopilosum eats better than my fourth instar E.sp.Red.
But it's a sweety, which is why I still have her.
Avicularia sp slings were also fussy, until they hit the 2 inch dls mark. My A.metallica and A.versicolor are now very good eaters, even though they never take their food right after I drop it in.
 

Walker253

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In general is better to start with Theraphosidae (if juvenile or adult females, better) that do not require a particular level (I'm not talking about numbers %, that's nonsense) of "humidity". Unlike for centipedes, on that sense, there's a lot to choose among when it comes to "easy to care for" T's.

That's why a Megaphobema robustum, Hysterocrates gigas, genus Theraphosa, genus Ephebophus etc aren't (not even considering now their speed and nervous/high strung temperament) the best for start, especially for beginners that never witnessed a molting process directly.

If you ask me, it's pretty easy and if you follow this rule nothing will happen: lots of inches of moist (moist, not wet) substrate, a piece of cork bark, a water dish always full, and no matter if inside there's an Asian OW or a NW that require a more 'humid' environment, "you" mastered that.

That never betrayed me.
I'm still trying to find the happy medium on my H gigas. A guy told me to make sure I kept her moist or she would die. I went way past that to wet. I didn't kill her, but she didn't look good in my opinion. It was almost as if she had a white hue from being too wet for too long. I rehoused her in a drier condition that is only slightly moist. I'm hoping to find the magic formula. I don't want her to end up as a casualty of a learning curve. Asians are off the table until I figure out the formula with my
H. gigas.
 

Chris LXXIX

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I'm still trying to find the happy medium on my H gigas. A guy told me to make sure I kept her moist or she would die. I went way past that to wet. I didn't kill her, but she didn't look good in my opinion. It was almost as if she had a white hue from being too wet for too long. I rehoused her in a drier condition that is only slightly moist. I'm hoping to find the magic formula. I don't want her to end up as a casualty of a learning curve. Asians are off the table until I figure out the formula with my
H. gigas.
A thing that IMO help is to add, when preparing the enclosure (I'd love to do that days before placing the T/T's) a bit of vermiculite (but the fine grain, not the rough one) into the substrate, mixed well. This help on the long run to mantain the right humidity. I use that for my H.gigas, M.robustum, E.murinus etc enclosures. I keep my H.gigas on moist substrate (but nowhere near moist like my Asian centipede).
 
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Moonohol

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A thing that IMO help is to add, when preparing the enclosure (I'd love to do that days before placing the T/T's) a bit of vermiculite (but the fine grain, not the rough one) into the substrate, mixed well. This help on the long run to mantain the right humidity. I use that for my H.gigas, M.robustum, E.murinus etc enclosures. I keep my H.gigas on moist substrate (but nowhere near moist like my Asian centipede).
Because I don't care for the appearance of vermiculite, I mix shredded sphagnum moss in with my substrate to help retain moisture. As an added bonus, it has also greatly cut down on mold growth in all of the enclosures I've used it in. Just another strategy one can employ.

As for hard to care for Ts, I disagree that Avic slings fall in to that category; there are just far too many misconceptions about their husbandry that cause people to accidentally kill their slings. All they need is lightly moist substrate, a water dish, and adequate ventilation. So far the only issues I've had have been with my P. metallica because I did not have enough ventilation/mold prevention in its original enclosure. I wet the substrate down too much and mold started blooming all over the place. It was a learning process, but it allowed me to develop a very solid mold prevention strategy that's been working fantastically ever since.

I am purposefully avoiding Asian fossorials because they seem like the most difficult to manage in terms of moisture/mold. Even though I desperately want a C. fimbriatus...
 

Chris LXXIX

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Because I don't care for the appearance of vermiculite, I mix shredded sphagnum moss in with my substrate to help retain moisture. As an added bonus, it has also greatly cut down on mold growth in all of the enclosures I've used it in. Just another strategy one can employ.
Indeed my man, you're right. I always used a fine grain vermiculite mixed with substrate and I like how that absurd crap helps to mantain humidity, ah ah.

As for hard to care for Ts, I disagree that Avic slings fall in to that category; there are just far too many misconceptions about their husbandry that cause people to accidentally kill their slings. All they need is lightly moist substrate, a water dish, and adequate ventilation. So far the only issues I've had have been with my P. metallica because I did not have enough ventilation/mold prevention in its original enclosure. I wet the substrate down too much and mold started blooming all over the place. It was a learning process, but it allowed me to develop a very solid mold prevention strategy that's been working fantastically ever since.
Uh? I completely agree. I've never mention 'avics' :)

I am purposefully avoiding Asian fossorials because they seem like the most difficult to manage in terms of moisture/mold. Even though I desperately want a C. fimbriatus...
Buy one, man. Trust me :kiss: They're quite hardy, IMO not so high strung like in general they are considered and not hard at all to care for.
 

Moonohol

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Uh? I completely agree. I've never mention 'avics' :)



Buy one, man. Trust me :kiss: They're quite hardy, IMO not so high strung like in general they are considered and not hard at all to care for.
The Avic comment wasn't directed at you, just in response to others who had said that.

I'm sure I will be getting a Chilo eventually... I only just got my first OB as a sling (H. marksi), so it's only a matter of time really.
 

Chris LXXIX

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I'm sure I will be getting a Chilo eventually... I only just got my first OB as a sling (H. marksi), so it's only a matter of time really.
Bravo, bravo! And a Goddess PBUH -- Peace Be Upon Her -- as well for a 0.1 H.hainanum if you can, now those are incredible! Incredible. H.lividum now turned C.lividum? Pffff, give us the real deal: H.hainanum :-s
 
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