Expectations vs. Reality

[Moakmeister]

Disappointment for me is my T. apophysis. I got it as a sling and was so excited for it to grow into a monster in no time.

It’s been like ten months and it’s only molted twice. It’s rarely hungry and it’s by far my least active spider. It’s too lazy to even move any substrate around.

 

[Marten]

I inherited an adult G. porteri/rosea from an employer who died unexpectedly. I named her Madeleine Moon after my grandmother, who also had a G. rosea when I was a kid. I was thrown into her life with no information on her history, age, anything, and had to learn a lot on the fly, but she lived with me for three years (molting once) before eventually dying of what I presume to be DKS, given her jerky erratic movements and refusal to eat. I really mourned her- cried for ages and planted her in a begonia a week later, when I was truly sure she was gone. Her death, however, really sparked in me the desire to get some slings and start from scratch. I had shied away from serious T keeping because I was so nervous to raise slings. But Madeleine made me take the leap, and now I have six little G. pulchra slings who are thriving, and bring me such joy. I was surprised to learn what distinct personalities each of them has, even so young! I still don't know the source of Madeleine's DKS, but I monitor my babies' environments very closely. I look forward to many happy, surprising years with them.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I have given up almost all fossorials. I still find the animals interesting and great, but for me personally there is no point in keeping them. If I hang up a poster of the species I have more visual impressions than if I put up a container with soil....

Ha yeah pet holes and I’m done buying species that shoot urticating hairs, not sure if common pink toe or rose hair shoot them but they do have them ?

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

When you can view them whenever you want by pulling the enclosure off the shelf and can set them up in a way that encourages them to be in the front of the enclosure when they're sitting at the mouth of their burrow, it's a game changer.

When are you making a thread on this?

 

[l4nsky]

When are you making a thread on this?

Still running the experiments lol. I have 13 or so fossorial rehouses of various Aphonopelma and Ornithoctoninae sp to do in the next week or two for further refinement.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I inherited an adult G. porteri/rosea from an employer who died unexpectedly. I named her Madeleine Moon after my grandmother, who also had a G. rosea when I was a kid. I was thrown into her life with no information on her history, age, anything, and had to learn a lot on the fly, but she lived with me for three years (molting once) before eventually dying of what I presume to be DKS, given her jerky erratic movements and refusal to eat. I really mourned her- cried for ages and planted her in a begonia a week later, when I was truly sure she was gone. Her death, however, really sparked in me the desire to get some slings and start from scratch. I had shied away from serious T keeping because I was so nervous to raise slings. But Madeleine made me take the leap, and now I have six little G. pulchra slings who are thriving, and bring me such joy. I was surprised to learn what distinct personalities each of them has, even so young! I still don't know the source of Madeleine's DKS, but I monitor my babies' environments very closely. I look forward to many happy, surprising years with them.

I lost a few Ts to DKS also and I never could find a reason why it happens and a few other who died with no symptoms of dks but same ending .

 

[thedragonslapper]

Harpactira pulchripes

I was lucky enough to get a sling in a graciously generous trade last summer. Many years I’ve been in the hobby and I have never owned one, but heard that a lot of folks like ‘em, so I was excited to get one especially without paying actual money for it. I love ALL my multi legged children but I dare say my H pulch may be the most boring one I have at this time.

It’s a pretty little thing and has a nicely webbed up enclosure and it doesn’t hide like, at all, unlike my OBTs and P irminia, but it doesn’t really do anything. I haven’t fed it in a good while as it’s so FAT right now and it hasn’t even molted yet in my care (repeat, since I got it the previous summer). The OBTs that I also got as part of the same trade are cowardly little recluses on the other hand. And as for my irminia let me put it this way: until very recently I honestly wondered whether it was even still alive lol. But they’re all growing like weeds.

 

[ThatsUnpossible]

I went to an Invert Show last year hoping to get an AF B emilia or juvenile A chalcodes but couldn't find either. Had a last look around before leaving and saw a juvenile L parahybana in one of those clear plastic clamshell boxes, who was constantly digging like a mad thing. She looked so funny digging furiously - I watched her for a while and then bought her on impulse (idiot).

She dug all the way home (1.5 hours). As soon as I put her into her enclosure, she stopped digging. Just as much of a pet rock as my others, plus I hadn't done any reading about this species beforehand and I don't really want an 8 inch+ spider. Disappointed in myself and her.

 

[curtisgiganteus]

I expected my Phormingochilus sp Sabah Red to follow the trend of all my other Phormingochilus and be pet holes. To my surprise they all roam around their vials regularly.

 

[juniperkisses440]

I was not into bird eaters when I started exploring the world of ts. They have become my favorite (although I have to agree with someone at the beginning of this thread my salmon pink is just whelming when compared to my others).

I thought that the species I “sought out” were going to be my favorites but all my favorites have been my rescues and my “surprise/impulse” purchases.

My biggest personal surprise was a curly that I rescued that “was crippled and needed to be tong fed”. What a surprise I had when he ran up the tongs. While he’s a little…different.. he is certainly capable of most things on his own.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I was not into bird eaters when I started exploring the world of ts. They have become my favorite (although I have to agree with someone at the beginning of this thread my salmon pink is just whelming when compared to my others).

I thought that the species I “sought out” were going to be my favorites but all my favorites have been my rescues and my “surprise/impulse” purchases.

My biggest personal surprise was a curly that I rescued that “was crippled and needed to be tong fed”. What a surprise I had when he ran up the tongs. While he’s a little…different.. he is certainly capable of most things on his own.

I’m confused how does a crippled spider eat or run ontop your tongs ? Glad you saved it ..
someone on here said a bird eater is just any spider 5 inches plus. FYI

 

[juniperkisses440]

I’m confused how does a crippled spider eat or run ontop your tongs ? Glad you saved it ..
someone on here said a bird eater is just any spider 5 inches plus. FYI

Thanks for the FYI. I also use that definition in a broad way. I thought I would only want small spiders and didn't understand the interest in big tarantulas. I do like my Lasiodoras but I have amassed a small horde of large-sized t species now.
I don't know. It was honestly so scary to have him (now named Fritz) run right up the tongs like that when I didn't even think it could walk properly. He can't dig but I solved that problem until the next molt. Honestly, that's what I get for believing strangers. I took several others from them and all 3 that were sexed were wrong- which is fine because it gave me 2 female OW and a male NW. Lesson learned halfway???

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Thanks for the FYI. I also use that definition in a broad way. I thought I would only want small spiders and didn't understand the interest in big tarantulas. I do like my Lasiodoras but I have amassed a small horde of large-sized t species now.
I don't know. It was honestly so scary to have him (now named Fritz) run right up the tongs like that when I didn't even think it could walk properly. He can't dig but I solved that problem until the next molt. Honestly, that's what I get for believing strangers. I took several others from them and all 3 that were sexed were wrong- which is fine because it gave me 2 female OW and a male NW. Lesson learned halfway???

Yeah Lasiodoras are big but really not as large as popular care sheets and rumors of them being 10”+ .. my biggest one right now is only 5-6”. I had one 7-8” but it got a cyst or something from sub being too rough . So I had to throw out all that dirt , because apparently watering the dirt exposed harsher grit . I’ve since switched every tank to eco earth Mostly.
I don’t know how I’ll get more Ts my parents hate them and don’t want me getting more . They don’t understand I’ve found ways to avoid getting haired mostly and or just wear gloves . And they also don’t understand there are spiders without irritating hairs .

 

[juniperkisses440]

Yeah Lasiodoras are big but really not as large as popular care sheets and rumors of them being 10”+ .. my biggest one right now is only 5-6”. I had one 7-8” but it got a cyst or something from sub being too rough . So I had to throw out all that dirt , because apparently watering the dirt exposed harsher grit . I’ve since switched every tank to eco earth Mostly.
I don’t know how I’ll get more Ts my parents hate them and don’t want me getting more . They don’t understand I’ve found ways to avoid getting haired mostly and or just wear gloves . And they also don’t understand there are spiders without irritating hairs .

I used to do things like write essays about the animals I wanted to bring home to show my parents that I was well informed and prepared and interested in being the best parent I can be.
But I have found that the best surprises and experiences come from making the most of it. I suggest bringing in some local spoods to learn about and study and fall in love with. My personal favorites are wolf spiders but I also have a soft spot for lynx, jumpers, and widows. They are so different and equally as rewarding. And if they aren’t happy with me (or if I can’t keep them) I can just let them go.

 

[HooahArmy]

Yeah Lasiodoras are big but really not as large as popular care sheets and rumors of them being 10”+ .. my biggest one right now is only 5-6”. I had one 7-8” but it got a cyst or something from sub being too rough . So I had to throw out all that dirt , because apparently watering the dirt exposed harsher grit . I’ve since switched every tank to eco earth Mostly.
I don’t know how I’ll get more Ts my parents hate them and don’t want me getting more . They don’t understand I’ve found ways to avoid getting haired mostly and or just wear gloves . And they also don’t understand there are spiders without irritating hairs .

Most Ts, like all critters, have sizes that fit on a bell curve. Most will be average, some will be smaller, while some as well will be those giant LP Godzillas folks brags about. My mum has this obsession with LPs and has been raising tons and their slings since the 80s. I spent my youth seeing those behemoths all over the place and will note that over near 40 years, the average size for us has been around 8". A 9.3" is the largest I have ever seen the big girls get, but 10" to 11" inches as some folks rumor about are oddities. However, I would deem it possible since genomes often produce curiosities! Back in the mid 90s, we did raise a male LP who was much smaller than his brothers and matured at only 4.5". If that fellow could exist from the magic of genetics, I'm certain that on the rare end of the bell curve of growth, there's some keeper out there with the elusive 11".
I wish some T websites and advertisements would offer average sizes, not extremes.
And yes, I agree, the hairs are horrendous. Why my mum loves LPs is another mystery yet to be solved.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Most Ts, like all critters, have sizes that fit on a bell curve. Most will be average, some will be smaller, while some as well will be those giant LP Godzillas folks brags about. My mum has this obsession with LPs and has been raising tons and their slings since the 80s. I spent my youth seeing those behemoths all over the place and will note that over near 40 years, the average size for us has been around 8". A 9.3" is the largest I have ever seen the big girls get, but 10" to 11" inches as some folks rumor about are oddities. However, I would deem it possible since genomes often produce curiosities! Back in the mid 90s, we did raise a male LP who was much smaller than his brothers and matured at only 4.5". If that fellow could exist from the magic of genetics, I'm certain that on the rare end of the bell curve of growth, there's some keeper out there with the elusive 11".
I wish some T websites and advertisements would offer average sizes, not extremes.
And yes, I agree, the hairs are horrendous. Why my mum loves LPs is another mystery yet to be solved.

Most Ts, like all critters, have sizes that fit on a bell curve. Most will be average, some will be smaller, while some as well will be those giant LP Godzillas folks brags about. My mum has this obsession with LPs and has been raising tons and their slings since the 80s. I spent my youth seeing those behemoths all over the place and will note that over near 40 years, the average size for us has been around 8". A 9.3" is the largest I have ever seen the big girls get, but 10" to 11" inches as some folks rumor about are oddities. However, I would deem it possible since genomes often produce curiosities! Back in the mid 90s, we did raise a male LP who was much smaller than his brothers and matured at only 4.5". If that fellow could exist from the magic of genetics, I'm certain that on the rare end of the bell curve of growth, there's some keeper out there with the elusive 11".
I wish some T websites and advertisements would offer average sizes, not extremes.
And yes, I agree, the hairs are horrendous. Why my mum loves LPs is another mystery yet to be solved.

yeah sound like a huge t , just selling them as a size rival to t blondi was a Little ridiculous even if they get similar max legspan . Mostly because they look so different and not as bulky .
yeah that makes me think only my phampho is full grown, don’t think any of my other ts are . Lp are great but klugi is a little less skittish /hair kicking or it’s just mine . I just see lp as a meaner badder alternative to Grammys , although mine don’t behave much differently then the g porteri did beside the hair kicking .. practically most of them just sit in there favorite spot all the time .who knows maybe I’ll get a big one someday , definitely they can get bigger then my 7-8” phampho although I’d say it looks more like the Goliath until camera flash is on. Not that it stopped growing just not much per molt it’s atleast 10 years old I lost track .

 

[HooahArmy]

yeah sound like a huge t , just selling them as a size rival to t blondi was a Little ridiculous even if they get similar max legspan . Mostly because they look so different and not as bulky .
yeah that makes me think only my phampho is full grown, don’t think any of my other ts are . Lp are great but klugi is a little less skittish /hair kicking or it’s just mine . I just see lp as a meaner badder alternative to Grammys , although mine don’t behave much differently then the g porteri did beside the hair kicking .. practically most of them just sit in there favorite spot all the time .who knows maybe I’ll get a big one someday , definitely they can get bigger then my 7-8” phampho although I’d say it looks more like the Goliath until camera flash is on. Not that it stopped growing just not much per molt it’s atleast 10 years old I lost track .

The top 3 most hair-tossing Ts I've kept were the infamous LP, the B. boehmi, and the T. vagans. With the three of them, the dog would walk by and fart, and hairs would go flying. Some of them would even kick hairs while they're attacking prey, leaving me little time to close the enclosure before a billow of hair would come out. Yikes.
Your G. poteri sounds amazing! Who would you say are your top 3 favorite Ts to keep? Who are your top hair flickers? I'm trying to hear opinions from folks all around; I have some senior friends trying to make the jump from super-docile Ts and emperor scorps to slightly more challenging Ts.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

The top 3 most hair-tossing Ts I've kept were the infamous LP, the B. boehmi, and the T. vagans. With the three of them, the dog would walk by and fart, and hairs would go flying. Some of them would even kick hairs while they're attacking prey, leaving me little time to close the enclosure before a billow of hair would come out. Yikes.
Your G. poteri sounds amazing! Who would you say are your top 3 favorite Ts to keep? Who are your top hair flickers? I'm trying to hear opinions from folks all around; I have some senior friends trying to make the jump from super-docile Ts and emperor scorps to slightly more challenging Ts.

Yeah I gotta get another porteri or rosea, I don’t have any brachys right now but the fireleg And redknee kicked hairs like crazy and my t vagans preferred to bite . A anax didn’t kick hairs nor did either porteri or rosea.
as for current ones I own .
Lp also and difficilus kick hairs like crazy , my Tliltocatl albopilosus and l klugi haven’t kicked hairs much at all. My Phampho just runs into its hide and hairs don’t seem to be kicked as much. So that’s a good option, I had more but down to 1.
And my one t I can’t I’d yet lost name tag it won’t kick hairs unless you annoy it too much , didn’t in my picture thread I posted it’s molts and stuff if you want to help I’d it haha. Pretty well behaved , but curly hairs get the win in my book. The other ones of mine that don’t hair kick much it’s probably just the individual not the sp.
I held the klugi to rehouse it once with gloves on no kicked hairs, second rehouse it climbed onto a pretzel jar lid and I just set it into its new home . It won’t seem to settle down keeps exploring, not sure why it prefers to sit in the glass the substrate is dry now . I’ve only had one of them so I can’t say for sure how the behave regulatarly.
I’ve had 10-17 lps though over the years, and if you give them a hide most times they will run into it for me instead of hairing me . If only I could find them the price I got them last time …. Although I can’t buy anything right now , gotta convince the parents I won’t get haired .. they are dead set against me getting more.
hope I find a job soon. But I haven’t really looked much .

 

[Timc]

Bad expectation vs. reality: P. sazimai. I don’t want to cut mine up too bad because she is a good eater and I do really enjoy her but, yeah, they’re only blue for like 15 minutes after a molt. Very neat spider, but not quite as advertised.

Good expectation vs. reality: ok, I’m going to cop out and do two here

N. chromatus: got it as a freebie (that I chose, full disclosure) expecting a cool, food motivated NW terrestrial, and my oh my is she that and more. Fast growth, plenty of excavation, and those colors are just exceptional. I’m waiting for my genic to grow up and surpass her but it won’t be easy.

B. klassi: always thought they were beautiful in pictures, but then you get one and see it in person and just hubba hubba.

 

[SpidersAreEverything]

In regards to L. parahybana i can't agree with @Liquifin, but experiences seem to vary.

I suspect it comes down to the conditions in our care and perhaps the individual spiders. I bred them last year and while mine are still tiny 2-3. FH slings the ones that grew up at my frieds place at ~24°C all winter, compared to my measly 18-19°C are already approaching 2,5" in dsl.
I am pretty sure it would be about the same for A. geniculata, and in general everything people like in A. geniculata you get with a Lasiodora as well. With exeption of the stripes.


One species that really surprised me in a positive way was G. rosea. Mine has never shown any signs of bolting and instead walks up to any disturbance to investigate. Is it food?

I am dissappointed with my 0.2 B. hamorii since they both kick hairs at the slightest disturbance. Gorgeous but annoying.

Imma say the same thing for the B. hamorii. I think it depends on the type of T you get, bc my B hamorii sling hardly kicks hairs and probably doesn't want to