Favorite slings you've kept

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
Regarding specifically slings, what has been your favorite species so far? Why? Pretty simple discussion thread :D

For me, I despise slings. Even now I struggle with them given my climate. But there have been three that I legitimately enjoyed, and I'd absolutely buy more given the chance. First is P. murinus, mostly because of the webbing and feeding response. This sling isn't afraid of much, and it doesn't stay a sling for long! G. pulchripes is another joy, simply because they're sweethearts. They act like full grown terrestrials, they don't seem to understand how tiny they are. Lastly is P. scrofa because of their feeding response alone. Hands down the hardest hitting tarantulas I've ever kept.
 

Venom1080

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Sep 24, 2015
Messages
4,611
Poecilotheria are easy to raise and grow fast. great slings. same with Theraphosa.
 

Paiige

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
335
My A. geniculata is my favorite sling so far. It seems almost unnervingly smart, has a super feeding response and got its adult coloration very early. I dislike slings that stay pink for a hundred years. Plus they grow quickly and seem to double in size with each molt, at least IME
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
#1 Psalmopeous cambridgei. Insane eaters, even at their first meal...exceptional growth...its amazing how much those legs expand after a molt. With these you barely get a chance to enjoy them as slings, as they're juvies in like 4 or 5 months.:astonished:

#2 Pamphobeteus sp. I have nigricolor, and that little terrestrial never ever hid, and literally always wanted to eat, catching most prey tossed to it like a dog. The best hit I ever had from a small t was from this pamph as a 2" sling, as it raced out of the enclosure, jumped onto my tongs, snatched a cricket I was lowering, turned around, dove back into the enclosure and ate the cricket...all before I could react.

Again, fast growing with ridiculous growth pre molt...its like having a whole new t every time.

#3 versicolor. Good eaters, pretty fast growth, good webbers and its a really neat t to watch it go through those color transitions.

#4 G. pulchripes. Great eaters, even when small they only refuse food in pre-molt, they always grew way faster for me than expected for a Grammy, and again, I love watching colors come in. And yeah, like mentioned, super easy going and easy.

#5 (yeah, pinning things down to one or two ain't happening)

Nhandu species. Although they start out small, they grow insanely fast, with molts in the 24-28 day period until the t gets to like 1.5"....always hungry, active and fast growth. A. geniculata is about the same, although I did get consistent molting a little faster out of Nhandu, but only a little.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Honorable mention to C.marshalli

Another fantastic sling to raise....little hunters they are.
 

louise f

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
936
1 Psalmopoeus cambridgei
2 Ceratogyrus marshalli
3 Ceratogyrus darlingi
4 Poecilotheria vittata

They grow fast and really great eaters. I hate slow growing T`s. It`ll kill you :bored:
 

Belegnole

Tarantula Guy
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
171
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens - great eater, webs, colors, and even more webbing
Ceratogyrus marshalli - something about the behavior, and well waiting for that horn
 

nicodimus22

Arachnomancer
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Messages
715
So far, my favorite slings in order:

1) L. klugi - always out, good eater, fast growth

2) N. tripepii - often out, good eater until it's stuffed, medium growth

3) G. pulchra and G. pulchripes - hide some of the time, out some of the time. Good eaters.

4) B. boehemi and B. emelia - pet pebbles that sit out in the open. Average eaters. At least you can always see them if you want to.

5) P. sazimai, B. albopilosum, Euathlus sp red - burrow a lot, rarely seen. Eat occasionally.
 

Thistles

Arachnobroad
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
624
Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus for sure! They're so fast and look like little arboreal Pamphos.
 

DrowsyLids

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
95
P. sp machala due to feeding response and the growth rate was decent for me and still is.

Shout out to my P. Ornata sling that I haven't seen in almost two weeks lol hopefully when it comes out for its next meal I'll find out that it molted
 

Anoplogaster

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jan 15, 2017
Messages
675
A. versicolor for the webbing and the immediately bright coloration. There's no cryptic pink stage. They go right up to the top of the enclosure and create intricate web tunnel systems that go all the way around. And they also tackle prey their own size. Really fun spiders! Makes a neat little desk ornament in a small acrylic enclosure:)
 

sdsnybny

Arachnogeek
Joined
Apr 29, 2015
Messages
1,330
D. diamantinensis.....Fast growing slings to adults in 12-18 months. heavy webers, out most of the time as juvies and adults, able to tackle prey there own size with gusto.
And those colors :)
 

Spidermolt

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 29, 2015
Messages
203
Idiothele mira

I've had my first one for about seven months now and I find this little guy so amusing. At first glance you wouldn't even realize that the whole top layer of substrate is one giant blanket but once you throw food in there it looks just like a scene from Tremors where you see him crawling around just beneath the surface looking for his little "trapdoor" entrance.
 

boina

Lady of the mites
Active Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
2,217
Pamphos! They are so pretty with their Christmas tree pattern, they are always visible, stuff themselves with everything they get - they actually seem really excited when you pick up and open the enclosure, like they have learned it's feeding time. And they grow fast.

And honorary mention to Thrixopelma cyaneolum - because I had a sac and it's likely going to be the only sac I'll ever have. They are fun, though, although they grow slow and they never get that big anyway. They eat well and are tough little Ts that will even tackle prey their own size.
 

KezyGLA

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
3,013
Pamphobeteus ultramarinus

I have only just received some recently, but wow!

They are colourful(different from most other Pamphos), bulky, strong, feisty, active, easy care, appetite and feeding response is awesome!
 
Last edited:

KezyGLA

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
3,013
And honorary mention to Thrixopelma cyaneolum - because I had a sac and it's likely going to be the only sac I'll ever have.
You had a sac from T. cyaneolum? I am guessing you acquired a WC female and she had mated prior? Was the sac fertile? Did you get slings?

Sorry for all the questions but I have been looking for males or slings for years all across Europe and have spoken to many people about it. There is no CB slings or males to be seen anywhere, only WC sexed females for some reason.
 
Last edited:

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,096
Regarding specifically slings, what has been your favorite species so far? Why?
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, because it's unusually pretty for a sling. Bonus points for hardiness, webbing, and prey response.

My Acanthoscurria geniculata sling has no idea how tiny it is and doesn't seem to be afraid of anything. It wrestles with great serpents (mealworms). It attacks water when I moisten the substrate. I can't wait to see what she is like when she is big.
 

HybridReplicate

Spectrostatic
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
107
It wrestles with great serpents (mealworms).
Love this, I'm glad I'm not the only person who goes to these places!

On topic, "sling" IME hasn't been anything less than an inch & a half or so until recently. That said, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens is fearless, totes adorbs, & fast growing.
 

Magenta

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 29, 2013
Messages
55
I love my G. pulhcra(about 2in. now.) She's always been a great eater, strikes at anything that moves. I've seen her strike at the paint brush fluff and hang on, like "wait, I need to kill it more!". She's always out and moving substrate around. I like her so much, I picked up another G. pulchra. I'll probably end up with a few more.
 
Top