First T Grammostola Pulchripes

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
Hello guys. This is my first post on here so I want to introduce myself. My name is Cheo, I'm 20 years old, and today is officially my first day in the hobby.

Up until extremely recently I was a complete arachnophobe my entire life. I've had a lot of friends who kept Ts but they never intersted me. That is, until I dove headfirst into the snake hobby. Keeping snakes is just a gateway to keeping Ts. Once you have one 'exotic' pet it's a gateway to everything else. My girlfriend got her first 2 a few weeks ago and since then I've totally caught the bug. (She has two Grammostola Rosea, one sling, and one mature female)

I started doing some basic reading and preperations, and as one thing led to another I pulled the trigger. I got my first T today. I went with Grammostola Pulchripes. My little sling is probably about an inch long.

I am absolutely eager to learn and soak up as much information as possible. In about 8 weeks the Hamburg reptile show returns to my area and I'd love to pick up some new Ts among other things.

Anyway, that's my basic little story. I can't wait to get to know you guys and really get my foot planted in this hobby.

Side note: Since I took that picture earlier I have added a small piece of cork bark as a hide, added a bit of substrate [eco earth coconut fiber mixed with organic soil] and since today was the feeding day at the shop I purchased this sling from I fed a very small cricket which was taken instantly much to my enjoyment. There is also a bottle cap for a water dish in there. If there are any other suggestions or recomendations for my T I would love to hear them. What I've done so far is the info that was given to me by other friends who keep Ts.
 

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DrowsyLids

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
95
Congrats! And welcome! My first T was a G rosea back in 2011. Hats off to you for taking the plunge into this fascinating hobby. If you're looking for recommendations for any other t's I'd suggest other New World Terrestrials with low maintenance humidity and temp requirements
 

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
Congrats! And welcome! My first T was a G rosea back in 2011. Hats off to you for taking the plunge into this fascinating hobby. If you're looking for recommendations for any other t's I'd suggest other New World Terrestrials with low maintenance humidity and temp requirements
For sure only looking at New Worlds for now. The Old Worlds absolutely facinate me (especially the ornamentals) but I'd rather wait until I'm comfortable with some sort of fast aboreal New World before I move on to any sort of Old World.

That being said humidity requirements do not scare me. Temps shouldnt be hard either since I have a snake room with a gradient of 73 to 82 so finding a sweet spot wouldnt be too hard. I have a lot of snakes with very specific humidity requirements that not meeting results in illness or even death at times.

I would love to add Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens, Eupalaestrus Campestratus, Aphonopelma Chalcodes, Brachyphelma Smithi, Avicularia Avicularia, and Cyclosternum Fasciatum to my collection of animals (I realize what started as a list of one or two quixkly snowballed into several) before I would consider anything more serious.
 

DrowsyLids

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
95
For sure only looking at New Worlds for now. The Old Worlds absolutely facinate me (especially the ornamentals) but I'd rather wait until I'm comfortable with some sort of fast aboreal New World before I move on to any sort of Old World.

That being said humidity requirements do not scare me. Temps shouldnt be hard either since I have a snake room with a gradient of 73 to 82 so finding a sweet spot wouldnt be too hard. I have a lot of snakes with very specific humidity requirements that not meeting results in illness or even death at times.

I would love to add Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens, Eupalaestrus Campestratus, Aphonopelma Chalcodes, Brachyphelma Smithi, Avicularia Avicularia, and Cyclosternum Fasciatum to my collection of animals (I realize what started as a list of one or two quixkly snowballed into several) before I would consider anything more serious.

Ah, I don't see you having any issues with temp/humidity. A lot of T's are pretty hardy anyway. You don't have to perfectly imitate their natural climate by any means. At least with the T's I've had
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
My first T is a Chaco as well! I got her just last Wednesday, it hasn't even been a full week yet. My sweetheart Regina <3 went into premolt the day I got her :| so now I'm waiting for her to change clothes so I can see her out in the open.
 

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
Ah, I don't see you having any issues with temp/humidity. A lot of T's are pretty hardy anyway. You don't have to perfectly imitate their natural climate by any means. At least with the T's I've had
I honestly enjoy keeping animals with specific husbandry needs. Makes me feel more accomplished when I can meet them. I'm not sure if any of the Ts I want New or Old world will be too much of a challenge though. Can't wait to find out.

My first T is a Chaco as well! I got her just last Wednesday, it hasn't even been a full week yet. My sweetheart Regina <3 went into premolt the day I got her :| so now I'm waiting for her to change clothes so I can see her out in the open.
We names ours Goldmember! Absolutely love the way these little guys look and that they grow pretty slow so I can grow with them. I hope yours molts well.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,096
I would love to add Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens, Eupalaestrus Campestratus, Aphonopelma Chalcodes, Brachyphelma Smithi, Avicularia Avicularia, and Cyclosternum Fasciatum to my collection of animals (I realize what started as a list of one or two quixkly snowballed into several) before I would consider anything more serious.
You've already learned the first rule of Tarantula Club: you can't have just one.
 

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
You've already learned the first rule of Tarantula Club: you can't have just one.
The shop I got mine from has A. Avicularia slings that I checked out today, and the only thing stopping me from getting one is my self control.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,096
The shop I got mine from has A. Avicularia slings that I checked out today, and the only thing stopping me from getting one is my self control.
I love Avics, but for your first Avic, I would get a juvenile instead of a spiderling. (Spiderlings tend to be more fragile.)
 

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
I love Avics, but for your first Avic, I would get a juvenile instead of a spiderling. (Spiderlings tend to be more fragile.)
At what point would you consider one a juvenile instead of a sling? The one I looked at today was slightly bigger than my Pulcripes is and had the full black coloration. Webbing up storm. Maybe I'll grab a picture when I head that way later this week. It was maybe an inch, and a half.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,096
At what point would you consider one a juvenile instead of a sling? The one I looked at today was slightly bigger than my Pulcripes is and had the full black coloration. Webbing up storm. Maybe I'll grab a picture when I head that way later this week. It was maybe an inch, and a half.
A couple inches (diagonal leg span).

Full disclosure: I have not kept Avic slings before, so someone else may be able to give you a better estimate of when they are out of their fragile stage.
 

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
A couple inches (diagonal leg span).

Full disclosure: I have not kept Avic slings before, so someone else may be able to give you a better estimate of when they are out of their fragile stage.
Alright, thank you. Noted.

Also if you hade to name other fast aboreal new worlds, what would come to mind?
 

Walker253

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 12, 2016
Messages
554
Hello guys. This is my first post on here so I want to introduce myself. My name is Cheo, I'm 20 years old, and today is officially my first day in the hobby.

Up until extremely recently I was a complete arachnophobe my entire life. I've had a lot of friends who kept Ts but they never intersted me. That is, until I dove headfirst into the snake hobby. Keeping snakes is just a gateway to keeping Ts. Once you have one 'exotic' pet it's a gateway to everything else. My girlfriend got her first 2 a few weeks ago and since then I've totally caught the bug. (She has two Grammostola Rosea, one sling, and one mature female)

I started doing some basic reading and preperations, and as one thing led to another I pulled the trigger. I got my first T today. I went with Grammostola Pulchripes. My little sling is probably about an inch long.

I am absolutely eager to learn and soak up as much information as possible. In about 8 weeks the Hamburg reptile show returns to my area and I'd love to pick up some new Ts among other things.

Anyway, that's my basic little story. I can't wait to get to know you guys and really get my foot planted in this hobby.

Side note: Since I took that picture earlier I have added a small piece of cork bark as a hide, added a bit of substrate [eco earth coconut fiber mixed with organic soil] and since today was the feeding day at the shop I purchased this sling from I fed a very small cricket which was taken instantly much to my enjoyment. There is also a bottle cap for a water dish in there. If there are any other suggestions or recomendations for my T I would love to hear them. What I've done so far is the info that was given to me by other friends who keep Ts.
Welcome to the board and the hobby! You picked a great T as your first

For sure only looking at New Worlds for now. The Old Worlds absolutely facinate me (especially the ornamentals) but I'd rather wait until I'm comfortable with some sort of fast aboreal New World before I move on to any sort of Old World.

That being said humidity requirements do not scare me. Temps shouldnt be hard either since I have a snake room with a gradient of 73 to 82 so finding a sweet spot wouldnt be too hard. I have a lot of snakes with very specific humidity requirements that not meeting results in illness or even death at times.

I would love to add Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens, Eupalaestrus Campestratus, Aphonopelma Chalcodes, Brachyphelma Smithi, Avicularia Avicularia, and Cyclosternum Fasciatum to my collection of animals (I realize what started as a list of one or two quixkly snowballed into several) before I would consider anything more serious.
That's a great list to start. Tarantula's are the Lays Potato Chips of the pet world. You can't have just one. Take your time, get to know them. You'll be into OW's before you know it. You'll know when you're ready.
 

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
Welcome to the board and the hobby! You picked a great T as your first



That's a great list to start. Tarantula's are the Lays Potato Chips of the pet world. You can't have just one. Take your time, get to know them. You'll be into OW's before you know it. You'll know when you're ready.

There are so many flavors to choose from. They can be dark, and bright, colorful, or dark. Any mixture of those and everything inbetween. They have so much variation. It draws me in for the same reasons the snakes drew me in. They're all totally unique.
 

Walker253

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 12, 2016
Messages
554
There are so many flavors to choose from. They can be dark, and bright, colorful, or dark. Any mixture of those and everything inbetween. They have so much variation. It draws me in for the same reasons the snakes drew me in. They're all totally unique.
It really wasn't long ago, I had 3. Now literally months later, I have more than 3 dozen. Keep that want list updated. Mine is on my phone. It helps limit random buys. Nothing wrong with random purchases. They can get out of control if you let them. I have some purchases I wish I wouldn't have made given the chance to do it again. Most are awesome though.
 

Cheo Samad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
38
It really wasn't long ago, I had 3. Now literally months later, I have more than 3 dozen. Keep that want list updated. Mine is on my phone. It helps limit random buys. Nothing wrong with random purchases. They can get out of control if you let them. I have some purchases I wish I wouldn't have made given the chance to do it again. Most are awesome though.
I can see how that could get out of hand fast. I will say this much. I was very careful with my choice of my first T and happened to luck out that a local shop had exactly what I wanted, so I didnt have to buy over the internet. I do have some sense of direction going forward, and I will own ALL of those Ts on that list before I start adding the more advanced ones to the fray. I really wanna have something in every catigory.

I'd love to get an aboreal, and a fossorial as my next two. I am absolutely facinated with the behavior of both. Both the open display of an aboreal, and the deep reclusive nature of a fossorial.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
I've raised a lot of Avics, still do. Once they are 2" DLS they are significantly less delicate. They aren't hard to raise, but are quite unforgiving of husbandry errors and many first time Avic owners end up killing their Avics.

BTW You picked a great species as your first T. if you end up with a female she will get to be a respectable size and generally speaking a decent disposition, makes for easier husbandry.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,096
Also if you hade to name other fast aboreal new worlds, what would come to mind?
Avicularia are a great introduction to arboreal tarantulas. They are colorful, and most are more skittish than defensive. Other arboreal genera from the New World include:
  • Iridopelma: People who've kept them describe them as being somewhat faster and more defensive than Avicularia.
  • Psalmopoeus: These lack urticating hairs but are fast, defensive, and have stronger venom than many other New World tarantulas. (Personally, I'm interested in trying a P. cambridgei when I have room for more arboreal setups.)
  • Tapinauchenius: very fast
In the interest of full disclosure: the only arboreals I have kept are my two Avicularia avicularia. I would recommend a juvenile Avicularia as a first arboreal. If you find that you enjoy them, and you're interested in branching out to some of the other arboreal genera, I'm sure there are experienced keepers who can help you come up with a good fit.
 

petkokc

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Messages
79
Welcome to the hobby!

You should add Acanthoscurria geniculata on the list :p
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
Avics are IME not hard to raise from slings if you obey 2 cardinal rules: A ton of cross ventilation, and completely dry substrate. All you need to is mist a couple of times a week. What I do is I take the lid and spray once or twice on the inner side of the lid and let it drip on the webbing so they can drink. I only have 1 versi and 1 diversipes but they seem to do excellent with that. They molted twice from 3i in my care and are alive and well.
 
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