First time tarantula owner advice

[bentrollio]

Hello! I just joined arachnoboards because I am seriously considering getting myself a pet tarantula. I've been scouring the internet near daily for the past few months, learning about tarantula species and care, and the two that seem the best for me are:
-Grammostola rosea (chilean rose hair)
-Tliltocatl albopilosum (honduran curly hair)
Are these good beginner tarantulas? What others would you recommend for a college senior in a small apartment? I'm looking at smaller, more docile species. Also, it's important to me that the tarantulas are not taken from the wild, but bred responsibly. What are some of the best places to find responsible breeders?
Also, I've seen a lot of debate about the best age of tarantula for a beginner to get. I am not picky about having a full grown tarantula right away, and I am willing to put in the time and care required for a younger spider. But as someone who has never owned tarantulas (the only invertebrates I own are the domesticated silkmoths I raise and breed), is it better for me to get a sling, a juvenile, or an adult?
Thank you for reading and I appreciate any feedback you can give me!

 

[Chris LXXIX]

-Grammostola rosea (chilean rose hair)
-Tliltocatl albopilosum (honduran curly hair)
Are these good beginner tarantulas?

Yes. And you know this ah ah

What others would you recommend for a college senior in a small apartment?

There's a lot. Basically everything in the Grammostola/Brachypelma genus. Even a 'GBB' (C.cyaneopubescens), if you aren't scared by just a bit of speed.

Also, I've seen a lot of debate about the best age of tarantula for a beginner to get. I am not picky about having a full grown tarantula right away, and I am willing to put in the time and care required for a younger spider. But as someone who has never owned tarantulas (the only invertebrates I own are the domesticated silkmoths I raise and breed), is it better for me to get a sling, a juvenile, or an adult?

The species you mentioned are easy to care and quite hardy so you can start with a sling without issues (just do things 'in little') but honestly I suggest you to go straight with a sexed 0.1, just for have a better idea of how a full grow Theraphosidae 'acts'.

Plus, a G.rosea sling.... damn ah ah ah, it's a pain, not a joy to keep

 

[Ungoliant]

For general information, see Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More). This thread contains links to a basic primer on care as well as more specific guides.

Are these good beginner tarantulas? What others would you recommend for a college senior in a small apartment? I'm looking at smaller, more docile species. Also, it's important to me that the tarantulas are not taken from the wild, but bred responsibly.

Either of those species would be suitable for a beginner, but the one that is most likely to meet all of your criteria (low price, calm temperament, ease of finding captive-bred) is Tliltocatl albopilosus (ex Brachypelma albopilosum).

What are some of the best places to find responsible breeders?

As far as shopping goes, you can often find what you want right here. For instructions on using our classifieds, see, "Where to Buy" Inquiries. For reviews, see User Reviews and Dealer Reviews.

Also, I've seen a lot of debate about the best age of tarantula for a beginner to get. I am not picky about having a full grown tarantula right away, and I am willing to put in the time and care required for a younger spider. But as someone who has never owned tarantulas (the only invertebrates I own are the domesticated silkmoths I raise and breed), is it better for me to get a sling, a juvenile, or an adult?

I usually recommend a juvenile to a first-time keeper, as it's past the sling stage (which can be a little more fragile), and many first-time keepers want the gratification of something that looks like a tarantula. That being said, slings can work if you don't mind starting small; they're usually cheaper, and albo slings grow at a decent rate.

 

[hunterc]

I really enjoyed my A. Seemanni when i was starting out..watching the fued between it and a full water dish was and still is rather comical.

 

[boina]

I think Tliltocatl/B. albopilosum is great. My personal preference would be to get a juvenile female, but you could also get a sling if you don't mind it turning out to be male one day. I started out with mature females but I found it more rewarding to raise the tarantulas myself in the end. If you are able to breed moths you are able to raise tarantulas. It's great to have a large spider and you remember her as a small baby .

I wouldn't get a G. rosea - they just sit around and do nothing and hardly even ever eat. They are good to have as a tenth tarantula or so, but not as a single pet - you can as well get a plush one . If you insist on getting one get at least a juvenile - they take years to grow. It's also harder to get captive bred ones.

My personal favorite would be A. geniculata - yes, they get large, but even as adults the enclosure will still fit on a shelf. They are more colorful, active, hardy, and eat everything - including your fingers, so don't get them too close .

That's Jeanie - just showing off

A. geniculata, AF

• boina
• Apr 10, 2017
• 1

Jeanie, one of my first Ts :). Outside photo shoot in natural daylight

 

[cold blood]

-Grammostola rosea (chilean rose hair)
-Tliltocatl albopilosum (honduran curly hair)
Are these good beginner tarantula

yes...with a but.

Yes, albopilosum is a great starter, one of the best....but i always try to tell new keepers to avoid rose hairs....they do everything on their own slow schedule...so much so, that actually learning from one is quite difficult. I started with one...after 10 yrs, I then got a B. hamorii sling and a G. pulchripes juvie and learned more from them in a month than i did with a decade of rose hair ownership....most rose hairs are also WC.

What others would you recommend for a college senior in a small apartment? I'm l

That albo is a great choice in every way....there are other good choices, but theyre all way more expensive aside from G. pulchripes (theyre larger though, maybe not what you want)....but other good ones would be G. pulchra, H. chilenesis, T. cyaneolum or any member of Brachypelma.

T. albopilosum are also frequently bred in captivity.....and because of CITES, none you see for sale should be WC, especially if you get a younger one or a sling.

. Also, it's important to me that the tarantulas are not taken from the wild, but bred responsibly. What are some of the best places to find responsible breeders?

Dont shop pet stores as they deal mostly in WC specimens....also avoid reptile based sellers....not only do they deal in poor husbandry and WC specimens, but the least reliable sellers in the hobby tend to be reptile shops.

Our classified section is a great place to search....so many dedicated sellers and breeders that its impossible to single individual places out. Our classified users here are all required to have a corresponding review page...these pages are independent and arent controlled by the vendors (like the reviews you typically see on seller sites), so you can shop with confidence.

 

[Venom1080]

Go for the T albo. You really wont find a better beginner species. Not too big, not too small. Something you can easily fit in a 5 gallon tank or smaller.

Juvenile would be best i think. Female preferably. They are slow growers, but fast enough that they arent boring.

You can look online to reputable dealers in your country. Avoid ordering across seas.

 

[viper69]

re these good beginner tarantulas?

Yes

What others would you recommend

G pulchripes, H. chillensis

but bred responsibly

it's a mixture out there of people who are honest, and those who aren't. Good luck.

find responsible breeders

The forum- again a mixture of good and bad people.

AF E. sp. Red, Post-Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

E. sp. Red, Adult Female eating 2 of 2.

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

E. sp. Red, Adult Female- Recent Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016
• 1
• chilensis euathlus sp. "red" female homoeomma homoeomma chilensis

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

If you are more comfortable buying locally vs shipping, you could try searching craigslist, and if you find nothing, put up your own CL ad asking breeders or people who know of breeders to contact you. That might not get you anywhere, but then again you might be surprised. From there you'd just have to use your best judgement and always ask lots and lots of questions. A dealers professionalism should be pretty easy to feel out.
If you want something specific and don't mind paying for shipping, there's lots of people on the boards here. I haven't gone that route myself yet, but I have a few people in mind that I'd like to buy from someday.

 

[darkness975]

Hello! I just joined arachnoboards because I am seriously considering getting myself a pet tarantula. I've been scouring the internet near daily for the past few months, learning about tarantula species and care, and the two that seem the best for me are:
-Grammostola rosea (chilean rose hair)
-Tliltocatl albopilosum (honduran curly hair)
Are these good beginner tarantulas? What others would you recommend for a college senior in a small apartment? I'm looking at smaller, more docile species. Also, it's important to me that the tarantulas are not taken from the wild, but bred responsibly. What are some of the best places to find responsible breeders?
Also, I've seen a lot of debate about the best age of tarantula for a beginner to get. I am not picky about having a full grown tarantula right away, and I am willing to put in the time and care required for a younger spider. But as someone who has never owned tarantulas (the only invertebrates I own are the domesticated silkmoths I raise and breed), is it better for me to get a sling, a juvenile, or an adult?
Thank you for reading and I appreciate any feedback you can give me!

Sub adult T. albo

 

[Taysha]

Hello! I just joined arachnoboards because I am seriously considering getting myself a pet tarantula. I've been scouring the internet near daily for the past few months, learning about tarantula species and care, and the two that seem the best for me are:
-Grammostola rosea (chilean rose hair)
-Tliltocatl albopilosum (honduran curly hair)
Are these good beginner tarantulas? What others would you recommend for a college senior in a small apartment? I'm looking at smaller, more docile species. Also, it's important to me that the tarantulas are not taken from the wild, but bred responsibly. What are some of the best places to find responsible breeders?
Also, I've seen a lot of debate about the best age of tarantula for a beginner to get. I am not picky about having a full grown tarantula right away, and I am willing to put in the time and care required for a younger spider. But as someone who has never owned tarantulas (the only invertebrates I own are the domesticated silkmoths I raise and breed), is it better for me to get a sling, a juvenile, or an adult?
Thank you for reading and I appreciate any feedback you can give me!

Hey I know this has been said but i absolutely recommend a well started juvenile or sub adult for a starter age. As far as species goes, I would absolutely recommend a more docile one but as far as specific species i would say a G. Rosea, T Albo but honestly in my heart I’m going to say A Chalcodes just because they are gorgeous. Honestly though many of the more docile new worlds are pretty alike personality wise, it’s going to come down more to the individual specimen. Ive had the worlds most boring t albo, and the worlds most aggressive g rosea So just try to talk to the owner/dealer and make sure they know what your looking for and see if they have an idea of the tarantulas personality. Besides that honestly just pick something you like and as long as you educate yourself on it and are responsible you should be fine

 

[Myers]

Maybe get a terrestrial and an arboreal species. Decide on the number of T's you can keep whilst maintaining good husbandry. Ive seen first hand some getting to many T's too soon, it's then standards start to slip, you only have to look at YouTube as an example of this. I look forward to seeing pics of your T's.

 

[Vanisher]

yes...with a but.

Yes, albopilosum is a great starter, one of the best....but i always try to tell new keepers to avoid rose hairs....they are boring and do everything on their own slow schedule...so much so, that actually learning from one is quite difficult. I started with one...after 10 yrs, I then got a B. hamorii sling and a G. pulchripes juvie and learned more from them in a month than i did with a decade of rose hair ownership....most rose hairs are also WC.


That albo is a great choice in every way....there are other good choices, but theyre all way more expensive aside from G. pulchripes (theyre larger though, maybe not what you want)....but other good ones would be G. pulchra, H. chilenesis, T. cyaneolum or any member of Brachypelma.

T. albopilosum are also frequently bred in captivity.....and because of CITES, none you see for sale should be WC, especially if you get a younger one or a sling.


Dont shop pet stores as they deal mostly in WC specimens....also avoid reptile based sellers....not only do they deal in poor husbandry and WC specimens, but the least reliable sellers in the hobby tend to be reptile shops.

Our classified section is a great place to search....so many dedicated sellers and breeders that its impossible to single individual places out. Our classified users here are all required to have a corresponding review page...these pages are independent and arent controlled by the vendors (like the reviews you typically see on seller sites), so you can shop with confidence.

I dont see why a rosehair would be more boring than a B hamoori?

But i agree that a G rosea is not the best beginner speicies. They dont eat much and they ate not the most fun spiders.
My advise are:
T albopilosum
B vagans
A geniculata
C cyanopubescens

There are may be more good beginner speicies. Maybe A geniculata isnt the best beginnerspeicies due to the feeding responce. Beginner should be cautious with the geniculatas food response, and keep their fingers away from the tarantula

 

[Smotzer]

What was recommended to me for a first arboreal which is what I was interested in was A. Avic or Caribena versicolor. Not sure if you want arboreal or terrestrial though

 

[cold blood]

I dont see why a rosehair would be more boring than a B hamoori?

If you read, its not the boring aspect that makes me discourage new owners from getting one as their first...its that its soooo incredibly difficult to learn from them as they do everything so slowly.....as I mentioned, I learned more in a month from a hamorii sling and a G. pulchripes juvie than I learned from a decade plus with that rose hair....lets face it, when you are new, the most important thing about a first t is its ability to teach you about tarantulas and prepare you for future species...rose hairs do a worse job preparing new keepers than any other species IMO.

 

[Vanisher]

If you read, its not the boring aspect that makes me discourage new owners from getting one as their first...its that its soooo incredibly difficult to learn from them as they do everything so slowly.....as I mentioned, I learned more in a month from a hamorii sling and a G. pulchripes juvie than I learned from a decade plus with that rose hair....lets face it, when you are new, the most important thing about a first t is its ability to teach you about tarantulas and prepare you for future species...rose hairs do a worse job preparing new keepers than any other species IMO.

Then i understand how you meant

If you read, its not the boring aspect that makes me discourage new owners from getting one as their first...its that its soooo incredibly difficult to learn from them as they do everything so slowly.....as I mentioned, I learned more in a month from a hamorii sling and a G. pulchripes juvie than I learned from a decade plus with that rose hair....lets face it, when you are new, the most important thing about a first t is its ability to teach you about tarantulas and prepare you for future species...rose hairs do a worse job preparing new keepers than any other species IMO.

You have to think about that i am from Sweden and when i read i dont notice everything from this foreign language!

 

[cold blood]

You have to think about that i am from Sweden and when i read i dont notice everything from this foreign language!

Yep I get that, I go into detail to explain because you are likely not the only one seeing it the way you did.

In hindsight, I see why an explanation may have been needed. I didn't have to even mention boring in my post, as that wasn't relevant and seemed to over shadow my actual content.

I edited my previous post for clarity purposes.

 

[Anarzinski2016]

Hello! I just joined arachnoboards because I am seriously considering getting myself a pet tarantula. I've been scouring the internet near daily for the past few months, learning about tarantula species and care, and the two that seem the best for me are:
-Grammostola rosea (chilean rose hair)
-Tliltocatl albopilosum (honduran curly hair)
Are these good beginner tarantulas? What others would you recommend for a college senior in a small apartment? I'm looking at smaller, more docile species. Also, it's important to me that the tarantulas are not taken from the wild, but bred responsibly. What are some of the best places to find responsible breeders?
Also, I've seen a lot of debate about the best age of tarantula for a beginner to get. I am not picky about having a full grown tarantula right away, and I am willing to put in the time and care required for a younger spider. But as someone who has never owned tarantulas (the only invertebrates I own are the domesticated silkmoths I raise and breed), is it better for me to get a sling, a juvenile, or an adult?
Thank you for reading and I appreciate any feedback you can give me!

Not sure if you're still looking for advice but....

I got a Grammostola Rosea as my first, at about a half inch sling, mainly because I figured I'd get the years out of it whether its male or female since it's slow to grow and I knew what I was getting(depending on where you get your juvy or adult and depending on what that owner/keeper did with it while having it, it could be a docile species but since it was pestered or messed with alot it may be not so docile), mine is about 1-1.5in now after 2 molts in about 6 months or so. As a sling she goes through phases, she'll be out but then uses her hide for a while.

Tliltocatl Albopilosus (CURLY HAIR) we bought her as a juvenile a couple months after the G. Rosea. Shes cool, but stays in her burrow frequently, except at night she will sometimes come out for a bit, get a drink, and then goes back.

I came to the same conclusion that these are great beginner's as far as care goes, they're hardy and easily cared for from slings up, but.... I agree with others that while theyre great care wise, having something that's out and about more often is better for beginning and the other species suggested would be a more go too.

Dont get me wrong, I love mine, it's very exciting and rewarding to watch my G. Rosea grow with each molt. My T. Albopilosus had its first molt with me about a month ago, and I noticed that any slight movement of the cage, like to take the lid off to get a good pic, she dashes for her burrow. Meanwhile my sling G. Rosea is more likely to stay out when shes out, since I moved her to a slightly less lit area she is out more often than shes hid away, even during the day.

But as they say, each spider has it's own little personality as well. So while there are "typical" traits, some may defy those. For example a typical docile and calm species may have some that arent so calm and docile, while more shy and or aggressive species may have ones that defy the odds and are calm and more docile than others.

I'm personally looking at getting a Lasiodora Parahybana(salmon pink birdeater) sling because they tend to stay out in the open from what I've read and researched...however it probably wouldnt meet your size standard, they get fairly big...like 10"+ I believe as an adult.

Good luck and i can never stress enough, no matter the species you get, research molting as much as you can. Many a mistakes have been made during a spider molting because keepers think they're dead. It's always better to come here and ask before doing anything. Most times even if something is wrong theres not much you can do, very few and rare situations, like dehydration, are where you can attempt to do something.

Videos are of both of mine grooming