GBB vs Chilean Rose

[Moltar]

I think that any person with some experience with fast moving, non-mammalian pets (like gecko's, for example) and the right mindset can, with proper research deal with keeping MOST spp of tarantula. With trickier species however it really helps to buy them small and "grow with them" as it were. I wouldn't advise anybody to start with something like an adult poecilotheria or h mac or t blondi, etc being the handfuls that they are.

AmyLu, with your reptile experience i think you'd be fine starting with any of a wide variety of t's as long as you read up on it first. G rosea are as common as a t can be and sometimes thought less of because of it but i love 'em. Their personalities vary so dramatically that you may have to go through 3 or 4 to find a really sweet, interactive one. B albopilosum are more likely IME to be gentle and interactive. Ditto G aureostriata, E campestratus and a number of Aphonopelma species. My most gentle, personable t is an Aphonopelma sp. "Payson Blonde" second would be my A genic then A anax with G rosea coming in fourth.

Get what you want to get, just make sure you know what you're getting. When i think about what t to get next i start with choosing general setup type: arboreal/terrestrial/burrower, then personality: are they defensive (mean)/skittish/bump-on-a-log? heavy webber/hides all the time/sits in the open, etc. There are so many out there. It's like frikkin Pokemon or something. Gotta have 'em all!

 

[Roehm]

I am going to have to go with G. rosea, mainly because I have never owned a C. cyanopubescens.

Peace,
Dan

 

[Kumo Punch]

I have an adult female GBB that I enjoy a lot. Purchased her as an adult but will get some slings sometime soon to raise on my own. Should be fun. Their transformation from sling to adult is awesome. They also web up the whole enclosure as well. Not sure if GBB's are normally hair kickers but mine is insane. Any vibration and she starts kicking. She has 2 bald spots from this. Amusing.

 

[thought]

I think it's safe to say we learned 2 things from this thread.

1) Every T varies in it's temperament. At best we can get a vague, generalized idea of what a new T's potential temperament will be but we can't ever be sure. What do we do? Treat each new T as such. Give it time to adjust to it's surroundings and give yourself time to adjust to it. Get a feel for it.

2) One should not have misleading ideas of Ts before coming into the hobby mostly for the safety of the T. If the T were to bite you, I'd be more concerned about you dropping the T than the T's bite hurting you.

I think it's unfair to put such an almost harsh emphasis on this persons description of the T they desire. Perhaps you do not agree with them, however they are still descriptions that are understandable. I could see my A. metallica as gentle and sweet because of her super docile temperament. Therefore I can understand what this person wants, not the choice of words I'd personally use but sufficient nonetheless.

I'd say get whatever T strikes a cord most with you. Regardless of temperament then you'll enjoy it. Hopefully it turns out to be what you wanted, or maybe surprise you in an enjoyable way. Either way there's always another.

 

[arrowhd]

I don't think any of them sounded any such way. This is a forum where you're going to get brutal honesty whether you like it or not.

Brutal honesty does not equal being presumptive or rude. This individual has come here for advice not a lecture.

 

[robbie]

To answer your question go with the Rose hair, they are easy to handle and can be a bit testy at times but they are a good starter species. As to how long they can live if it is female it could last over 20 years and male up to i believe 7 years. You might want to look into getting a Honduran Curlyhair (Brachypelma albopilosum) also.

What ever you decide good luck and welcome to the hobby.

 

[AzJohn]

See if you can find a good pet store that has both. You can see how the tarantulas react to being held, touched ect. Personally, I go with G rosea. I've kept both. The GGB is nice looking, but In my opinion the rosea is more interesting. Just check out all the threads about roseas doing weird stuff.

 

[Aubrey Sidwell]

Personally I think GBB are one of the most colorful tarantulas in the hobby. They may not be the best to handle tarantula and they aren't considered a "coveted" blue tiger spider but they are very unique and don't seem to web as much as adults compared to when they are slings/juvies.

One other idea is to get an Aphonopelma. There are many different ones available and they pretty much have similar temperments. I picked up a wild A. chalcodes in the Arizona desert and she never one threatened to bite and this one grew up in the great outdoors. They make great display spiders because they aren't "pet holes". They aren't the easiest to find but the A. moderatum is a very pretty tarantula from Texas that has a nice brick red coloration with black bands around the leg joints.

 

[mattnsariah]

i agree!!

i have owned two 'rose hairs' before i purchased my 'curly hair'...both were "ok"...attitudes could change at the drop of a dime....one was more moody then the other....BUT my 'curlyhair' who is very much a borrower and would be just as happy to be never handled, is the very easy and calm to hold!! "zeita" walks very slow and kinda glides her way around very easy for a begginer like myself!!!It's almost like shes holding you!!A awesome first owner T!!!!.....now i got twelve more and more on the way!!!this is like "arachnocrack"...me and my wife cant stop!!!!She was a snake person too!!...hahahahahahahaha

 

[AmyLu1982]

Arachnocrack! ​

I can see how it becomes that. Well, I think I'll see if I can find a local dealer or breeder, then visit and check out the individual T before I buy. I'm sure I'll eventually get a GBB also, and probably a few of the others you all have mentioned, but I think my first should be more on the gentle side. I keep thinking "maybe the kid at my work will get bored with the G. Rosea and pass her along to me..." I wouldn't be so lucky though...

 

[Mina]

I never get why people talk about "starter species". Give the T the right sized and type (flat/arboreal) of enclosure and feed them, and they're fine. So what if some are quick?

Wait until you have a GBB escape and are trying to catch it and ask that again. The only reason I would suggest a rose hair over a GBB is the speed. When I first got interested in T's I couldn't imagine how fast they could move, after all, they are small and they look as if they were put together in an odd fashion, you wouldn't think they could move that fast. Its amazing. Our first escape was a GBB, that we did recapture after a heart pounding 20 minutes of chasing him.
There are a ton of other really good T's to start with that don't have quite the variables in personality as rosies. G. aureostriata (chaco golden knee), the already mentioned E. campestratus (pink zebra beauty), almost anything in either the Aphoplema or Brachypelma genus, G. pulchra (Brazilian black). Those are just some suggestions. If you are comfortable with the idea of how fast they can be, you could still go with a GBB, they are beautiful and easy to care for. Best of luck with your new T!!!!!

 

[smof]

I haven't read most the thread, but IMO if handling is your top priority then of those two species go for the G. rosea. You get the occasional psycho one but generally they are docile. Bear in mind that of the two colour forms - normal (NCF) and red (RCF) - red ones tend to be more skittish. I have an RCF who can be handled but I have to use caution as she is easily startled. My housemate has an NCF who's a total kitten when it comes to handling.

Other good species for handling are G. pulchra and G. aureostriata. I have both of these and they are the easiest to handle.

Any T you get will probably be reluctant to get picked up, but generally once they are out of their tank they will calm down.

I have 2 GBBs. A juvie male who I would never try to handle. He is not lightning fast but still moves quicker than I can! And an adult female who acts stoned all the time, so maybe I should try handling her, but I think she is an exception to the general GBB rule.

In summary, go for a juvie or subadult Grammostola for your first and get the T you want to handle. Then get a GBB sling for the more interesting and colourful 'spectator' spider

just my 2p

 

[hairmetalspider]

Brutal honesty does not equal being presumptive or rude. This individual has come here for advice not a lecture.

Oh brother.

If someone asks a question, they get an answer. It was not presumptive or rude, but truth. And, I'm assuming since you're quick to reply with a smug answer as such, that you read the ORIGINAL post. Which does not sound anything like the second one, where ideas and opinions were explained differently.

If she truly believes that's what she wants, all the power to her. We need more women in the hobby.

*shrug*

 

[AmyLu1982]

Well, I Bit the Bullet... or maybe the Bullet bit me...

I found a guy on Craigslist re-homing two G Roseas and he's going to bring them both by for me to look at tomorrow evening. He says both are easy to handle and neither has kicked hairs or tried to bite, and that while both are "nice" one is calmer than the other. I'm not sure if I will take one, both, or neither of them, but I am soooo excited to get to see them. He says they are captive bred and has had them since they were slings, and they are 1 1/2 year and 1 year old, but I think they might be older than that because they look to be about 4 inches across, and as I read in the Rosea thread, they grow slowly. He also says these two eat like crazy, so maybe that explains the size, but I'm not sure. Oh, they each come with a 10 gal terrarium. Yaay!

I'm litterally about to jump out of my skin I am so excited!!

Be looking for pics if I get one (or both!) soon...