Getting into the T-Hobby. Need some final advise.

[Odyvia]

I've already began purchasing substrate, vents and other various enclosure necessities needed.

But the most important thing comes down to knowledge when keeping a T alive.

I know a lot of my questions can be answered on this forum as I've already done a good amount of research and planning.

Just to start it off. I have a lot of knowledge in animals, reptiles and other amphibians. Just never opened my doors to arachnids. I've already began looking into the various species and genus of T's I'd like to start off with. I have the most utmost respect for all animals and the fact some are more docile and handle able then others. I'm not the type that looks forward to coming home and showing off my T and holding it. But I do have the depth in curiosity to see how my T's would register on a temperamental level. Of course understanding the risks and dangers of trying such things.

That aside, I do understand the risks for myself as well as the T and can safely say I can manage myself when it comes down to it, not just with Tarantula's in specific but all animals and reptiles alike in general.

So with that said. Some of the species I've been looking at include,

Lampropelma Violaceopes (Singapore Blue)
Poecilotheria Metallica (Gooty Sapphire Ornamental)
Poecilotheria Regalis
Poecilotheria Subfusca
Poecilotheria Ornata
Poecilotheria Miranda
Poecilotheria Tigrinawesseli

I do like most of the species in the Poecilotheria genus.

I'd like to add in that I'm currently living in central Florida area so the weather is generally nice out and perfect for T's. We are at a cold point in the year where it can reach 50F in the morning and 75F during the day at highs. But like I said this is the cold season here in Florida.

I do have plans on using a space heater to help out the room temp a little during these times.

As for the spider. I'm looking to start off with a juvenile - pre adult or sling. I'd rather not buy something that's already matured and in adult stages so I can adjust to the younger growth ages of T's for the future.

I currently have someone giving me a free 10g tank that I thought would be perfect for future use when they've matured and jut stand the tank up vertically similar to "Robc" (Tarantulaguy1976).

Till then I thought it would be nice to store the slings / juvenile's in a smaller acrylic box within the 10g tank then managing the humidity / heat inside the 10g with water and a space heater or heat mat during these colder times during the morning and night.

Here's a small list of stuff I'm looking to get a hold of or already have. Any input / advise is welcome.

- Coco Fiber Loose Substrate
- 10g Tank
- Poly carbonate Plexiglass Cover w/ 2" Ventilation Screens
- Hygrometer / Thermometer for Temp. Monitoring.
- Heat Pad (Already have a space heater, not sure if it works properly. Not sure if either are "needed")
- 4" sq. x 7-1/4" h Acrylic Boxes for Juvenile / Sling holding.
- Natural or Artificial den's & tree's (Still deciding)
- Live Plants (Haven't looked into which ones to grab. Not really concerned until its pre adult / adult)
- The T - Most important thing last of course ; )

In addition to all this. In the near future after getting comfortable with the education and understanding behind the T's. I'd like to get into breeding 1-2 species for personal interest in trading and opening my doors into other types of T Genus'. I know a lot of people would say start with something a little more simple such as an Avic so your not losing your $ if I happen to run into issues along the way. But I'm willing to take the financial risks involved.

With all this said.

I'm looking for any final advise before I lay down the hammer on a definite decision as far as where I'm heading with my plans.

 

[grayzone]

go with your gut.

If youre ready to take the financial risks you MAY encounter along the way, if youve done a ton of research (and then some) and are fully aware of what youre getting into, get any off your wishlist.

I wont bash your taste in ts, or the fact you want to rush into the hobby with the purchase of a defensive, speedy OW arboreal.
I WILL however highly advise you to look at all the bite reports you can find. Research only goes so far when prepping you for these guys. EXPERIENCE with other fast and (at times) nasty tarantulas is the only thing that will prep you.

I would highly suggest looking into any member of the Psalmopoeus genera and start there. A LOT of similarities, without the health risks. Psalmopoeus is a New World tarantula that lacks the urticating hairs and venom of the ts you've listed, but behaves very similar to all of them.

 

[JZC]

Um maybe you might want to start with something without the ability to teleport and a bit less potent, but hey whatever you want. Go artificial trees and dens, less chance of parasites. You might have problems with the live plants and you shouldn't get heat pads.

 

[Giomanach]

Hi! first of welcome to the hobby! (ps: its addictive)
it seems you are quite set and ready the only advice i can give you is DO NOT start with a pokie (poecilotheria species)
they are beautifull spiders! but extremely fast and are not docile.
and their venom is quite potent. (it will hurt quite a bit!)

id start like i did and pick a T up from the following species.

Brachypelma
Grammostola
Avicularia

i can recommend.

B.smithi
B.boehmei.
A.avicularia
G.pulchra
G.pulchripes.

(and i understand what you are saying about the money, but starting with something alot easier is not for you in case you lose your money, but for your wellbeing and the spider)

biggest advice, start with a New World species..

Good luck! and post some pictures when you have it set up

 

[grayzone]

well, in all fairness, my 2nd t ever was a P. regalis. The first one (NW L.parahybana) shouldn't even count, as it was a gag gift. I got the two within 2 months of eachother, so i had no real experience at all. Ive never had a single problem with my ts (and i honestly didn't do the research needed beforehand.)

As long as you're confident about what you're owning, you're off to a good start. I WOULD SAY pick any off your list and run with it, but that would be HIGHLY irresponsible of me to recommend doing.

I will only advise Psalmo or something like A. diversipes (some get quite nasty as they get older and are fast as hell.. no real harm factors in either though)

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Welcome. My 2 cents:

I would not buy a Hygrometer and Thermometer.

I would buy a 3 inch Female Poecilotheria Regalis since you are going to purchase an OW.

 

[macbaffo]

What do you mean by having lot of knowledge about animals and amphibious?

 

[skar]

You more than likely won't need a heat mat esp with space heater . Live plants are a nice thought (pothos) but don"t do to well
in coco fiber and seem more of a pain than their worth . I suggest fake plants .
What kind of help are you wanting ?
You will have alot of Pocies, if that"s what you like okay. You will like some more different ones later too.
I suggest not to stress about them, try to control yourself from looking at them every 4 mins going "OMG why is it not making a web" ??!!
I dont use temp or humidity guages either T's in general seem to thrive without alot of work .

have fun

 

[grayzone]

try to control yourself from looking at them every 4 mins

SOUNDS easy ..heh:sarcasm:

 

[Kazaam]

Get a psalmopoeus instead.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

sounds easy ..heh:sarcasm:

lol!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Formerphobe]

But, checking on them every 4 hours is fine...

 

[Odyvia]

Thanks for all the feedback so far in such a short amount of time.

As far as the enclosure habitat plants. I do like the looks of natural plants. And I figured the Coco Fiber won't suffice in keeping them alive. I haven't given mixed substrate a thought yet as far as Soil / Peat Moss or Coco Fiber.

Also if it comes down to it in the future. Adding in Isopods to help with the cage maintenance, would Coco Fiber or Peat Moss be a bad thing for the "Clean-Up Crew" or would a Soil based substrate be an all around recommended for natural live plants & Isopods ?

 

[Niffarious]

I started with P. irminia and had two pokies and an H. mac several months later. I was recently gifted a huge, gorgeous P. regalis. And of all my T's, the one I don't like to tangle with is my LP. She tries to eat my face with abundant enthusiasm. At least the pokies just run and hide.
But here's the thing - I don't handle my T's. Any of them, not the avics or roseas or anything else. I treat every single one of them with a lot of respect and caution.

Your list is mostly species that could land you in a hospital, or at the very least ruin your week if you got a bite - and you sound to me like you plan to try interacting:

But I do have the depth in curiosity to see how my T's would register on a temperamental level. Of course understanding the risks and dangers of trying such things.

If you want to touch them, don't get pokies. As has been mentioned, read the bite reports and listen to what folks are saying. If you plan to be exceedingly cautions and give them the respect they deserve, you will probably be fine...but I bet the first time you see one teleport it will take a minute for your heart rate to go down if you've never experienced that before.

 

[Odyvia]

I started with P. irminia and had two pokies and an H. mac several months later. I was recently gifted a huge, gorgeous P. regalis. And of all my T's, the one I don't like to tangle with is my LP. She tries to eat my face with abundant enthusiasm. At least the pokies just run and hide.
But here's the thing - I don't handle my T's. Any of them, not the avics or roseas or anything else. I treat every single one of them with a lot of respect and caution.

Your list is mostly species that could land you in a hospital, or at the very least ruin your week if you got a bite - and you sound to me like you plan to try interacting:

But I do have the depth in curiosity to see how my T's would register on a temperamental level. Of course understanding the risks and dangers of trying such things.

If you want to touch them, don't get pokies. As has been mentioned, read the bite reports and listen to what folks are saying. If you plan to be exceedingly cautions and give them the respect they deserve, you will probably be fine...but I bet the first time you see one teleport it will take a minute for your heart rate to go down if you've never experienced that before.

The one thing I've learned with all animals and not specifically spiders in general. Is that being afraid or unaware of what they are capable of doing is just putting not only you, but them in danger as well. I didn't necessarily mean in my statement that I'd curiously open cages and try to pet them lol. I'm just saying, if a time comes when I just so happen to get a pokie jumping on me, I'd gladly accept the risks that come along with it. I'm not the type to freak out in situations like that. Not to mention my tolerance for pain is extremely high, I don't think 2 fangs in my hand would bother me much.

One thing that does bother me more then getting bitten is possible escapee's and hiding places. I don't really have a secured off room at the moment. And there seems to be lots of crevices and areas to comfortably hide in if it just so happens to get out. I wouldn't be the one to be concerned about a loose T around the house. I'd be more worried about the safety of it.

 

[grayzone]

there are PLENTY of places for a t to hide.

Ive recently taken apart my fridge, cabinets, dishwasher... essentially ransacked the whole kitchen.. in an attempt to find one escapee.
I have given up on the rest of the house.
If it is still alive, and still INSIDE, we will cross paths one day.

 

[goodoldneon]

The one thing I've learned with all animals and not specifically spiders in general. Is that being afraid or unaware of what they are capable of doing is just putting not only you, but them in danger as well. I didn't necessarily mean in my statement that I'd curiously open cages and try to pet them lol. I'm just saying, if a time comes when I just so happen to get a pokie jumping on me, I'd gladly accept the risks that come along with it. I'm not the type to freak out in situations like that. Not to mention my tolerance for pain is extremely high, I don't think 2 fangs in my hand would bother me much.

One thing that does bother me more then getting bitten is possible escapee's and hiding places. I don't really have a secured off room at the moment. And there seems to be lots of crevices and areas to comfortably hide in if it just so happens to get out. I wouldn't be the one to be concerned about a loose T around the house. I'd be more worried about the safety of it.

This isn't going to end well.

 

[Amoeba]

I've loosely skimmed this thread so forgive anything that has been mentioned previously.

You should get your hands on the Tarantula Keepers guide (preferably 3rd edition). It has all the core knowledge you could ever need with none of the bickering.

You are making keeping Ts very difficult and from what I am superficially gathering you are applying your other animal hobbies knowledge to tarantulas. If your house has working heat and air then room temps and below are fine.

You are certainly jumping in the deep end by aiming for OW arboreals as your first T. Do not take these creatures lightly as it is not just their fangs that get you, their venom is potent and can knock you on you butt. Please for your own sake (and the hobbies) read through the bite reports of anything you want to get before you full commit to a certain spider. I will offer that there are new world arboreals (besides Avicularia) that have a much more forgiving learning curve.

Lastly I would like to welcome you to the boards. It's kinda cool to see more people from the 727 getting into inverts. My bugs and I will be back in the Tampa bay area all December, if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

P.S. Did you catch the NPR repticon?

 

[Drezno]

I think people generally make too big a deal about "starter tarantulas." A good starter is whatever a person feel comfortable with, as long as the keeper is cautious and very well informed. That said, I sincerely hope that the OP IS well informed, because I have my doubts when I read stuff like this:

Not to mention my tolerance for pain is extremely high, I don't think 2 fangs in my hand would bother me much.

Have you read much about the medical significance of Poeci bites? The really bad end of the spectrum is stuff like chronic neurological symptoms and coma. Confidence (i.e. the ability to not freak out) is important, but should ideally be grounded in knowledge of the risks.

 

[Odyvia]

I've loosely skimmed this thread so forgive anything that has been mentioned previously.

You should get your hands on the Tarantula Keepers guide (preferably 3rd edition). It has all the core knowledge you could ever need with none of the bickering.

You are making keeping Ts very difficult and from what I am superficially gathering you are applying your other animal hobbies knowledge to tarantulas. If your house has working heat and air then room temps and below are fine.

You are certainly jumping in the deep end by aiming for OW arboreals as your first T. Do not take these creatures lightly as it is not just their fangs that get you, their venom is potent and can knock you on you butt. Please for your own sake (and the hobbies) read through the bite reports of anything you want to get before you full commit to a certain spider. I will offer that there are new world arboreals (besides Avicularia) that have a much more forgiving learning curve.

Lastly I would like to welcome you to the boards. It's kinda cool to see more people from the 727 getting into inverts. My bugs and I will be back in the Tampa bay area all December, if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

P.S. Did you catch the NPR repticon?

Thanks for the welcome and yea definitely. I'm still working on gathering much of the needed stuff before even considering. Gathering as much info as possible and I haven't checked on amazon or anything for keeper books etc. I'll have to do that when I get off work.

As for the NPR repticon. I had no idea. Did I just miss it or how often does it come around ? Where was it located ?

I think people generally make too big a deal about "starter tarantulas." A good starter is whatever a person feel comfortable with, as long as the keeper is cautious and very well informed. That said, I sincerely hope that the OP IS well informed, because I have my doubts when I read stuff like this:

Have you read much about the medical significance of Poeci bites? The really bad end of the spectrum is stuff like chronic neurological symptoms and coma. Confidence (i.e. the ability to not freak out) is important, but should ideally be grounded in knowledge of the risks.

I've seen various videos of after effects from a few poeci bites. As well as read up on a few bite reports but none specifically on the species I'm leaning towards. That's a little bit more research I'll have to look into before considering on a final decision.