Getting started

[cold blood]

what about the Nhandu chromatus compared to the LP? the Nhandu chromatus is definitely nicer looking but do they make a good starter?

chromatus females still get big...a bulky 7+" t is pretty impressive.

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• cold blood
• Mar 27, 2017
• 5

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• cold blood
• Mar 5, 2017
• 3

feasting chromatus.

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• cold blood
• Feb 19, 2017
• 12

An example of hunting posture....from a t always hunting.

i like chromatus, and as a starter its not docile, but its no differrent than a genic really...fast growers and great eaters and great looking ...i love the white carapace of chromatus though....genics are a great choice as well though.

the 3 mentioned above are all very similiar, with individual variance.

cool thank you, and what of their temperament, do they kick often?

all capable, but some flick as a first response, others rarely flick at all. As a general rule, the less they are messed with or bothered, the less flicking you will see....some individuals are just nuts about it though...lol. N. coloratovillsus is the worst IME.

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• cold blood
• Mar 5, 2017

 

[TRection]

They are a very good choice as long as you remember the caveats already offered. To repest, extremely food aggressive, (which is actually considered a point for them by most, if not all folks) so they are not considered a handling species, but tarantulas are not for handling in general, really. But it also means that you doin't want to put your fingers near them. Everything is food to them. And the hairs are reputed to be pretty bad, but i have yet to experience that, and hope i won't.

The rest of their care is pretty much tarantula keeping 101. They do seem to like a little bit of moisture, and some people keep an area a bit damp for them (I do) but you don't have to chase humidity numbers like you often see suggested for them and a lot of other species. Overflowing their water source once in a while when you fill it should suffice, really. mine seems to enjoy janging out on its dapened area periodically, though.

Annnd, on preview I see that as usual, I was beaten to the punch. And as usual, once i go to the trouble of typing anything of much length, I still go ahead and submit my comment. But I'll add that I think that the propensity to kick hairs can depend on the spider, but genics are a bit more prone to it than some other species. I've seen mine kick a few times. but I try to avoid as much as possible avoid prompting him to do so.

That isn't that big a deal compared to their being such a great species. Just use due caution during maintenance and of course avoid handling, which should really be avoided with all species.

Great information! thank you

 

[TRection]

chromatus females still get big...a bulky 7+" t is pretty impressive.

Resized952017032795194140

• cold blood
• Mar 27, 2017
• 5

Resized952017030495233603

• cold blood
• Mar 5, 2017
• 3

feasting chromatus.

Resized952017021995135620

• cold blood
• Feb 19, 2017
• 12

An example of hunting posture....from a t always hunting.

i like chromatus, and as a starter its not docile, but its no differrent than a genic really...fast growers and great eaters and great looking ...i love the white carapace of chromatus though....genics are a great choice as well though.

the 3 mentioned above are all very similiar, with individual variance.




all capable, but some flick as a first response, others rarely flick at all. As a general rule, the less they are messed with or bothered, the less flicking you will see....some individuals are just nuts about it though...lol. N. coloratovillsus is the worst IME.

Resized952017030495200743

• cold blood
• Mar 5, 2017

You have beautiful T's great pictures. I think im going to go with the Genic, im not really planning on handling anyways, i just dont want it kicking up hairs every time i walk over to watch it lol

 

[Nightstalker47]

You have beautiful T's great pictures. I think im going to go with the Genic, im not really planning on handling anyways, i just dont want it kicking up hairs every time i walk over to watch it lol

You won't regret it, they are a beautiful species. My specimens haven't ever kicked at me, they tend to be less defensive then those of the Nhandu genus, and much less flighty.

My genics like to stand their ground, even when spooked they just cover their carapace with their legs lol. Nhandu chromatus is also one of my favorites...their just a little more nervous at times and can bolt on you. The L.parahybana is very underrated, I just love the look of a big female, and they're super hardy and cheap.

 

[TRection]

You won't regret it, they are a beautiful species. My specimens haven't ever kicked at me, they tend to be less defensive then those of the Nhandu genus, and much less flighty.

My genics like to stand their ground, even when spooked they just cover their carapace with their legs lol. Nhandu chromatus is also one of my favorites...their just a little more nervous at times and can bolt on you. The L.parahybana is very underrated, I just love the look of a big female, and they're super hardy and cheap.

Ok great! i think i have my mind made up, im going to go for the Genic

 

[cold blood]

L.parahybana is very underrated, I just love the look of a big female, and they're super hardy and cheap.

underrated? With all the false hype surrounding the lp theyre anything but under rated....IMO, theyre the single most over rated t in the hobby...none of thier qualities are unique to them, and theres a bevy of similiar species that virtually all look better....nothing wrong with an lp mind you

Ok great! i think i have my mind made up, im going to go for the Genic

You really cant go wrong with a geniculata...my suggestion is to get a few slings...their growth and appetite make them (along with most large terrestrials) very enjoyable to raise from a sling.

You will be happy with a genic for sure!

 

[Nightstalker47]

underrated? With all the false hype surrounding the lp theyre anything but under rated....IMO, theyre the single most over rated t in the hobby.

You talking smack about my girl?

But seriously, unless your expecting to have a 12 inch T there's nothing over rated about them, my Lps are always an eye catcher when I'm showing off to friends, they are awesome Ts !

none of thier qualities are unique to them, and theres a bevy of similiar species that virtually all look better

I own plenty of big NW species and I still love my L.parahybanas, having access to a large feisty NW T for such a low price is what I mean when I say underrated.

 

[TRection]

Ok i ordered a 3" A.Genic and it should be arriving in about 2 weeks, now onto the next question, the enclosure, i have a small terrarium i bought from the reptile store by my house, its about 11X11X11 inches cube shaped tank (about 5 gallons) with about 3-4 inch deep coconut fiber, i have some plants and a nice custom hide i made and glued more plants onto, as well as a water dish, im assuming the tank is too big for a 3" but do i really need to downgrade or will it be ok in a larger tank as it glows into it? i would also like to know how often i should wet the substrate and clean the tank out? for my snake and lizard i normally clean once a month or so. but i have heard that people use little bugs to clean the tank for them, i had never heard of that before. Any and all other tips would be great

 

[cold blood]

You talking smack about my girl?

But seriously, unless your expecting to have a 12 inch T there's nothing over rated about them, my Lps are always an eye catcher when I'm showing off to friends, they are awesome Ts !

I own plenty of big NW species and I still love my L.parahybanas, having access to a large feisty NW T for such a low price is what I mean when I say underrated.

i dont agree, but i do love your passion, thats awesome

 

[D Sherlod]

Ok i ordered a 3" A.Genic and it should be arriving in about 2 weeks, now onto the next question, the enclosure, i have a small terrarium i bought from the reptile store by my house, its about 11X11X11 inches cube shaped tank (about 5 gallons) with about 3-4 inch deep coconut fiber, i have some plants and a nice custom hide i made and glued more plants onto, as well as a water dish, im assuming the tank is too big for a 3" but do i really need to downgrade or will it be ok in a larger tank as it glows into it? i would also like to know how often i should wet the substrate and clean the tank out? for my snake and lizard i normally clean once a month or so. but i have heard that people use little bugs to clean the tank for them, i had never heard of that before. Any and all other tips would be great

No need to clean out, you use tongs pick out the bolus and poop.
water dish at one end, over flow the dish to dampen the substrate. Let it dry out and then overflow again.
repeat when dry.

 

[cold blood]

Ok i ordered a 3" A.Genic and it should be arriving in about 2 weeks, now onto the next question, the enclosure, i have a small terrarium i bought from the reptile store by my house, its about 11X11X11 inches cube shaped tank (about 5 gallons) with about 3-4 inch deep coconut fiber, i have some plants and a nice custom hide i made and glued more plants onto, as well as a water dish, im assuming the tank is too big for a 3" but do i really need to downgrade or will it be ok in a larger tank as it glows into it? i would also like to know how often i should wet the substrate and clean the tank out? for my snake and lizard i normally clean once a month or so. but i have heard that people use little bugs to clean the tank for them, i had never heard of that before. Any and all other tips would be great

For that enclosure you will want to double the amount of sub. Its a huge enclosure for a 3" genic, but it can manage, just keep floor clutter to a minimum to make things easier...with more room, floor clutter is feeder hiding spots.. not even a genic will get everything right away.

Just keep an area damp, when it dries, dampen another area....they dont require all that much in terms of moisture, so its fine to let it dry from time to time.

Theres no one set schedule, how often you add water to the sub will depend on your local environment...the more humid, the less often you need to moisten....deeper sub like you will have will also allow for more water, and because the deeper sub can be kept damp, it will hold that moisture significantly longer...so you dont need to add as often.

Cleaning is really just spot cleaning...picking out a bolus when you find one and not leaving dead feeders laying around. Ts are not very dirty. Cleaners like isopods and springtails can only be used in enclosures with consistent moisture, and while they will clean up organic matter like boli, their biggest benefit is controlling molds. Proper ventilation is also needed in these kinds of situations as well to control or eliminate mold.

Substrate doesnt need cleaning or changing.

 

[TRection]

Ok cool the more i learn about T's the more im loving them, so easy to take care of!

 

[TRection]

Do i need to get any sort of heating for the tank do A.Genic need it hot? my room never really gets very cold its normally at room temp.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Do i need to get any sort of heating for the tank do A.Genic need it hot? my room never really gets very cold its normally at room temp.

No need for that, if your comfortable in a t-shirt then all your Ts will be as well.

 

[TRection]

No need for that, if your comfortable in a t-shirt then all your Ts will be as well.

wow im going to reiterate how much im really loving Ts the more i learn about them!

 

[Chris LXXIX]

underrated? With all the false hype surrounding the lp theyre anything but under rated....IMO, theyre the single most over rated t in the hobby...none of thier qualities are unique to them, and theres a bevy of similiar species that virtually all look better....nothing wrong with an lp mind you

My man sometimes you should be more 'kind' with the bulky lovely itchy Lasiodora parahybana, hobby classic since forever

 

[The Grym Reaper]

i have a small terrarium i bought from the reptile store by my house, its about 11X11X11 inches cube shaped tank (about 5 gallons) with about 3-4 inch deep coconut fiber, i have some plants and a nice custom hide i made and glued more plants onto, as well as a water dish, im assuming the tank is too big for a 3" but do i really need to downgrade or will it be ok in a larger tank as it glows into it?

That enclosure will be fine, this species grows fast and is fairly active.

I'd top the substrate up to a minimum of 5" (the gap between the top of the sub & the top of the enclosure should be no more than 2x the leg span of the T for terrestrials), I prefer to use a mix of peat & coco fibre as I feel it looks better than straight coco fibre but that's just my opinion.
As for furniture, all it really needs is a large water dish and a hide, anything else is purely optional, it will probably use the hide up until it hits 4+ inches and then it will just stay out in the open after that.

i would also like to know how often i should wet the substrate and clean the tank out? for my snake and lizard i normally clean once a month or so. but i have heard that people use little bugs to clean the tank for them, i had never heard of that before.

I overfill the water dish once a week or so for mine to keep that area moist, you'll figure out how often you need to do it based on how quickly the sub dries out after you moisten it.
You won't need to clean the substrate out, just pick out any boli (balls of indigestible leftovers from feeding) to prevent mould etc, you can add springtails (I ended up with them naturally) but they're not a necessity and probably best saved until you have more experience under your belt.

Do i need to get any sort of heating for the tank do A.Genic need it hot? my room never really gets very cold its normally at room temp.

Additional heating is not required unless your room gets really cold for extended periods of time, room temps are fine.

Any and all other tips would be great

Definitely invest in some long (around 12") tweezers/tongs for maintenance (stuff like removing boli etc.), these things hit like tanks and you especially don't want an adult mistaking your hand for prey, enjoy your ravenous murder tank, mine was my second T and she's one of my favourites.

**Gratuitous A. geniculata pic alert **


(Before anyone lynches me for the rocks, there is no significant fall risk, she can't burrow underneath them and any sharp edges were smoothed off)

 

[TRection]

That enclosure will be fine, this species grows fast and is fairly active.

I'd top the substrate up to a minimum of 5" (the gap between the top of the sub & the top of the enclosure should be no more than 2x the leg span of the T for terrestrials), I prefer to use a mix of peat & coco fibre as I feel it looks better than straight coco fibre but that's just my opinion.
As for furniture, all it really needs is a large water dish and a hide, anything else is purely optional, it will probably use the hide up until it hits 4+ inches and then it will just stay out in the open after that.



I overfill the water dish once a week or so for mine to keep that area moist, you'll figure out how often you need to do it based on how quickly the sub dries out after you moisten it.
You won't need to clean the substrate out, just pick out any boli (balls of indigestible leftovers from feeding) to prevent mould etc, you can add springtails (I ended up with them naturally) but they're not a necessity and probably best saved until you have more experience under your belt.



Additional heating is not required unless your room gets really cold for extended periods of time, room temps are fine.



Definitely invest in some long (around 12") tweezers/tongs for maintenance (stuff like removing boli etc.), these things hit like tanks and you especially don't want an adult mistaking your hand for prey, enjoy your ravenous murder tank, mine was my second T and she's one of my favourites.

**Gratuitous A. geniculata pic alert **

View attachment 237614
(Before anyone lynches me for the rocks, there is no significant fall risk, she can't burrow underneath them and any sharp edges were smoothed off)

I will definitely be hitting up my reptile store this weekend for those tweezers, as well as some more substrate,thanks and beautiful T btw

 

[johnny quango]

Man reading this thread as proven 100% that I'm a minority the reason is I'm not overly fond of A genic or Lp and I'll never own either. I've owned a Nhandu before and I currently have Acanthoscurria ferina in my collection but if I'm wanting a new world tarantula that eats till it bursts I head down the Pamphobeteus or Phormictopus route.

@TRection welcome to the addiction I'd start making plans for your 2nd,3rd and 4th tarantula

 

[cold blood]

Man reading this thread as proven 100% that I'm a minority the reason is I'm not overly fond of A genic or Lp and I'll never own either. I've owned a Nhandu before and I currently have Acanthoscurria ferina in my collection but if I'm wanting a new world tarantula that eats till it bursts I head down the Pamphobeteus or Phormictopus route.

@TRection welcome to the addiction I'd start making plans for your 2nd,3rd and 4th tarantula

Pamphs are pretty cool.