Hi There

Slaxik

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 28, 2003
Messages
6
I would like to know everything about tarantulas-Is it difficult to keep them in house?? What they need?? I would like to get basic informations please! Anyone help?
Thanks
 

rapunzel

Arachnodemon
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Jan 17, 2003
Messages
750
first start by clicking on the link

at the top of the page that says "tarantulas". It gives a great basic summary.
Also, do some researching online at various sites to get a basic understanding of the concept of the tarantulas, and there are some excellent books out there..one off the top of my head would be The Tarantula Keepers Guide.
Many tarantulas are not hard at all to keep when you are first starting out, and many are for the very experienced only. Once you have researched somewhat, there are many many people here at this site that can answer more specific questions.
Good Luck. And Welcome to the board.
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
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Feb 13, 2003
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Welcome to the group=D
Read a lot and ask away!
Everyone here has been very helpful to me.
=D
 

Code Monkey

Arachnoemperor
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Jul 22, 2002
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Originally posted by Slaxik
I would like to know everything about tarantulas-Is it difficult to keep them in house?? What they need?? I would like to get basic informations please! Anyone help?
Thanks
Welcome to the board. While people here are helpful and can help you with specific questions, the above are broad enough to fill entire books - there are over 200 different species in the pet trade with different needs, habits, etc..

I would suggest you do as others have suggested and do some background research on this website and others. Then, when you have a more specific question you still need answered, we'll be here.

Because if I answered your above questions without spending all day it would go:

Is it difficult to keep them in a house? No.
What do they need? Food, water, and suitable shelter.

Not very helpful, I'll bet.
 
Last edited:

MizM

Arachnoprincess
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Jan 13, 2003
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"The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" by Stanley A. Schultz and Marguerite J. Schultz is the "Tarantula Bible". It has the most in-depth, detailed information of any book on the subject I've ever read.

I had to order it from my bookstore, seems noboby carries it in stock! But, it's well worth the hunt, and I wouldn't recommend that anyone purchase a T without reading this book FIRST!

For a quicker read, but with plenty of good information, "Tarantulas and Other Arachnids" by Samuel D. Marshall, is another of my favorites.

Good luck and welcome... the folks on this board are GREAT!
 

ithuriel

Arachnoknight
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Aug 11, 2002
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:) hi there,
think the other posts have said the basics , little bit of research online first , try and find some books too , though where i live its very difficult to find anything decent in any type of shop so youll probably find it better to order stuff like books and whatever online:( then if you dont already know where there is one do a bit of leg work to find has many pet shops in your area that sell inverts and feeder insects. also living in the uk youll probably need a heat matt too hmmmmm all i can think of for the moment , still a tiny bit tired has i write this due to working nights:(
 

ahkiu

Arachnosquire
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Joined
Mar 15, 2003
Messages
108
hi slaxik

the the guys above me said, there's a pretty good basic guide on this website. But an addition that might not be there is us in the uk need a source of heat for our tarantula's generally this a heat mat you can buy online or in local pet stores :)

and depending on your tarnantula, it's wise to position it relative to their needs' For instance burrowing types, you should put the mat on the side of the tank as they dig into the substrate to escape the heat but for aboreal (climbing types) you can place it at the bottom of the tank :)
 

Code Monkey

Arachnoemperor
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Jul 22, 2002
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Originally posted by ahkiu
But an addition that might not be there is us in the uk need a source of heat for our tarantula's
Off topic question: Why exactly is this? Does no one in the U.K. have central heating? Call me a wasteful American, but I can't possibly see letting my home drop below 70 in the winter.
 

ahkiu

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Mar 15, 2003
Messages
108
i suppose it depends on where you keep them.

in my house, everything is on a timer and for the period of the day when no one is in. The heating isn't on.
 

danread

Arachnoprince
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Dec 5, 2002
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yup, you're a wasteful american :D I only have the heating on when i'm in the house.
 

Code Monkey

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Jul 22, 2002
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Originally posted by ithuriel
:) its cheaper to have a heat matt
I suppose you could look at it this way. I, otoh, view it as for the $20 more a month it costs me to keep my home a nice, even temp, my Ts are happier, my rats are happier, my dog is happier, my ferrets are happier, and me and the wife are happier - thats about $0.40/month per head. Plus, that rationale might work with only a couple of inverts, but it would cost me a couple of hundred dollars to get individual heating for my collection. I can heat my home during the winter for a couple of seasons for that kind of money.
 

ithuriel

Arachnoknight
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Aug 11, 2002
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:) yup but uk summers are about 2/3 weeks of beautiful warm weather , a couple weeks blazing hot no air weather n the rest of the year bloody freezing:(
 

Buspirone

Arachnoprince
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Mar 10, 2003
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A beautiful day in the UK: Look! The black is lifting.....its grey outside! :D ;P
 

Lopez

Arachnoking
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Feb 18, 2003
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T's die in the UK without a constant heat source. The ambient air temperature is just too cold.

And yes, Code Monkey you are a typically wasteful American ;)
 
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