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- Jan 19, 2014
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I couldn't disagree more.it's a boring way to keep a spider
I couldn't disagree more.it's a boring way to keep a spider
It's long, but for someone who really wants a thorough overview of all things sling (you know how anxious new keepers can be), it's worth watching.an hour plus on sling enclosures...lmao...thats a 30 second tutorial. Me thinks Tom seriously over complicated a super super simple process.![]()
For me the size of the collection is not relevant. I did this when I had 3...because its the most effective and negates basically every single concern one might have.It's tough on those of us that are keeping hundreds of tarantulas to remember that when you only have one or two you invest more time (and have more of it to invest) in the pure entertainment of each part of keeping the $20 bug. The folks on here that are breeders or large scale collectors will always offer the simplest and most streamlined methods that have proven effective over time for keeping a tarantula healthy and happy.
I only have a few tarantulas, but I still keep tiny slings (<1.5") in small deli cups, because I don't want to spend a lot of time (or money) on an enclosure that a sling will quickly outgrow. I'd rather put that effort towards juvenile and adult enclosures.The folks on here that are breeders or large scale collectors will always offer the simplest and most streamlined methods that have proven effective over time for keeping a tarantula healthy and happy.
Not eating and burrowing/hiding were covered quite well in the tutorial I suggested. You mention confidence; yeah, seeing your tarantula is good for confidence, but so is knowing that it's normal for them to hide. The tutorial says hey, here's what they tend to do (burrow), here's how you can help, here's how it affects hydration, here's how it affects molting, here's how it affects feeding... It's much more reassuring to a rank novice like myself than having you describe the bare minimum and say I don't need to worry about other stuff. Molting behavior? Covered in the tutorial. Feeding? Covered. Avoiding problems is a good idea, but knowing what is and isn't a problem and how to handle problems if they do arise is also important and, IMO, is more important to learn first.What's the most common threads regarding newbies with slings...not eating and some manner of excessive (or perceived excessive) hiding. New people with one or a few "$20" slings want to see them and care for them. Its critical to their confidence a lot of the time. They also typically believe that this proper care means a larger, naturalistic set up....which actually compounds every single newbie concern....as they see it less, it hides or burrows more, it has a less aggressive feeding response, which leads directly to slower growth rates, thereby exacerbating those concerns.
I didn't mean to sound as if I took issue...I just think having someone watch an hour plus vid is over-kill....if I watch something for that long, it better have a plot line...and maybe Samuel L. Jackson...lol..You seem to take issue with the tutorial I suggested based purely on it being too long
The two things are completely not comparable. One is a skill that demands muscle memory, not to mention one can kill....you may as well compare making free throws to raising slings. My hobby is fishing, and there is about the same parallels between that and guns....zero.My other hobby is shooting and collecting guns. I can give you a 'how to' and 'why' on guns in four sentences, but that doesn't impart much applicable knowledge, just like a 30 second housing tutorial doesn't impart much knowledge to a newbie
For newbies, IME, too much info can cause as many questions and concerns as not enough.....My whole thing is simplification...if more newbs focused on this, there would be a whole lot less issues from them...trying to do too much too fast isn't the best approach....and that's my point.Not eating and burrowing/hiding were covered quite well in the tutorial I suggested. You mention confidence; yeah, seeing your tarantula is good for confidence, but so is knowing that it's normal for them to hide. The tutorial says hey, here's what they tend to do (burrow), here's how you can help, here's how it affects hydration, here's how it affects molting, here's how it affects feeding... It's much more reassuring to a rank novice like myself than having you describe the bare minimum and say I don't need to worry about other stuff. Molting behavior? Covered in the tutorial. Feeding? Covered. Avoiding problems is a good idea, but knowing what is and isn't a problem and how to handle problems if they do arise is also important and, IMO, is more important to learn first.
As a relative newbie ( about 2 years now ) I think the key, for me at least is to keep it simple but concise, not too much waffle. I have seen Toms video, I thought it was good to be honest but maybe for someone with their first T too much info at once?I didn't mean to sound as if I took issue...I just think having someone watch an hour plus vid is over-kill....if I watch something for that long, it better have a plot line...and maybe Samuel L. Jackson...lol..
I don't take issue, I am sure the vid is plenty informative, I just also think its unnecessary to watch.
The two things are completely not comparable. One is a skill that demands muscle memory, not to mention one can kill....you may as well compare making free throws to raising slings. My hobby is fishing, and there is about the same parallels between that and guns....zero.
For newbies, IME, too much info can cause as many questions and concerns as not enough.....My whole thing is simplification...if more newbs focused on this, there would be a whole lot less issues from them...trying to do too much too fast isn't the best approach....and that's my point.
It's a little off-putting when a newb such as myself comments on the best video they've found and it gets laughed at. Maybe I'm just more mature and eager to learn than other newbs so I don't mind the information overload. Yeah, that must be it!I didn't mean to sound as if I took issue...I just think having someone watch an hour plus vid is over-kill....if I watch something for that long, it better have a plot line...and maybe Samuel L. Jackson...lol..
This is where I have to respectfully disagree. Raising a sling wrong may not be dangerous to people like a gun is, but it is dangerous to the sling, which is why newbies worry about it and should spend more than 30 seconds on important topics. The consequence of fishing poorly is you don't make the fish late.The two things are completely not comparable. One is a skill that demands muscle memory, not to mention one can kill....you may as well compare making free throws to raising slings. My hobby is fishing, and there is about the same parallels between that and guns....zero.
So you think you got laughed at huh....baffling.It's a little off-putting when a newb such as myself comments on the best video they've found and it gets laughed at
They're free, pretty much anywhere you get food...we all need to eat...condiment cups are not only the cheapest, but also easily the most readily available and easiest sling housing to attain.Plus, I didn't have to buy or hunt down vials or condiment cups,
And while that will work just fine, for beginners it can cause issues as its a finer line to walk with regards to moisture as space and ventilation are generally more limited, especially if the sling webs (which is why I stopped using them in favor of condiment cups)....as a result, I always suggest cups over vials....but you aren't wrong to use them if that's your preference, millions of slings have been raised in them. I wasn't telling you or anyone what not to use, merely what I suggest and most importantly, why I suggest it over other alternatives.I just used some pill bottles
And what comes late with slings??? I don't get the correlation.The consequence of fishing poorly is you don't make the fish late.
I was not offended in the least, I simply didn't agree as I don't see how seeing the sling more often is more boring....seems less boring to me....but that's me, and its fine if your view is different.Wasn't trying to offend when I said condiment cups are boring
It's not an hour plus on sling on just enclosures, but two videos that cover the entire process from selecting and purchasing one to the first molt, etc. You'd think it's super simple, and I would agree. However, we've both been doing this for a while and recognize how easy it is to over-complicate things. The average beginner does not have this experience to fall back on and will spend a lot of time stressing over things we may find normal or mundane.an hour plus on sling enclosures...lmao...thats a 30 second tutorial. Me thinks Tom seriously over complicated a super super simple process.![]()
Tom opens a thread and surprise, people are squabbling about his video!That's how you know you're a celebrity.
Hi Tom, I think your video was just about perfect for older newbs like me. My slings were a present to myself for my 26th birthday and I've kept other inverts before so thoroughness at the expense of length was not a big deal. I could see how a teenager might not have the time or patience for nine, 10-minute lessons but I certainly had many of my fears laid to rest, enough that I'm only a little nervous about starting with T's that are not recommended as 'beginner species.'
I watched the whole thing throughHa! I was just doing a little surfing during lunch when I stumbled on this thread. Yikes!
Thanks so much, Swoop! Believe me, I get that 1 hr plus is going to try the attention spans of many. However, the idea was to be thorough and try to answer as much as possible in a way that would make those new to the hobby a bit more confident in what they were doing. From the sounds of things, most people just watch the individual sections as they encounter something they need clarification on. I don't think most go straight through both videos. I remember too well some of the things that used to stress me out when I first got into the hobby. I also remember how intimidating and nerve-wracking it could be to seek help on public forums. If I've saved a few people some stress, then it's all worth it.
And I teach teenagers...1 hour is a LOT to ask from them. haha
Thanks again!
I watched the whole thing through(Then again I really love spider videos). I've been in the hobby for two years, and the video confirmed things I was doing right, and gave me ideas on how to improve even more. All your videos and your blog are top notch
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