How much research did you do before getting your first T?

How much research did you do before getting your first T?

  • Nothing really, just asked the previous owner for tips

    Votes: 6 8.1%
  • Got my advice from the pet shop

    Votes: 8 10.8%
  • Looked for care sheets on the internet

    Votes: 13 17.6%
  • Got my advice from facebook / other social media

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Read everything I could find on the internet

    Votes: 38 51.4%
  • Read a book

    Votes: 16 21.6%
  • Joined AB and read everything / asked questions

    Votes: 25 33.8%
  • Read everything on tarantulas everywhere

    Votes: 19 25.7%

  • Total voters
    74

GreyPsyche

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 19, 2016
Messages
92
I signed up here, read everything I could find, and asked questions here...

I took about three years I think before I decided to buy one, I ended up with seven shortly after the first order. Haha.
 

Ondottr

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
17
I read a lot of books about tarantulas and spiders when I was a kid, and online when internet became a thing. I wasn't even considering getting my own T, I just thought they were lovely and fascinating. After it came into my head that I could actually literally own one, I spent about 5 months online (and in here) reading about keeping the different species. Settled on an easy starter that I could actually get my hands on here in Japan, would be hardy enough to survive my rookie mistakes, and that likely wouldn't bite me. Then I watched a lot of vids to get ideas about how to set up the enclosure and handle it if need be, and what to expect when I try to feed it.
I feel pretty competent in theory, just a matter of learning how to do the things practically.
 

Walker253

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 12, 2016
Messages
554
I had a tiny bit of knowledge, none of it really that great. I was a reptile guy. I decided to buy a couple of T's listed on a FB reptile page while out of town. The lady gave me a few pointers. I found a wealth of information online including this site. I was off and running. Hard to imaging it was just over a year ago.
 

Tim Benzedrine

Prankster Possum
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
1,496
I didn't do a whole lot of research, but I think I learned enough to enable me to successfully keep these interesting reptiles.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
My test results are a bit skewed as well since I read a book and researched the hell out of the Dutch forum and badgered people there. I got my first three, B.albopilosum, and was mesmerized by them. I researched more and more as I got more, species specific info but also breeding and anatomy. And when I got two GBB and A.metallica and an E.campestratus and B.smithi, I found AB. :)
I think I started researching a year prior to my first purchase, but I never stopped doing that, there is still lots of new info coming up every day, and I love reading and learning so if I come along new species, I'll dive right in :)
 

Rittdk01

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
258
I got on this site after I got my af T stirmi. I quickly learned not to take all the differing advice on keeping or I would be changing the setup daily lol. I talked to a couple keepers in particular that actually kept T stirmi, and pretty much followed their methods. Shes healthy as a horse now, and looks incredible. 5 months post molt and she still has all the hair on her butt lol.
 

Aaron Evans

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 20, 2017
Messages
0
It amazes me again and again seeing threads were someone asks for help with his/her T and it's glaringly obvious that they don't have the slightest clue how to properly take care of their animals. So, how much research did you do before getting a T? Did you know beforehand how to take care of it or did you figure it out as you went along?

I may be a pretty extreme case of research, I guess. I read two books and a lot of internet sites before finally accepting 3 adult/subadult Brachypelmas from someone who was giving up his collection. Within the first month of keeping I had read three more books (overall three in German and two in English, including the TKG, and all from front to back) and quite a lot on the net - and of course I was completely confused because people kept contradicting each other. I finally decided to use common sense and some basic biology knowledge and it didn't go too badly in the end.


sorry i was one of them people! i was in the pet shop one day after work and just impulsively my brachypelma boehmei . foolish yes. regret it no. such a beautiful animal , as with my previous post i know now that - 1) i should have done research about enclosures , environment ect . 2) never listen to single bit of advise the pet shop owner gives you !!

but since having my T i can say i have done a shit ton off research on all aspects of T's from reading behaviour to watching feeding videos , I've become quiet obsessed.

i do apologise but i defiantly don't regret it.
 

OliverWhatever

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
60
I was a little kid, no idea how old (19 now, most of you probably still think of me as a kid), and got a G.rosea from the mother of a friend of my sister, who was left it from her ex-boyfriend. I found an outdated caresheet on a Norwegian reptile forum the day before I got the spider. Eventually I sold it to my cousin, which I regret, as they took worse care of it than I did.

Once I turned around 16/17 the interest came back, and this time I read up on several different species figuring out which one to get, and settled on P.metallica. Half a year later I ordered a spiderling from BugzUK.
I also ordered a pair of jumpers, which I sadly managed to kill, still not sure what I did wrong, I assume lack of ventilation.

From what I have seen on this forum, I would have been flamed were I an active user at that time. Getting a fast and potent spider as a first choice seems to be frowned upon.
 
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basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Absolutely loads. Went through her bins. Found her receipts. Followed her to shops, pubs and bars.

By the time I introduced myself to her I knew everything.
 

TarantulaArvind

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Messages
32
started following AB in march 2016. and still only reading up stuff.. its not like i have lot many options to get a tarantula here in India. infact, there are none..but hoping to get one soon ..:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
started following AB in march 2016. and still only reading up stuff.. its not like i have lot many options to get a tarantula here in India. infact, there are none..but hoping to get one soon ..:rolleyes::rolleyes:
That's so weird....you live in India, and there are none for sale, while one of the most sought after Theraphosidae lives in the south east, the Poecilotheria metallica.
You could try and rescue one. Its habitat is being destroyed, and the Indian government doesn't care about it. But international breeders or organizations aren't allowed to set up a breeding project with collected specimens either. :shifty:
 

TarantulaArvind

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Messages
32
That's so weird....you live in India, and there are none for sale, while one of the most sought after Theraphosidae lives in the south east, the Poecilotheria metallica.
You could try and rescue one. Its habitat is being destroyed, and the Indian government doesn't care about it. But international breeders or organizations aren't allowed to set up a breeding project with collected specimens either. :shifty:
i lived in the place that is home to P.striata,and the habitat range of P metallica is is just east to me by less than170 km. yet ive never seen one P striata even once.I know its strange but true. the fact is ,except probably for the wildlife smugglers,the common man doesn't even know such a spider exists in his backyard,let alone take up conservation efforts to save these species. to be frank, I'm hoping that one day i might come across one in my garden.

Wildlife conservation is a joke here. the govt has neither put a proper framwork in place to carry out conservation nor does it allow third parties to do anything about it. although ppl are not allowed to breed wildcaught species, i'm sure smugglers do it and illegally transport them across borders.

The other problem is, even if i find a wild one, i can't get the proper food here.people dont breed cricket or any other feeder suitable for Ts. with so much pollution and chemical sprayings being done, feeding them wild crickets etc is a big risk.

Its actually pretty frustrating situation to be in.. being so close....yet not being able to do anything...:shifty::mad:
 

MGery92

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 21, 2017
Messages
64
i lived in the place that is home to P.striata,and the habitat range of P metallica is is just east to me by less than170 km. yet ive never seen one P striata even once.I know its strange but true. the fact is ,except probably for the wildlife smugglers,the common man doesn't even know such a spider exists in his backyard,let alone take up conservation efforts to save these species. to be frank, I'm hoping that one day i might come across one in my garden.

Wildlife conservation is a joke here. the govt has neither put a proper framwork in place to carry out conservation nor does it allow third parties to do anything about it. although ppl are not allowed to breed wildcaught species, i'm sure smugglers do it and illegally transport them across borders.

The other problem is, even if i find a wild one, i can't get the proper food here.people dont breed cricket or any other feeder suitable for Ts. with so much pollution and chemical sprayings being done, feeding them wild crickets etc is a big risk.

Its actually pretty frustrating situation to be in.. being so close....yet not being able to do anything...:shifty::mad:
That is very sad to hear, man. You are certainly deserve to care for T's, since you are interested in owning one more than a year. I hope you figure something out, I think you would be a really good keeper.
 

audi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 12, 2016
Messages
0
Got interested in them several months ago, was never a spider person (always a reptile guy). I read the bible, joined this forum and read lots, went down to NERD in NH (the place to go in my area) and asked lots of questions. As I learned more I found them beautiful, intriguing, and learned they're super cool, low maintenance, and easy to keep, but still held off awhile. Started helping out at NERD and found an enabler there, haha. One day I came home with a B. smithi (3.5") and a B. albo sling (thanks, Rob!), and a week later ordered an A. versicolor, a campestratus, and a L. klugi (all slings). I think I'm good for now :) Welcome additions to the crew.
 

Moonohol

Two Legged Freak
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Messages
115
I scoured the internet for information for months before I finally got my L. difficilis. At first I was reading care sheets, but after I found AB and went through many, many threads, I understood that care sheets were very misleading and abandoned that approach. I'm really glad I got the basics of care down before I got my first T; it made the learning curve way less steep. It took pretty much no time at all for me to iron all of the kinks out of my husbandry and I've been adding on more advanced species ever since! All that's really left for me to tackle is a highly moisture dependent species... hoping to get an H. gigas once I've got the room for it!
 

aphono

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 11, 2017
Messages
481
None for my first one 40 yrs ago. We lived in a very rural location- only three neighbors. Aphonopelmas of some sort- eutylenum and/or iodius were common.. they were mostly ignored for the most part but for whatever reason I kept a particular one. It was a wandering male so it only lived for a couple months.

Moving away brought on a fondness for tarantulas. Started to want keeping one again in the last couple years but did not actively read or seek until last summer, looking up youtube videos, wildlife websites on local native animals etc. At first I was only reading up on south western US Aphonopelmas with the idea they were easy to take care of as I'm right in their native area. No fancy set up needed. By December, I started to really want one.. started to read more often, broadening it to pet care information.. discovered AB, whoa information overload.. read, searched on this site almost daily before buying my first: half inch slings of G. pulchripes, A. eutylemum, C. cyaneopubescens- hope I finally spelled that right and a juvenile A. chalcodes in March of this year and then finally signed in AB about a week after.

BTW: during my reading up I discovered C. versicolor. Quite liked the looks of them- I am color blind so something with different colors I could actually see plus the fuzziness was pretty sweet in my eyes... but wrote them off forever as they seemed difficult to take care of. It is literally only because of reading over and over again on care for this species on AB for several months before I decided to try one. It's doing well in a flipped over tall AMAC box, courtesy of pictures on here. Dry sub, water bowl, cork bark, fake plants, many cross ventilation holes. Ahh I love how it makes hammocks and hangs out on them, showing off every bit of that blue fuzz.
 

Haemus

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
128
I was fascinated with tarantulas since I was a child and have been watching feeding videos for a few years now. But they featured avid collectors with massive collections, so I still felt that T keeping was out of my league.

It wasn't until finding AB did I realize that there are beginners too, and after reading a few beginner G. pulchripes threads I knew I could care for one. Soaked in all the advice offered and circled the date of the next expo.
 

Jason B

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 10, 2016
Messages
88
I got my first t at a pet store typical rose hair, after a few weeks I came to the realization it wasn't really doing much of anything so i expected something may be wrong. Did some online searches and came to terms with the fact I had a pet rock. At some point I stumbled upon this site and my addiction is still going today.
 

TarantulaArvind

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Messages
32
That is very sad to hear, man. You are certainly deserve to care for T's, since you are interested in owning one more than a year. I hope you figure something out, I think you would be a really good keeper.
I'm sure, just reading up about them itself gives so much joy.. I can only imagine getting one will be so much more enjoyable and satisfying.. Waiting for that day.. :angelic:
 
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