A guy at work the other day was interested in my T's, asking a lot of the typical questions and gave me his email to send him some links about the types of T's (particularly good starter ones). As we all know though, there is a lot of info and I don't want to overwhelm him: so what kind of links would you send to entice a potential convert? (Particularly with a focus on pics and beginners)
How to create a newbie?
- Thread starter Sutekh
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Why send him here of course, duh! 
Seriously though have him sign up, read the STICKIES (note my signature) and learn from the debates that ensue
There's all kinds of links he could find going just to Google and hitting up Tarantula that his head will be swimming with questions I'm sure and using the search feature on these very forums can provide a wealth of knowledge in a short amount of time.
Have him lurk a bit so he gains some useful knowledge then start asking questions.. We don't bite; much
Grats on the potential newbie!
Seriously though have him sign up, read the STICKIES (note my signature) and learn from the debates that ensue
There's all kinds of links he could find going just to Google and hitting up Tarantula that his head will be swimming with questions I'm sure and using the search feature on these very forums can provide a wealth of knowledge in a short amount of time.
Have him lurk a bit so he gains some useful knowledge then start asking questions.. We don't bite; much
Grats on the potential newbie!
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The best possible thing you can do is send him to a forum like this one. This is the best place for tarantula information because we have many members with tons of experience, and if he can't find answers to questions using the search function, he can just ask. Can't go wrong with experience IMO. Plus, he will definately become hooked after seeing all these different and vibrant Ts!
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Give him the links the others mentioned along with the one in my signature
Wow! Gotta say: that is an impressive organizing job you've done there! Thanks for pointing me there.Why send him here of course, duh!
Seriously though have him sign up, read the STICKIES (note my signature) and learn from the debates that ensue
There's all kinds of links he could find going just to Google and hitting up Tarantula that his head will be swimming with questions I'm sure and using the search feature on these very forums can provide a wealth of knowledge in a short amount of time.
Have him lurk a bit so he gains some useful knowledge then start asking questions.. We don't bite; much
Grats on the potential newbie!
Very good idea! I gave him the overall link and then also suggested he look at beginner T's in the following genera (and linked to each of these galleries): Aphonopelma, Brachypelma, Eupalaestrus, Grammostola, and Lasiodora.Send him the link to the picture forum also. Seeing lots of pictures of really cool species should interest him also
I was made interested by seeing some live ones that someone else owned! Plus if he is nervous you could briefly take one out to show him that it is not going to eat his face the moment it gets a chance! I would recommend the G. rosea and some of the Brachys, but I'm hearing more and more that the G. pulchripes are one of the 'Golden Retrievers' of the Tarantula world. Really the most docile I could find were usually amongst the Brachys and Grammostolas.
I also liked a couple of the more colorful spiders like the Lampropelma violaceopes. If he doesn't mind ones he can't handle or wouldn't be advised to--these ones are apparently very fast!--then there are more species than even the really docile ones that beginners could try out too. But I still stick with my guns on the Brachys and Grammostolas. Oh, and apparently the Pink Zebra Beauty is another really docile one. There's a blue variation, I think? Just again those with stronger venoms don't really, IMO, make good beginner Ts!
I also liked a couple of the more colorful spiders like the Lampropelma violaceopes. If he doesn't mind ones he can't handle or wouldn't be advised to--these ones are apparently very fast!--then there are more species than even the really docile ones that beginners could try out too. But I still stick with my guns on the Brachys and Grammostolas. Oh, and apparently the Pink Zebra Beauty is another really docile one. There's a blue variation, I think?
Just again those with stronger venoms don't really, IMO, make good beginner Ts!- Joined
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Raine, you have no experience with any spider other than G. rosea. Correct? And for only a few days.
You can't 'stick with your guns' and recommend Ts that you have no experience with or don't know enough about them to recommend them.
No offense, I understand you are trying to help.
As for the OP, you could buy him a cheap sling like an LP, and give him a link for a caresheet, and help him out with it.
You can't 'stick with your guns' and recommend Ts that you have no experience with or don't know enough about them to recommend them.
No offense, I understand you are trying to help.
As for the OP, you could buy him a cheap sling like an LP, and give him a link for a caresheet, and help him out with it.
Chris...I haven't just been sitting around on my rear end since I got my T. I've been sending messages to breeders, experienced users on the site, and doing a crap load of reading on pages about spiders of different species from the site forums.
Everyone has to learn, and I am. I am taking what I learn here and trying to help other users as users are helping me--which is the whole point of this forum and bothering to learn besides my own personal knowledge for getting Ts. I'm not offended but I do ask that you stop constantly reminding me of something I know...
Besides that, was anything I said in that post NOT a fact? Unless our forums have false information, and the experienced users too, plus the breeders? Then they are facts. Everyone and everything concurred with what I just said. I see no problem contributing with what I have learned.
Everyone has to learn, and I am. I am taking what I learn here and trying to help other users as users are helping me--which is the whole point of this forum and bothering to learn besides my own personal knowledge for getting Ts. I'm not offended but I do ask that you stop constantly reminding me of something I know...
Besides that, was anything I said in that post NOT a fact? Unless our forums have false information, and the experienced users too, plus the breeders? Then they are facts. Everyone and everything concurred with what I just said. I see no problem contributing with what I have learned.
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I'm not gonna turn this thread into a debate just because you want to. You JUST got into this hobby. You do not have enough experience or knowledge to be recommending anything. Quit worrying about giving advice that you have no experience with and just sit back and learn and ask questions.
You need to sit back for a while and learn before you will have any knowledge. Doing a couple days of research gives you no experience whatsoever.
If you don't want a debate, then don't. Im gonna stop right now because you've hijacked enough threads as it is.
Good luck with your research and hope you enjoy this hobby.
You need to sit back for a while and learn before you will have any knowledge. Doing a couple days of research gives you no experience whatsoever.
If you don't want a debate, then don't. Im gonna stop right now because you've hijacked enough threads as it is.
Good luck with your research and hope you enjoy this hobby.
... ... ...
I wasn't looking for a debate. At all. Hijacked threads? I enjoy posting in threads...and I've done nothing wrong in doing so. Fine, I won't answer any questions anymore. Not even if I know the answer. Apparently that's 'not allowed' here.
I wasn't looking for a debate. At all. Hijacked threads? I enjoy posting in threads...and I've done nothing wrong in doing so. Fine, I won't answer any questions anymore. Not even if I know the answer. Apparently that's 'not allowed' here.
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This is your problem. You don't listen. Hijacked? Yes. You did more than post, you asked questions instead of starting your own thread. That turned it into your discussion and not the original one. Just start a new thread. You don't know the answer. You've had a tarantula for less than a week. Nobody said you werent allowed to answer, I said you need more research and experience before you do, so quit giving info that you have no experience with. For someone who claimed everyone was taking your posts out of context and putting words in your mouth, you sure have no problem doing that to everyone else. Good day.
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You can post all you want, that's fine, but use the search function before you ask a question. You will find what you need. Believe me. I was a new one once and started with a G. rosea. I did all the research I could before I started asking everything. All the info you need can be found searching because most people come here after they get a rose hair and post. So there are a million threads on this stuff. Sorry if I came across rude or harsh, I'm trying to help you out here. Good luck.
No, you didn't come off as rude or harsh. I just didn't realize I was taking over anyone's threads or causing a problem trying to give advice too early on. I'm not used to being new to something like this. On the reptile forums I tended to post a whole lot because I've been keeping and helping with rescue reptiles since I was eight. Here, it's like square one and I'm not quite used to it.
I'm having trouble with the search function. I type in G. rosea and get a TON of threads. Which is great, but it's not what I'm looking for. I try adding different words to make it a bit more specific but again I get a whole lot of threads and about 1/10 of them might have the topic of the question I want the answer to. But it isn't easy to single those ones out. Is there a better way I could use the search where I get a more specific show of threads?
And I know you're just trying to help. You've been polite and everything I'm just antsy being the new one. Not used to it, as I said. Plus I won't get into details but my life has been a huge ball of stress the past couple months and I admit I get a bit defensive when I might not need to. Sorry if I've been causing trouble...
I'm having trouble with the search function. I type in G. rosea and get a TON of threads. Which is great, but it's not what I'm looking for. I try adding different words to make it a bit more specific but again I get a whole lot of threads and about 1/10 of them might have the topic of the question I want the answer to. But it isn't easy to single those ones out. Is there a better way I could use the search where I get a more specific show of threads?
And I know you're just trying to help. You've been polite and everything I'm just antsy being the new one. Not used to it, as I said. Plus I won't get into details but my life has been a huge ball of stress the past couple months and I admit I get a bit defensive when I might not need to. Sorry if I've been causing trouble...
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I would recommend showing the person you want to convert a list of the most beautiful Ts. Beginner and advanced. Make sure to point out the ones that are recommended for a beginner and why. Explain the difference between OW and NW, the venom potency and unpredictable speed. Let them know about special conditions some require and why not to choose those species.
Not to mention the reaction from someone that is not desensitized to spiders. Some experienced people wont bat an eyelash if a pokie runs up thier arm and stops on thier forehead. (Yes this has happened to me with some juvies) Not everyone would be able to stay calm in this situation. If i was a beginner i would of freaked out and injured myself or the spider.
Brachypelma and Grammostola are good genera to look into but not all brachys are great starters and not all grammys are alike either. Some are more prone to flick hairs and others are very slow and will react for the most part in your favor.
Introduce them to the tarantula keepers guide and these forums, but always warn people of the addictive nature of the hobby.
Not to mention the reaction from someone that is not desensitized to spiders. Some experienced people wont bat an eyelash if a pokie runs up thier arm and stops on thier forehead. (Yes this has happened to me with some juvies) Not everyone would be able to stay calm in this situation.
If i was a beginner i would of freaked out and injured myself or the spider. Brachypelma and Grammostola are good genera to look into but not all brachys are great starters and not all grammys are alike either. Some are more prone to flick hairs and others are very slow and will react for the most part in your favor.
Introduce them to the tarantula keepers guide and these forums, but always warn people of the addictive nature of the hobby.