- Joined
- Aug 7, 2022
- Messages
- 1,066
All hail the prince!Don't handle and get a geniculata.*
*Sounds kinda like "don't panic and carry a towel".
I’m new and looking for the right tarantula
- Thread starter MoshJosh
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2023
- Messages
- 237
I hear the boehmei are the worst for kicking. The emilia's are beautiful. I bought that Smithi for $60! I bought an Emilia for $50! My exotic petshop sells brachys for VERY cheap, but OW's are expensive for some reason. Look at the picture, I still can't believe how cheap he/she wasYour lucky I have 4 male smithi n 1 female n the female is the only chill one n even then she's bolty. The boys all kick if i look at em, huffy little thingsall Brachypelma are, except my emilia, Sizzy is cool as a cucumber
no bolting no kicking just a beautiful chilled lady
Attachments
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2009
- Messages
- 326
Propensity for kicking depends on the individual spider. While I`m aware that most boehmei are notorious flickers, my AF used to flick occasionally when she was young, nowadays she really needs to be spooked good to even lift a back leg in defense. It also helps to disturb your Ts as little as possible to lessen their need to flick. But every spider is different.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2023
- Messages
- 237
It's wild how personalities vary between individuals. Maybe there is some supernatural sphere that T's tap into that makes them love some and hate others?
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2012
- Messages
- 6,083
They are beautiful. I love my girl.
Just be aware they are flighty and they can move like lightning. As they web it's a little less of a risk as they USUALLY will retreat to their webbed hide when disturbed. But that is never a 100% guarantee.
Be sure to offer a GBB anchor points for their webbing.
I would avoid live plants.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2023
- Messages
- 90
A note about Brachypelpma species: They're absolutely gorgeous and make good display tarantulas as older juveniles and adults. Depending on where you are, slings and smaller juveniles might be easier to find and significantly cheaper than adults, but most spiders tend to be more skittish and hide more when they're young, and most Brachypelma species are notoriously slow growers, so keep that in mind too when you're making a decision. You may want to consider looking for a larger juvenile or adult tarantula if you go that route and don't want to wait a few years for it to grow into what you're picturing.
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2024
- Messages
- 966
If you have kids and want a less defensive species, then there are good possibilities.
i adhere to the no touching code. Safer for tarantula, and you.
the more “docile” species are new worlds. And most possess urticating setae. Even a friendly chaco gold knees might have a kicking era. Some can be gentle a few months, and after a molt, be more feisty. Which is why you cant expect your tarantula to ever be something you can handle.
grammastola pulchripes
Grammastola pulchra (the cute big black one)
For the brachypelmas, it is the hamorii that is often seen in movies. I have two slings. They can be quite the hair quicker. But if you plan your maintenance, and offer a good enclosure, this tarantula can turn out to be very calm. They usualy do with age. Which can take a long time.
GBB are suggested as beginners. But they get quick, and do stand their ground. If you are looking for something possibly calm, i would not go for that for a first.
they might be beautiful, but you can get surprised in the begining.
even one of my chaco golden knees sling has put a defensive posture once. This can startle anyone without experience not expecting this kind of behavior.
you cant go wrong with g pulchripes/pulchra. Even if some can end up being a spicy one, there are more “calm” ones. They are beautiful to look at. They can be pet rocks.
my female is in hiding and not eating. It happens. She could be in winter mode, premolt or just in the mood to sleep.
i think with your background in fish, especialy reef, you will provide excellent maintenance. Fish are sensitive to toxic things and arachnids just so.
you did the right thing to come here. Don’t be put off by certain comments you might have received.
do more research on the breed you want. Prepare your enclosure ahead of time! That way susbtrate dries out nicely.
sure grammas and brachys can rearrange a terrarium. But they settle in. Besides, its fun to see them do something.
slings of these species molt more often when young. As they age, they take longer.
youll want to see if you want an adult or sling. But the slings of these are easy to care for and g pulchripes sling doesnt need to be kept on extra moist susbtrate.
if you have more questions, you can private message me.
he’s a fresh molted b hamorii sling, not even 24 hours out of the oven. A bit over 2 inches.
And this, a few weeks before its molt. Gives you idea of fang size. It was attacking its water bowl which is a bottle cap. Puts things into perspective.
the avic caribena can be a nice beginner species. They don’t kick hairs. They “rub” them onto you instead. Which makes handling even less interesting.
plus, they can “fly”, and some do “leap out” of their enclosures at maintenance/feeding, even when done by experienced keepers. So it needs to be a technique you master with time. That and the type of enclosure. Getting a sling is a good start because smaller, and so many color changes as they grow. They are not as defensive as psalmos or old worlds.
but you never know what you will get.
your fish room will also be nice and warm and possibly humid. So you will get nice growth with the heat. But make sure to check moisture levels in substrates because if air too humid, you dont want stuffy enclosures. Especialy with avic: needs lots of cross ventilation.
i truely believe your fish experience will be an excellent background to take you into tarantula world. You are starting a step above many new keepers because you know how to work with elements and delicate needs.
this is my adult female g pulchripes.
i have kids in my house all the time to see my tarantulas. And i have two medicaly significant tarantulas. All the children want to touch the tarantulas. They are taught it is not a healthy thing for the spiders.
the kids who come to my house also learn that they need to be calm inside and out, or else the tarantula will hide. It is a good regulating exercise. Kids live in my home too and the tarantulas are in the living room.
This being one. When slings, they can be quicker and skittish, but still easy to maintain. I have three slings and one mature adult female over 4”.
i adhere to the no touching code. Safer for tarantula, and you.
the more “docile” species are new worlds. And most possess urticating setae. Even a friendly chaco gold knees might have a kicking era. Some can be gentle a few months, and after a molt, be more feisty. Which is why you cant expect your tarantula to ever be something you can handle.
grammastola pulchripes
Grammastola pulchra (the cute big black one)
For the brachypelmas, it is the hamorii that is often seen in movies. I have two slings. They can be quite the hair quicker. But if you plan your maintenance, and offer a good enclosure, this tarantula can turn out to be very calm. They usualy do with age. Which can take a long time.
GBB are suggested as beginners. But they get quick, and do stand their ground. If you are looking for something possibly calm, i would not go for that for a first.
they might be beautiful, but you can get surprised in the begining.
even one of my chaco golden knees sling has put a defensive posture once. This can startle anyone without experience not expecting this kind of behavior.
you cant go wrong with g pulchripes/pulchra. Even if some can end up being a spicy one, there are more “calm” ones. They are beautiful to look at. They can be pet rocks.
my female is in hiding and not eating. It happens. She could be in winter mode, premolt or just in the mood to sleep.
i think with your background in fish, especialy reef, you will provide excellent maintenance. Fish are sensitive to toxic things and arachnids just so.
you did the right thing to come here. Don’t be put off by certain comments you might have received.
do more research on the breed you want. Prepare your enclosure ahead of time! That way susbtrate dries out nicely.
sure grammas and brachys can rearrange a terrarium. But they settle in. Besides, its fun to see them do something.
slings of these species molt more often when young. As they age, they take longer.
youll want to see if you want an adult or sling. But the slings of these are easy to care for and g pulchripes sling doesnt need to be kept on extra moist susbtrate.
if you have more questions, you can private message me.
he’s a fresh molted b hamorii sling, not even 24 hours out of the oven. A bit over 2 inches.
And this, a few weeks before its molt. Gives you idea of fang size. It was attacking its water bowl which is a bottle cap. Puts things into perspective.
the avic caribena can be a nice beginner species. They don’t kick hairs. They “rub” them onto you instead. Which makes handling even less interesting.
plus, they can “fly”, and some do “leap out” of their enclosures at maintenance/feeding, even when done by experienced keepers. So it needs to be a technique you master with time. That and the type of enclosure. Getting a sling is a good start because smaller, and so many color changes as they grow. They are not as defensive as psalmos or old worlds.
but you never know what you will get.
your fish room will also be nice and warm and possibly humid. So you will get nice growth with the heat. But make sure to check moisture levels in substrates because if air too humid, you dont want stuffy enclosures. Especialy with avic: needs lots of cross ventilation.
i truely believe your fish experience will be an excellent background to take you into tarantula world. You are starting a step above many new keepers because you know how to work with elements and delicate needs.
this is my adult female g pulchripes.
i have kids in my house all the time to see my tarantulas. And i have two medicaly significant tarantulas. All the children want to touch the tarantulas. They are taught it is not a healthy thing for the spiders.
the kids who come to my house also learn that they need to be calm inside and out, or else the tarantula will hide. It is a good regulating exercise. Kids live in my home too and the tarantulas are in the living room.
Last edited:
Glorfindel
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2024
- Messages
- 222
Do your homework on whatever species is chosen, search function on arachnoboards can be very helpful.
Mountaindani
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2022
- Messages
- 26
I have a beautiful 2 yr old lasiodora parahybana girl in a 24×24x18 bioactive enclosure. I let it have 3 months to establish before I moved her in. She has lived in it for 2 months and still hasn't destroyed any plants, like I expected. She has eaten a lot of the bigger isopods, but I see a fair amount of them still crawling about. She has made a burrow, but is out displaying her beautiful self most of the time.
As for my GBB, I have tried to add a plant in her enclosure, but she lays down so much web nothing can survive.
Welcome and I am sure you will enjoy whichever tarantula you decide on. I personally like to start with slings and watch them grow. I am so proud of them. Not that it's rocket science to raise them if you do a little research.
As for my GBB, I have tried to add a plant in her enclosure, but she lays down so much web nothing can survive.
Welcome and I am sure you will enjoy whichever tarantula you decide on. I personally like to start with slings and watch them grow. I am so proud of them. Not that it's rocket science to raise them if you do a little research.