I believe I was deceived

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
This sling was sold to me about half this size sometime last year... Probably around a year ago even at least.... It only just molted a day or two ago I suppose...

But I can really see color now... This was sold to me as a red knee. B. smithi I assumed of course by that name.

I paid $40 for the little sucker too if only that it was a B. smithi I didn't have to ship and wait for and that's rare here...

However I now think this looks clear as day like a B. vagans no? The abdomen has red hairs and the carapace is outlined red... But that's it really... Unless it colors in more in the next couple days... But should a B. smithi sling be so dark? Shouldn't it look a little more... Striped by now?

I'm thinking I paid way too much for one of the 2 most common brachys... Not that I won't enjoy the spider... But it is a little disappointing still to find out if wasn't what I wanted and expected all along.

2 pictures

One with flash, one without.

Spider is about a good half inch at least.

Maybe a little bigger... Not yet an inch

Typical small round side dish/salad deli container for a home
 

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gobey

Arachnoknight
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Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
Figured as much. I will never buy another tarantula that isn't from the classifieds here or one of the reputable dealers.

Those are the only smooth transactions I've had. Aside from lucking out with a healthy female G. porteri I guess for my first T from some shady exotic animal booth at a convention... Who knows how old she is though.

I'll just have to see what this one grows into.

Looks like a Vagans to me though... At least from Google comparisons...


This however gives me even more reason to buy that B. emilia I've been wanting

:)
 

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
I've talked to a good friend

And looked at enough to compare... This is totally a vagans.

Well hopefully it'll be spunky and make up for it's outrageous price by being a hell of a T!
 

magicmed

Arachnobaron
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Jun 4, 2016
Messages
404
Yup that's a B. Vagans. Looks just like my little one, sorry you were lied to, but great T anyway :)
 

Jerry

Arachnobaron
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Jan 1, 2016
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594
Yea thats a bummer but I'm a very big fan of the vagans I think you grow to appreciate him/ her there a very cool so
 

Jerry

Arachnobaron
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Jan 1, 2016
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594
I have a question how often do you feed you said previously that you've had it for a year and its only a half inch I got my B vagans sling 3 3 1/2 months ago and he's at over an inch not saying there's anything wrong just wondering
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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I've talked to a good friend

And looked at enough to compare... This is totally a vagans.

Well hopefully it'll be spunky and make up for it's outrageous price by being a hell of a T!
These spiders have some of the best attitudes of any NW terrestrial. They're quite skittish, but they never quite learn where their hide is. This results in them randomly darting in different directions - it's quite adorable, actually. They look like a young kid lost in a shopping mall. It's too bad that you got ripped off (pretty badly, at that), but there's nothing to be done about it at this point. You'll enjoy your spider, I promise :)

I have a question how often do you feed you said previously that you've had it for a year and its only a half inch I got my B vagans sling 3 3 1/2 months ago and he's at over an inch not saying there's anything wrong just wondering
Agreed... this is a fast growing species. Although the OP lives in a cold environment, so that's a factor.
 

gypsy cola

Arachnoknight
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Jan 16, 2014
Messages
192
You got ripped. These T's are awesome! I love a spider that will actually "hunts" it water. Pretty and the ladies like it. This is my girl's favorite T. They grow pretty fast for a brachypelma species as well. When she gets full grown at least you can sell her or breed and least make the money back or more.
 

BorisTheSpider

No this is Patrick
Old Timer
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
488
The seller would be getting a call from me and they had better be prepared to make some restitution for the mix up . I understand that mistakes happen and it is possible that they simply mislabeled a vial . Potentially somewhere there is a another collector wondering why his vagans is starting to look a lot like a smithi .
 

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
The seller would be getting a call from me and they had better be prepared to make some restitution for the mix up . I understand that mistakes happen and it is possible that they simply mislabeled a vial . Potentially somewhere there is a another collector wondering why his vagans is starting to look a lot like a smithi .
Oh I don't think I'm getting any restitution here. This was a pet shop. Should have known better in hindsight. I had already sworn off buying any Ts from them anyways due to not knowing the age and sex of the spider But figured a sling has that chance anyway.

They picked this one up at an expo. Got a sling because they wanted to sell something other than a rose hair or avic but not spend hundreds on a larger spider.

It was sold to them (supposedly) and labeled red knee.. Which I of course know is common for smithi... And even if it wasn't I figure it would be some type of Orange Brachy... I bought it for the comveinance of not having to ship and order one and bit the price bullet...

I doubt after a year I could get any kind of refund. And they will most certainly argue they were deceived as well.

I think I just have to swallow this. And indeed never get a T that isn't from a reputable dealer, a trusted breeder I've done business with before, or the classifieds here.
 
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G. pulchra

ArachnoGod
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Jun 7, 2005
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592
I have a vagans, and it looked exactly like that at that size. Great T though, one of my favorite Brachy's.
 

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
I have a question how often do you feed you said previously that you've had it for a year and its only a half inch I got my B vagans sling 3 3 1/2 months ago and he's at over an inch not saying there's anything wrong just wondering
It varies... This one has fasted a lot. And the slow growth made me hope it was a smithi.

Recently I've given to feeding it larger meals less often

I got really tired of catching pinheads so I cut up large crickets and let it eat what it wants... So I would say bi monthly

I just make sure they are plump

The only T right now I'm worried about is my H. mac... She seems to have a much tinier abdomen than usual no matter how much she eats...

I'm not concerned with growing them fast as much as just enjoying watching them do their thing.

Since switching to the larger meals less frequently however it has its biggest growth spurt.
 

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
I have a vagans, and it looked exactly like that at that size. Great T though, one of my favorite Brachy's.
Well I'm hoping it'll be an entertaining T. Quite honestly it's never been one I was interested in collecting. I'm less disappointed honestly about how much I spent (if only because it's been so long)

And more just that it wasn't a smithi.

I got a bonus this month though and a friend is going to sell me his 2 inch female B. emilia when the weather calls down... So I can have my orange Brachy. And honestly that's the species I really wanted anyway.

Leaves only a P. muticus really on my wishlist.

And P. subfuscas... But I want to wait and see how my 2 P. regalis' fair. They're only like 2 inches. I'd rather not go too pokie crazy and maybe just get more when they pass on.

I have 11 Ts currently. Had 16 at one point... I'm really not trying to have much more than like 10-12

I may sell one of my curly hairs to a friend who's son wants a first T.

I'd give him the vagans if it weren't so small and would probably bore the kid who is expecting a tarantula and not a house spider lol.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Messages
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It varies... This one has fasted a lot. And the slow growth made me hope it was a smithi.

Recently I've given to feeding it larger meals less often

I got really tired of catching pinheads so I cut up large crickets and let it eat what it wants... So I would say bi monthly

I just make sure they are plump

The only T right now I'm worried about is my H. mac... She seems to have a much tinier abdomen than usual no matter how much she eats...

I'm not concerned with growing them fast as much as just enjoying watching them do their thing.

Since switching to the larger meals less frequently however it has its biggest growth spurt.
H. maculata's have pretty slender abdomens. If you're comparing them to a NW terrestrial, then yeah, they look like they're starving. With all slings, you want to feed until they no longer take food right before a molt - it's up to them to decide when they're done, not you. I feed my slings at least once per day, and often more.
 

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
I just got this Maculata with quite a large rump. Seems odd to me.

Like I said I feed them bigger meals now and they eat whatever they want of it... But sometimes do not finish. And this one for whatever reason was picky with food. My albopilosums eat much better.

Is it really imperative they eat every day? They have plenty of water. Are not dehydrated. Abdomens are all a good size.

How often would they get a meal in the wild?

Bi monthly isn't neccessarily as much as they're fed let's say as much as this one was actually eating.

I buy crickets once a week.

If they don't eat. I take it out.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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I just got this Maculata with quite a large rump. Seems odd to me.

Like I said I feed them bigger meals now and they eat whatever they want of it... But sometimes do not finish. And this one for whatever reason was picky with food. My albopilosums eat much better.

Is it really imperative they eat every day? They have plenty of water. Are not dehydrated. Abdomens are all a good size.

How often would they get a meal in the wild?

Bi monthly isn't neccessarily as much as they're fed let's say as much as this one was actually eating.

I buy crickets once a week.

If they don't eat. I take it out.
As they molt and leave the sling stage, they get much slimmer. A fat arboreal is much more likely to fall and hurt themselves than a slender one. The same came be said of most arboreals.

Imperative? No, but you don't want to limit their feeding. Offer food as often as is practicle for you, just don't willingly withhold food. As for feeding in the wild, this is an area when mimicking their environment in the wild isn't suggested - if you want to mimic the wild, then introduce some predators while you're at it ;)
 

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
They do look tasty

The H. mac came to me at 4 inches and was quite plump and has since molted twice. Never again getting so full. She's maybe just under 5 now... I haven't cared to try to put a ruler to her XD

My point is only that the spiders don't seem unhealthy and after being frustrated with baby crickets this offering large meals weekly seems to have encouraged them to grow bigger with molts and they're a little less picky now with eating...

Speaking of... It's feeding day.

I appreciate input. I've still yet to as 2 keepers agree 100% on everything regarding care. It seems with slings people vary even more. But I don't ever outright reject and argue critiscm, especially from you guys here.

Odds are if you've raised healthy Tarantulas for a while you've figured out something that works.
 

Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
281
Dont let it deter ya from the expos at all.

All of my best deals were found at expos and most of my rarest and fav T's were aquired at them as well.

Going that route just takes extra research as you never know what you'll find and at what growth stage
 

gobey

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
290
No I got it from a LPS that got it from an expo

There's never any expos near here

I'm good buddies with a member here with about 500 Ts and breeds and sells and have ordered nearly all my Ts from the classifieds here... The exceptions being only my Ceratogyrus' which I got on super sale from Petcenter
 
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