Im buying my First T

[CutThroat Kid]

selection bias

Considering that 90% of newcomers just want a cheap blue spider as their first, I think you may be onto something. Lol. (OP got a P. Metallica to "match his gaming PC" ). The amount of avics and versis killed is definitely skewed higher by the things you mentioned, and this too makes me sad.

AB-famous @viper69 Avicularia husbandry post, and a few of the other posts linked from those.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the majority of Avic buying first time tarantula owners aren't finding these resources, let alone any good ones. Even you are admitting that you had the spider before the proper knowledge; it is a common thing, and many avics/versis seem to pay the price for that. I never heard a Petco salesmen refer AB tutorials before. Most people don't even make an AB account until they already have a problem and it's often too late. (or theyre too prideful).

I understand that, unfortunately, Avic/versi slings are always going to be the standard because they are *calm*, and they are blue, and they are the most frequently available arboreal at chain stores for those reasons, and also often given as freebies. However, in my ideal world, I still think that if a person is going to steep in their own ignorance and buy a tarantula before doing sufficient research, they would be better off with a psalmo, if anything, for the sake of the animal.

But Psalmos get a bad rep, and they aren't blue, so it will never happen. So really, I'm just pontificating!

My P. irminia sling unboxing (ok, the one that wasn't on death's door when it arrived...) was night and day different from my avic. I would have been totally unequipped for dealing with that little bugger on day 1. It's more reclusive, building itself a burrow and dirt curtains so I couldn't see it most of the time, whereas my avic had raised hammocks that made it easy to feed and monitor. The avic also grew at a rate that wasn't overwhelming. They were each about the same size when I acquired them, just under 1", the avic in Feb 2022 and the psalmo in Oct 2022. As of this June (14 months vs 8 months) they are the same size, or possibly the psalmo is now bigger with their June molts. And the speed difference is striking.

I personally like that the psalmo slings burrow in a web tunnel. Keep em in a small deli cup so you can always see where they are, drop a pinhead in the tunnel; bam, done. Never had either of mine bolt out on me as they would rather stay in their tunnel. Yes, they do get bigger, and slightly quicker than avics, I dont see why that is an issue... (If you dont want a big spider why would you get a tarantula? lol.) Lastly, your tarantula being fast/bolty isn't going to kill your sling like husbandry mistakes will kill an avic/versi. I get that it's a compromise, but I tend to err on the side that is best for keeping the animal alive, not to the comfort of the keeper. But that is just me.

Also, my versi is more bolty and intimidating than both of my psalmos. But I understand that I just have a devil of a Versi.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

And I’ll add a tiny bit to this, for both OP and any other seekers of blue tarantulas;

6: If you simply must have a blue tarantula but aren’t able to handle the speed, biteyness and husbandry requirements of P. Metallica, try Brachypelma Albiceps. It’s a Brachypelma, and therefore is very slow, even tempered, and doesn’t bite (or at the very least, doesn’t have medically significant venom.)

Brachypelma Albiceps is blue ?? Pics always show it having black legs ? I’ve never had one though not seen one in person either . A wishlist species for me . I suggest the gbb tarantula. Op hasn’t responded since post #19 I think ..
Gone missing in action!

 

[CutThroat Kid]

Or if it's just for decoration, buy a molt from a P metallica and put it in a shadow box.

Wow, what logical gut shot to the materialistic collector/keeper. "But...But...But... IT"S NOT THE SAME!!! "

I really love beetles, perhaps even more than spiders. But the care and cultivation of them is lame and painstaking to me, and most of the most brilliant in appearance are very illegal to own/acquire. (Also, the terrestrial ones I do have right now are annoying) So, I've bought a few dried specimens of flower beetles from all over the world, and don't feel bad about it!

If I ever get rich, I'd like to grow my collection of dried specimens massively and start pinning them up. Decorate my whole office like that! (And you already know I got to have some that match my computer too! )

I could see myself doing the same with T specimens, as some people do amazing epoxy decorations with the molts! And I seriously can't be getting any more live T's even though there are still so many species I want to observe....

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Wow, what logical gut shot to the materialistic collector/keeper. "But...But...But... IT"S NOT THE SAME!!! "

I really love beetles, perhaps even more than spiders. But the care and cultivation of them is lame and painstaking to me, and most of the most brilliant in appearance are very illegal to own/acquire. (Also, the terrestrial ones I do have right now are annoying) So, I've bought a few dried specimens of flower beetles from all over the world, and don't feel bad about it!

If I ever get rich, I'd like to grow my collection of dried specimens massively and start pinning them up. Decorate my whole office like that! (And you already know I got to have some that match my computer too! )

I could see myself doing the same with T specimens, as some people do amazing epoxy decorations with the molts! And I seriously can't be getting any more live T's even though there are still so many species I want to observe....

I guarantee that T will be the easiest one you'll ever care for...or beetle.

A lot of pretty animals are hunted to extinction unfortunately. Being pretty is dangerous as the greedy steal them away from those who would appreciate.

If you have Oddities Fairs there, those are cool spots to grab taxidermy, bone articulation and molt art.

That's why you either make friend's with other T keepers or have virtual, surrogate T's with their own threads on AB to watch. ;-}

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I guarantee that T will be the easiest one you'll ever care for...or beetle.

A lot of pretty animals are hunted to extinction unfortunately. Being pretty is dangerous as the greedy steal them away from those who would appreciate.

If you have Oddities Fairs there, those are cool spots to grab taxidermy, bone articulation and molt art.

That's why you either make friend's with other T keepers or have virtual, surrogate T's with their own threads on AB to watch. ;-}

Don’t leave them lying around my mom tossed a few I was going to put up for display .. really sucks .. cleaning doesn’t have to destroy stuff ..

 

[CutThroat Kid]

If you have Oddities Fairs there, those are cool spots to grab taxidermy, bone articulation and molt art.

I'll have to look into this! Most of the cool tarantula resin art (off etsy or whatever) is incredibly expensive. Not unwarrantedly thought, as some are made to be incredibly beautiful!

But also, I lot seem to be the whole specimens in the resin, not just a well preserved and posed out molt, which isn't as cool to me to think about...

Don’t leave them lying around my mom tossed a few I was going to put up for display .. really sucks .. cleaning doesn’t have to destroy stuff ..

My mother came over recently and about passed out when she saw a giant Theraphosa molt sitting out on my desk. She thought it was an escapee, haha!

 

[sparticus]

Brachypelma Albiceps is blue ?? Pics always show it having black legs ?

Yeah, it's not blue. There are a lot of new worlds that are, but that's not one of them. I googled and found some crazy pics of them with blue tinged setae, but I think it was just weird lighting- mine has black legs.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Yeah, it's not blue. There are a lot of new worlds that are, but that's not one of them. I googled and found some crazy pics of them with blue tinged setae, but I think it was just weird lighting- mine has black legs.

I just asked because some Ts have tints to their color a sheen that cameras cannot get sometimes . Unless you have dlsr , I can’t afford one . Like I had pink toes that were blue ish . And pokies with purple on them . Sad I don’t have any arboreals anymore but I’ll get some eventually.. I only keep terrestrials now and only nw.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

iheringi have a blue sheen

 

[jooo143]

if I understand you correctly you bought a tarantula because it matched your computer? Rehome it or return it to where you bought it. Buying a living being based on it matching your computer is not a wise idea. The tarantulas are not dangerous if treated appropriately, they can be hard to care for if you are a beginner hence why you are being warned away from them. Also in another post you said you had two tarantulas yet only mentioned one enclosure, you are not keeping them communally are you?

I gave it back to the owner guys the pmet. I just bought a gbb new world instead which the seller recommend for me Sorry for the computer part. its not that i bought a tarantula to match my computer set. it just the pmet are blue. u know what i mean. i really want to have a tarantula bcause work and life kinda boring having no hobby. i have her about july 31. and the next day she molt which is new to my eyes i thought she died called the past owner cause i feel responsible for her "death" but the owner laugh at me saying she is just molting . So i observed her by a week and look at her . Shes beautiful ^_^ I named her "kira"

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

That’s awesome news! Really great decision. I wish you many happy years with Kira. Here’s a great place to get some info if you haven’t read it already. (It talks about molting, too)

Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

 

[ArachnetheT]

Brachypelma Albiceps is blue ?? Pics always show it having black legs ? I’ve never had one though not seen one in person either . A wishlist species for me . I suggest the gbb tarantula. Op hasn’t responded since post #19 I think ..
Gone missing in action!

Oh dear, I might be colorblind then. I haven’t seen them in person either but I looked up photos and they seem to have pretty gray-blue legs to me.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Oh dear, I might be colorblind then. I haven’t seen them in person either but I looked up photos and they seem to have pretty gray-blue legs to me.

Maybe they can have a blue tint or people are editing their photos . Who knows lol ..

 

[Urban Scavenger]

Aww, what a wholesome ending

 

[jooo143]

I thought i said im buying 1 tarantula. Its been a month since i got my first
Now look at them
My Gbb named(kira) hamorii named(nami) Auratum "My juvenil" named(iris) all named by my girlfriend <3

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Beautiful T’s! I’d just recommend making sure that substrate to lid distance is no more than 1.5 times the diagonal leg span of your T to lessen risks of fall injuries. Welcome to T keeping. I’m sure you’ll love caring for and watching these beauties.

 

[TLSizzle]

Its sooo addicting! I pick up 2 more tomorrow which will put me at 9 Ts.

Yours are so beautiful! I hope you have shelf space, cause I doubt you are done

 

[catboyeuthanasia]

As someone who has kept saltwater fish, planted aquaria, reptiles, amphibians, and tarantulas, tarantulas are BY FAR the most addictive

You can give a tarantula a good habitat for dirt cheap and their day-to-day care is fairly hands-off. I'm my experience, they settle down fairly easiely and are not too stressful to keep. They come in so many shapes, colors, and behavior patterns. You can buy slings that cost about as much as cheap takeout. They are easy to get captive bred, so it's quite ethical.

It's not like some other pet where you have to take months to set up a proper tank; you can put together a great tarantula enclosure in an afternoon and spend under an hour a week to keep it happy.

I had to sign a contract not to get more until all my slings grow up...

 

[jooo143]

Its sooo addicting! I pick up 2 more tomorrow which will put me at 9 Ts.

Yours are so beautiful! I hope you have shelf space, cause I doubt you are done

Hahahah im thinking about that. My partner said it before. and i put my t enclos in the book shelfs HAHAH

 

[HappyLittleDaydream]

I know I just like to hype GBBs when the opportunity arrives. They are undeniably one of the best!

And I often seriously find myself wondering why blue T cravin' prodigal newbies are more drawn to Gootys than GBBs. The GBB makes a Gooty look like an Aphonopelma.

I just got my first (blue right now) T and they are a tiny caribena versicolor!! I'm surprised the OP wouldn't have gone with one of these guys if they want color (granted it's not going to be blue forever)