Lessons learned?

coolnweird

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
512
Hi all! I'm coming up on my one year anniversary in the hobby, and I've been thinking about what advice I'd pass on to myself from a year ago. What lessons did you learn within the first year of keeping?

My number one lesson learned is, "You can always put the lid on and walk away,". Had a stressful rehouse with my 4" Psalmopoeus the other day, my heart was racing, I was shaking, it felt like the T was about to bolt all over my bathroom. So I stopped. Closed up the enclosure, got some water, and came back to it in a few minutes. Successful rehouse!

Second lesson was learned just a few months into the hobby, and that was, "That feeding response is not directed at you," A few months into the hobby, I decided to do a cute little photoshoot with my T. albopilosus, the number 1 beginners tarantula, what could go wrong? 🙄 I went to tap her booty with a paintbrush and she flipped around and sank both fangs into the bristles. Scared the absolute crap out of me. Now, should I have been poking her around for some photos? No. But regardless, it took me a while longer to realize that that wasn't aggression she displayed, simply a feeding response.

Excited to see what others have to say!
 
Last edited:

Frogdaddy

Arachnoprince
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
1,067
This may sound odd but, buy multiple T's.
I too just hit my one year mark. I bought one T and had it for eight months before buying a second T. So if you're really interested in T's buy four or five on the your first purchase.
T's are pretty low maintenance animals. You're certainly not going to be overwhelmed by daily maintenance. If you have only one and it decides to burrow in pre molt for four months what are you gonna do? You may become bored with T keeping. If you have more specimens there will always be someone to feed, observe, or rehouse.
 

coolnweird

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
512
This may sound odd but, buy multiple T's.
I too just hit my one year mark. I bought one T and had it for eight months before buying a second T. So if you're really interested in T's buy four or five on the your first purchase.
T's are pretty low maintenance animals.
Definitely agree! I bought individuals for my first 3, and after that I didn't order less than three at a time, especially if I was ordering online. Helps make shipping worth it imo, and as you said, it's more interesting when you have multiple
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
I'm coming up on year two of T keeping which is infantile compared to most but the thing I learned immediately is "Yes it's okay that your spider hasn't moved in 3 days. She is fine. Do NOT prod her to see if she's still alive."
 

Lumanasty

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 21, 2020
Messages
0
Biggest takeaway I have had so far in my year and a half ish of keeping was getting over my fear of taking on a tiny sling. I ended up with a b. Albiceps that made common house ants look huge! Here I am freaking out about if its eating and drinking and so on and so forth, 8 months later and 2 rehousings she is killing her own meals and trucking right along! Wish I would have had the confidence earlier because I passed on many fantastic slings at expos because they seemed too small for me at the time.
 

coolnweird

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
512
Wish I would have had the confidence earlier because I passed on many fantastic slings at expos because they seemed too small for me at the time.
Absolutely! I passed on a tiny tiny Cyriocosmus sling very early in the hobby because they just seemed so fragile. Knowing what I know now, and having raised up a few very small slings, I wish I'd taken the opportunity to bring that species into my collection.
 
Top