Looking for First Tarantula Recommendations!

[PuppyMintMocha]

Hey everyone! I'm going to a reptile expo next weekend, where I'm planning to (hopefully) purchase my first tarantula!
I'm still very unfamiliar with all the different species though, so I'm looking for some recommendations.
From what I've read, my hope is for an 'Aphonopelma chalcodes' sling, but I have only been to one reptile expo before and I'm not super familiar with the hobby so I don't know what is and isn't likely to be available at an expo, so I'm looking for a few "plan B" species to look for if I don't see the species I want.

-Must be somewhat likely to be available at a reptile expo
-Must be an inexpensive species
-Must be a species that tends to be slow moving/docile (I might be a little easy to startle, so I don't want a species that will lunge at me often or bolt out of the cage as my first T)
-My preference would be a species that doesn't burrow or web much, for visibility, but this isn't an absolute must
-I have a slight preference for lighter colors, but that's not very important at all

Thank you so much!

 

[Vanisher]

Brachypelma albopilosum
Lasiodora parahybana
Avivularia sp

Thats a few of good beginner speicies

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Pretty much any Brachypelma, Grammostola, or Aphonopelma species.

Most are readily available.
Most are relatively inexpensive as slings/juvies (or even adults in the case of some Aphonopelma).
All tarantulas can shift when they need to and you can always end up with a tarantula that didn't get the memo about the general temperament of the species but most of those are fairly slow/docile.
Most species from those genera will be out often as larger juvies/adults, slings and small juvies will most probably burrow though.

 

[Justin H]

FYI: of the expos I've been to, I've only seen a couple of Aphonopelma slings. A lot of these are captured from the wild as juveniles/adults. I don't recommend buying these for my own ethical reasons. Also, half of the fun of raising a tarantula is watching it grow!

You should be able to find a good selection of captive-bred Brachypelma slings. I like to look at this website to get an idea of their diversity, but keep in mind that individuals can vary greatly in color... males/females in the Brachypelma genus typically look a bit different. The website I linked is just one guy's collection. Here's a link to his other genus galleries.

 

[viper69]

-Must be an inexpensive species

Subjective terms are meaningless!

G. pulchripes hands down is what to get, aka Chaco Golden Knee

 

[nicodimus22]

The two that check the most boxes for a starter T IMO are G. pulchripes and B. albopilosum.

Yes, a lot of other species can work fine, but they don't check quite as many boxes. They may be more expensive, harder to find, more skittish, have glacial growth rates, more fiesty temperament than is ideal for a starter T, etc.

 

[CrazyDane]

Brachypelma Sp

 

[Liquifin]

Hey everyone! I'm going to a reptile expo next weekend, where I'm planning to (hopefully) purchase my first tarantula!
I'm still very unfamiliar with all the different species though, so I'm looking for some recommendations.
From what I've read, my hope is for an 'Aphonopelma chalcodes' sling, but I have only been to one reptile expo before and I'm not super familiar with the hobby so I don't know what is and isn't likely to be available at an expo, so I'm looking for a few "plan B" species to look for if I don't see the species I want.

-Must be somewhat likely to be available at a reptile expo
-Must be an inexpensive species
-Must be a species that tends to be slow moving/docile (I might be a little easy to startle, so I don't want a species that will lunge at me often or bolt out of the cage as my first T)
-My preference would be a species that doesn't burrow or web much, for visibility, but this isn't an absolute must
-I have a slight preference for lighter colors, but that's not very important at all

Thank you so much!

Welll.... for certain A. chalcodes is on that list then. But if you do buy one, buy an adult female and not a little sling. These guys grow "VERY" slow. Your talking about 7-10 years before you have a decent size A. chalcodes if you buy one from a sling. But at all reptile expos, here's the list of what you will see as cheap that are beginner friendly.
A. chalcodes - Very Slow growing if you buy a small juvenile or sling. I recommend buying adult female to save your lifetime.
B. albopilosum - Highly recommend as the better choice, decent growing speeds, great display T. While it's not as colorful it has awesome Floofy legs.
A. seemanni - likes to burrow a lot so you won't see it often, but great leg stripes.

These three are always at all reptile expos. And if you don't see them then i'll be shocked.

 

[Patherophis]

But if you do buy one, buy an adult female and not a little sling. These guys grow "VERY" slow. Your talking about 7-10 years before you have a decent size A. chalcodes if you buy one from a sling. I recommend buying adult female to save your lifetime.

I would never understand this opinion, which seems to be quite prevalent in the US. Then someone wonders why there are so many WC Ts ...

 

[Vanessa]

I would always recommend either Brachypelma albopilosum or Grammostola pulchripes as a very first. Both are extremely hardy, faster growing than their genus overall, usually have more tolerant temperaments, don't fast as much as other species in their genus and are mostly visible as large juveniles/adults.
The only con is that Grammostola pulchripes can be a bit more difficult to find, in Canada anyway, and can be far more expensive in some cases. Also, they can get a fair bit larger than Brachypelma albopilosum - some consider that a pro and others might consider that a con.
I like expos and I have always found some great deals at them. However, I would not discount looking online for Brachypelma albopilosum. They are a species very commonly sold out of private collections and you can often find juveniles/adults for a very good price. It's worth having a look.

 

[Liquifin]

I would never understand this opinion, which seems to be quite prevalent in the US. Then someone wonders why there are so many WC Ts ...

True, that WC T.'s is never good for the hobby. But what the OP is asking is thinking about buying a A. chalcodes sling. For a beginner buying this slow growing sling, will take ages and really not be a fun experience playing a waiting game. It's is true that raising a sling can be fun in most cases. But waiting years for a sling to be an adult for these guys will be time consuming not to mention how often these guys easily fast. That's why I prefer the B. albo as the better choice. But what I stated it's just a heads up if he actually goes for the A. chalcodes. I still don't fully agree on the WC concept in the hobby.

 

[Vanisher]

I have already answered this, but if i have to pick the perfect beginner speicies i have to say L parahybana! They are cheap, they eat much and grows fast! They get BIG! They are a good display animal, and they are pretty hardy!

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

Brachypelma sp. for sure beautiful, easy, and calm.

 

[nicodimus22]

They get BIG!

This is the main reason that the LP is not among the best beginner Ts, IMO. For a first-time keeper, an 8+ inch T may be way too intimidating. Some people would probably be OK with it, and some would probably feel completely overwhelmed as it got huge. A good starter is something that almost anyone would do OK with.

All the other things you listed work in its favor, but I think it would make a better 2nd or 3rd T than a starter.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I have already answered this, but if i have to pick the perfect beginner speicies i have to say L parahybana! They are cheap, they eat much and grows fast! They get BIG! They are a good display animal, and they are pretty hardy!

Their large size along with their insane feeding response (which may be unnerving to new keepers) and the fact that they have some of the worst urticating setae in the hobby are all reasons as to why I wouldn't recommend them as a first tarantula.

Good second or third? Sure. But not a first.

 

[PuppyMintMocha]

Thank you all for your responses to me and each other, cool to see discussion on the topic! ^^
I'm not particularly opposed to a slow growing species, but either way I'm rather fond of the idea of raising one from an at least somewhat young age, slow or not, so I'm still wanting a small one.

I totally understand that individuals may not be as docile as their species' reputation, but that's a risk there's not much choice in taking, lol. If I end with a feisty one I'll just have to deal with it and be more careful

A number of you recommended Brachypelma species, so I browsed some more species within that genus, and some that caught my eye are:
Brachypelma emilia
Brachypelma boehmei
Brachypelma albiceps
Brachypelma klaasi

Would any of these be poor choices?
If I do end up picking a T out at the expo (hopefully I will but sometime I get so indecisive in the moment that I back out, oops) I'll update here with a picture of what I got as a thank you

 

[Vanisher]

Their large size along with their insane feeding response (which may be unnerving to new keepers) and the fact that they have some of the worst urticating setae in the hobby are all reasons as to why I wouldn't recommend them as a first tarantula.

Good second or third? Sure. But not a first.

Now, i maybe not mean that a new beginner schould by a 10 inch female, but if they by a sling or juvenile of the speicies their knollage about it grows with the spider!
I know i said L parahybana! So i add a small indivudual of L parahybabana!

 

[nicodimus22]

A number of you recommended Brachypelma species, so I browsed some more species within that genus, and some that caught my eye are:
Brachypelma emilia
Brachypelma boehmei
Brachypelma albiceps
Brachypelma klaasi

Would any of these be poor choices?

If they appeal to you, you can make any of them work. They are all slow growers, except for the boehmei, which is still only medium-slow. The boehmei tends to kick hairs at the slightest disturbance, which bothers some people, but I never handle and don't mind it. None of them are particularly cheap, but if you're willing to spend the money and deal with the slow growth, they all grow up to be beautiful adults (and they show their colors pretty early, too.)

 

[CrazyDane]

brachypelma smithi Is a good starter

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I say G. Pulchripes that's what my 1st was it's not the fastest grower great looking but and get pretty big and there pretty much bulletproof