Most stressful/worrisome experience you've ever had in this hobby?

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
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741
STORY TIME!
What particular event scared you or made you feel more nervous than any other one while keeping tarantulas? Was it a bad molt? Breeding with a big female? An unboxing? An escape? I love making these story time posts so we can all come together and share our experiences.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
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Sep 14, 2013
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5,893
Not a writer but it's always shedding. Unboxings, rehousings don't bother me a jot.

But when it's time for a change of clothes it's squeaky bum time in my house.
 

Klutch Thompson

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 30, 2016
Messages
3
I had a 3 inch OBT escape for 3 days. I was so scared, I couldn't even put on my shoes without checking to see if he was in one of them. I was praying my dog wouldn't find him before me lol. Never got another OW T after that. I'll stick with my P. irminia lol.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
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Oct 6, 2016
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I had a 3 inch OBT escape for 3 days. I was so scared, I couldn't even put on my shoes without checking to see if he was in one of them. I was praying my dog wouldn't find him before me lol. Never got another OW T after that. I'll stick with my P. irminia lol.
OBTs are a slasher film waiting to happen.
 

sdsnybny

Arachnogeek
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Apr 29, 2015
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1,330
Watching a female Avicularia versicolor snatch up a MM in the blink of an eye like a piece of candy with no warning
 

Klutch Thompson

Arachnopeon
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Oct 30, 2016
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Watching a female Avicularia versicolor snatch up a MM in the blink of an eye like a piece of candy with no warning
Man that sucks. I always wanted to breed my G. rosea but was always scared something like that would happen.
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
1. Watching my G. rosea bleed to death after hours of trying to patch up an open cyst after a molt
2. Watching my B. smithi molt for 21 hours
3. Having my adult P. regalis on the loose ><

All ended well except for the G. rosea.. she passed.
 

checkmate

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
188
I had a 3 inch OBT escape for 3 days. I was so scared, I couldn't even put on my shoes without checking to see if he was in one of them. I was praying my dog wouldn't find him before me lol. Never got another OW T after that. I'll stick with my P. irminia lol.
Where did you find him?
 

Venom1080

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Sep 24, 2015
Messages
4,611
catching my H mac after accidentally flinging him. :banghead::banghead::banghead: sling about 1", caught him hiding in my blankets at the edge of my bed. that was 2 years ago, shes alive and doing great still. :)
- chasing my LV during rehousing.
 

johnny quango

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2013
Messages
260
Having a 1.5" Dolichothele diamantinensis sling spook and bolt straight up my arm and ending up in my arm pit. I know it's not the worst species but I froze for about 30 seconds waiting for a bite that never came
 
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G. pulchra

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Jun 7, 2005
Messages
592
Many years ago I had some rare "at that time" tarantula's get lost when being shipped to me. I wasn't worried as the seller guaranteed delivery, but the Tarantula's themselves would have been hard to replace.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
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Mar 7, 2012
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Three years ago, my mother gave me an Avicularia avicularia, my first tarantula, for my birthday. I was not expecting to get a tarantula, but fortunately, it was not an unwanted gift. I promptly buy a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide and begin reading.

I quickly realize that the terrestrial setup she came in is not appropriate for this arboreal species, so we got a new enclosure and set it up for her.

Now here's where my inexperience really shined. I needed to transfer Twinkle Toes from her old enclosure to her new one. But instead of doing the sensible thing and looking up some tips on rehousing, I thought it would be OK to get her to walk onto my hand and then put her in the new enclosure.

Wrong.

As soon as I tapped her from behind, she bolted up my arm and ran around to my back. Fortunately, luck favored me, and when I placed my back against her new enclosure, she went right in.

Needless to say, I have learned a lot about rehousing tarantulas since then.
 

Klutch Thompson

Arachnopeon
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Oct 30, 2016
Messages
3
I found him under a shoe. I was certain I wasn't gonna find but lifted a shoe and there he was lol.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
Three years ago, my mother gave me an Avicularia avicularia, my first tarantula, for my birthday. I was not expecting to get a tarantula, but fortunately, it was not an unwanted gift. I promptly buy a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide and begin reading.

I quickly realize that the terrestrial setup she came in is not appropriate for this arboreal species, so we got a new enclosure and set it up for her.

Now here's where my inexperience really shined. I needed to transfer Twinkle Toes from her old enclosure to her new one. But instead of doing the sensible thing and looking up some tips on rehousing, I thought it would be OK to get her to walk onto my hand and then put her in the new enclosure.

Wrong.

As soon as I tapped her from behind, she bolted up my arm and ran around to my back. Fortunately, luck favored me, and when I placed my back against her new enclosure, she went right in.

Needless to say, I have learned a lot about rehousing tarantulas since then.
W R O N G
 

Tim Benzedrine

Prankster Possum
Old Timer
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Apr 4, 2004
Messages
1,496
It was The Tragic Moult, for me. It was horrifying and did not have a happy ending. It was not your typical bad moult where the spider gets stuck, (which is horrifying enough by its own right) but a tear on the abdomen. Happened to the spider that I had always desired. i would not have wished it on any of my group, but it was my A. geniculata, which had been my dream species. I was despondent.

A generous AB member replaced the spider for me, but I still get just a little twitchy during moults, especially when it comes to A. geniculata 2.0...
 

Walker253

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 12, 2016
Messages
554
The most stressful and worrisome experiences I've had is literally every rehousing of an OW T that I've done. The main thing is to stay in control and follow the game plan. But that doesn't stop my heart from wanting to beat itself out of my chest and my adrenaline surging to send me to an unreal level of anxiety. Knocking on wood, right now, I've always come out ok. Well, I did pop a leg on a P lugardi while cupping it (my 1st rehouse), but it grew back. Each rehouse gets a little easier.
In comparison, rehousing OW's is kind of like public speaking to me. Terrifying in the beginning, but much more manageable as time went by.
 

Andrea82

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Jan 12, 2016
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Watching one of my two first slings not doing well as its sacmate, A.metallica. I tried everything, rehousing bigger, smaller, more ventilation, less, doing nothing, but it just died. The other one is doin great, so I thinj it was the runt of the litter.
Housing my newly bought P.irminia, and having one escape because I flung it from my hand in reflex. Luckily finding it, but damaged one leg in cupping it.
Housing my E.murinus, simply because it was my first feisty species. Worried over nothing, housing went rather smooth.
And last; housing my P.muticus 2cm body sling. She was not happy, threatening and slapping and stridulating, but I got her in her tub safely.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
This:


Subadult male T.blondi 2 meters up on the wall...
I think this one actually beats housing an angry, highly venomous OW. I'd be terrified and begging it to please not move or let go of the wall.....
 
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