My First T.

notanarachnophobe

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
78
So, I want a T for my birthday. The problem is, I'm scared of spiders. How can I convince my parents, and who can suggest a breed?
 

nicodimus22

Arachnomancer
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Messages
715
You could start with a sling. That's what I did. Allows you to get comfortable with it gradually. Seeing it every day makes the fear melt away, in my experience.

Convincing the parents can be very easy or very hard depending on the reasons they're opposed to it. Do you know why they'd be against the idea?

I don't know what species you have access to in the UK, but some of the most popular starters here (cheap, hardy, not usually aggressive, interesting looking) are G. pulchripes and B. albopilosum.
 

gypsy cola

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 16, 2014
Messages
192
You can convince your parents that this is a low maintenance pet, does not stink, and takes minimal space.

3 species.

A.chalcolodes
G. pulchripes
GBB
 

Arachnomaniac19

Arachnolord
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
652
Be careful not to hair gets in your lungs and eyes! Just a word of warning. Their venom is extremely mild for the species that will be recommended to you. I'd recommend a Grammostola pulchripes, Brachypelma albopilosum, Brachypelma vagans, Brachypelma smithi, or any Aphonopelma species.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
Ah ah lovely :)

You are scared of spiders but, no matter, you want a Theraphosidae for your birthday but the issue is how to convince your parents? 10/10
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
How can I convince my parents
Well, tell them that you perfectly remember that once, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, delivered a speech to an audience made of Papua New Guinea aboriginal about the pleasure of NW Theraphosidae urticating setae on human skin. Since that old man loved to do worst, it's perfectly credible :-s
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
It took me years to convince my parents. I wanted a scorpion/tarantula since I was six years old, and I got one right before my 19th birthday. Basically, just tell them that a tarantula requires no time investment, is extremely cheap and easy, and it isn't dangerous if you know what to expect.
So a few tips: get a juvenile. Not a sling. Slings are extremely small, like under half an inch, and juveniles can be confirmed to be female. Get a female. They can live for decades, while males die after a few years and become aggressive and a handful in the last year or so. Keep the tarantula in a small container that's about 3 times their legspan. They grow faster and hide less often in a small container.
And about your fear of spiders, that'll be cleared up. I mean, look at this face. Regina profile pic.jpg Does this look like the face of mercy
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
Speaking as a parent, the first step toward convincing your parents to let you get any sort of pet is to demonstrate to them that you are responsible enough to take care of it by yourself. Whether they like spiders or not, they may not be enamored of the idea of taking care of one for you - especially if you become bored with it after a few months, as some kids do. Start by doing whatever chores you are expected to do, whether it's feeding the dog or making your bed or cleaning the litter box, without having to be reminded. If they see that you are willing and able to fulfill the responsibilities that you already have, they will be more inclined to believe you when you tell them that you are ready to assume new responsibilities.

Second, do your homework. Select a few species that you are interested in, and really learn about them. Learn where they are from, how big they get, how fast they grow, how to take care of them, including what size/type of enclosure to set up, what substrate to use, what to feed them and how often, how toxic their venom is, how bad the urticating hairs are (if you opt for a New World species) - and how to prevent getting "haired", what kind of behavior you can expect from them, what kind of maintenance they will require, where (local to you) you can get the necessary food and supplies and how much it will cost, etc. Check out a few books from your local library if possible. If your parents see you taking the time and effort to really educate yourself - beyond reading a quickie internet care sheet or two - it will go a long ways toward convincing them that you are serious about this and it is not just a passing whim. It will also give you the opportunity to educate them about your desired spider. If they are afraid of spiders, a little education can go a long ways toward helping them overcome that! (As well as helping you to overcome your own fear of spiders.)

As far as which species to get, there are a number of good "starter" tarantulas. Personally, I would go with a New World terrestrial species like a Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, or Grammostola species. They tend to be pretty sturdy tarantulas and are more forgiving of newbie mistakes, plus - at least in my experience - they are all relatively docile and slow-moving. The more aggressive/defensive species, those with more potent venom, or the arboreal speed demons that practically teleport are better to wait for until after you've got a little more experience under your belt.

I used to be a terrible arachnophobe, but once I started keeping spiders as pets, observing them and learning about them, I very quickly became addicted. I now have an entire room filled with assorted inverts - mostly spiders - and am always looking for more!

Good luck!
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
Staff member
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
4,096

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Shameless self-promotion:


Although @EulersK s video is much more detailed and informative than mine :D
Yes, but you two have roughly the same advice and info in it, which is good and makes getting good info from reliable sources possible and easier :)
 

Charlottesweb17

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
34
I just ordered my first T the other day! Was a tough choice because there were so many choices that I wanted.
I have on the way an L.P sling. I requested a female although I was told will not know for sure the sex until its 1.5 inches by the breeder so for now unsexed.
Excited can't wait till it gets here. Hoping week of the 20th when in vacation so I can properly get it settled in and make sure everything is kosher.
 

Charlottesweb17

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
34
Speaking as a parent, the first step toward convincing your parents to let you get any sort of pet is to demonstrate to them that you are responsible enough to take care of it by yourself. Whether they like spiders or not, they may not be enamored of the idea of taking care of one for you - especially if you become bored with it after a few months, as some kids do. Start by doing whatever chores you are expected to do, whether it's feeding the dog or making your bed or cleaning the litter box, without having to be reminded. If they see that you are willing and able to fulfill the responsibilities that you already have, they will be more inclined to believe you when you tell them that you are ready to assume new responsibilities.

Second, do your homework. Select a few species that you are interested in, and really learn about them. Learn where they are from, how big they get, how fast they grow, how to take care of them, including what size/type of enclosure to set up, what substrate to use, what to feed them and how often, how toxic their venom is, how bad the urticating hairs are (if you opt for a New World species) - and how to prevent getting "haired", what kind of behavior you can expect from them, what kind of maintenance they will require, where (local to you) you can get the necessary food and supplies and how much it will cost, etc. Check out a few books from your local library if possible. If your parents see you taking the time and effort to really educate yourself - beyond reading a quickie internet care sheet or two - it will go a long ways toward convincing them that you are serious about this and it is not just a passing whim. It will also give you the opportunity to educate them about your desired spider. If they are afraid of spiders, a little education can go a long ways toward helping them overcome that! (As well as helping you to overcome your own fear of spiders.)

As far as which species to get, there are a number of good "starter" tarantulas. Personally, I would go with a New World terrestrial species like a Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, or Grammostola species. They tend to be pretty sturdy tarantulas and are more forgiving of newbie mistakes, plus - at least in my experience - they are all relatively docile and slow-moving. The more aggressive/defensive species, those with more potent venom, or the arboreal speed demons that practically teleport are better to wait for until after you've got a little more experience under your belt.

I used to be a terrible arachnophobe, but once I started keeping spiders as pets, observing them and learning about them, I very quickly became addicted. I now have an entire room filled with assorted inverts - mostly spiders - and am always looking for more!

Good luck!
I researched and read a lot before making my choice.
Reading up and researching is good.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
I just ordered my first T the other day! Was a tough choice because there were so many choices that I wanted.
I have on the way an L.P sling. I requested a female although I was told will not know for sure the sex until its 1.5 inches by the breeder so for now unsexed.
Excited can't wait till it gets here. Hoping week of the 20th when in vacation so I can properly get it settled in and make sure everything is kosher.
Hope you have fun with your tarantula! I guess it was easy to convince ur parents. Quick reminder that LPs grow like monsters, so he/she could be a few inches long in a year.
 

Garth Vader

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 25, 2016
Messages
427
I'm pretty old and my parents are not convinced that keeping tarantulas is a good idea.

That said, I dont live with them so it doesn't matter. As a kid I just wanted pet snakes and a drum set and they said no every time. We settled on piano lessons and a cat.

Parents often don't want new pets because they worry it will start to become their responsibility. Do a bunch of research here on how to care for a T, make sure you are up for it, and present them with a plan for buying the t and caring for its daily needs. That might help your case here.
 

Garth Vader

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 25, 2016
Messages
427
:eek: <-- Eek! But you're just one year older than me, we aren't old at all, life starts at 40 :kiss:
hey life in my 30s has been fabulous. I'm excited for it, plus turning 40 is a great excuse for celebration!
Now for the kids, they tend to think most adults are just old. So there's that. I mean I was using landline phones, listening to still- alive Kurt Cobain, and the internet wasn't even really used yet when I was a teen. That's like the dark ages, sir.
 
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