My First Tarantulas!!!

[ZergFront]

I just recieved my order of Psalmopoeus irminia slings today (purchased on Sunday). They.... are.....CUTE!!!

I could hardly contain my excitment after work once I had gotten the call from my mom that they had gotten here. She gave me a ride so I could get them in their homes faster since my bus ride is 3 hours.

I bought 4 and got the 5th free and made a nice review for the breeder. I was really surprised they weren't as tiny as I thought they would be as babies. Pictures are deceiving! These babies are already bigger than the adult jumpers I had and are pushing close to being my male funnel weaver's size.

I handled at least two of them (seperately) only for a little while before getting them in the deli cups and was surprised with how sticky their feet pads were; I felt it easily. Must be an aboreal trait. Keep in mind I'm new at this so anything of tarantula ownership is going to be exciting.

Now I'm just letting them feel their new cribs without disturbance. I have them on this low book shelf facing away from the window so most of the sunlight is blocked from my critter area. I've observed one of them web a little.

I better stop drinking my Pepsi, I'm already sure it's going to be hard to sleep tonight with beautiful baby spiders just a few steps away from my bed.

 

[Ts are #1]

Grats on the first T and welcome to the hobby i want a P.Irminia its my favorite T cause of its colors but my parents wont let me have the very fast and defensive ts

 

[jbm150]

I was wondering when you were finally going to get a tarantula. About time you stepped up

Congrats on the irminia's, arboreals are so cool!

 

[WARPIG]

I'm glad the kids got there safe and sound. You have kids from the first P irminia sac I have gotten.

Enjoy them for many years to come.

PIG-

 

[ZergFront]

I was wondering when you were finally going to get a tarantula. About time you stepped up

Congrats on the irminia's, arboreals are so cool!

LOL!!! I know, funny how I got just under 400 posts here before getting them. Guess I am almost all talk.

I was going to grab rob's but Alex bought ALL 25 of them! Guess I'll get two more of these from rob later so if any turn up males they'll have unrelated girlfriends. X-D

Psalmopoeus do sometimes double clutch, you never know. I might just get A. minatrix after these - I haven't decided. They seem to be more expensive than versicolor oddly enough.. :?

I be sure to get pictures once they've had their first meal here. I want them to fully settle in so I've just been leaving them alone (Which is REALLY hard not just to stare at these little beauties)

I really want to thank you again Warpig for helping me out with questions. If this is your first sac I'd stand by and see if your girl is finished or not.

 

[Roski]

man i can't believe you didn't have any T's til now... you are definitely one of the most well-prepared and knowledgeable noobs on the planet congrats! they are a beautiful sp- definitely on my wishlist! all the best!

 

[Roski]

how you've managed to hold off from these fantastic creatures for so long is beyond me... :?

 

[ZergFront]

how you've managed to hold off from these fantastic creatures for so long is beyond me... :?

Mostly it was because I couldn't decide between P. regalis and Psalmopoeus irminia. I'd get all the ones on my wishlist but two things are definately going to happen if I do that...

1. I'll go completely broke before I even have enough containers for them.

2. My parents would catapault me out of the house - and property is EXPENSIVE around here! :wall:

I'm hoping these will be enough just to get my foot in the door to starting a much larger collection. These live what, 15 years if they're female, 1 if they're male? :?

Here's pics of the slings eating. I've only seen two web. Only one so far has taken residence in the hole I started. It's been 5 hours (!) now since I've fed the first one and they're all still eating. One has barely any cricket even left!

 

[Ts are #1]

how you've managed to hold off from these fantastic creatures for so long is beyond me... :?

I had to wait about a year to get my first t it drove me nuts going to pet stores and seeing ts. Nice irminia pics zerg thats a very pretty irminia and my parents want me to sleep outside cause i have 3 ts and want more lol

 

[Roski]

i waited almost a year before my parents would let me get my Latrodectus hasselti tattoo- then after that hurdle it was only a matter of time before they were convinced of my devotion to all things 8-legged and let me get my first T- 2 years later. i've still got a ways to go before i get my own room for them, but my last T i bought without telling my parents and i'm still not homeless yet! :razz:

cute pics munch munch

 

[Steve Calceatum]

Congrats!!!

You've been talking about that P. irminia for so long, I was wondering when you were gonna get it!!! You definately are a very well-prepared n00b. Ever since you started talking about getting a P. irminia, mine has grown from 3/4" to over 2.5" already, and about to molt again.

I'd like to welcome you to the addiction and hobby, but considering that a sizable chunk of your 400+ posts are dealing with tarantulas, I'll just say my congrats and what a fine choice you made. Next week I will be up to 11 T's...but the P. irminia was the first T that stole my heart.

 

[Endagr8]

Congrats! What a beautiful species. I can't wait to add some to my collection.

 

[Jack III]

Grats on your new arrivals. I hope they continue to make you happy for a long time to come. There is no way I could have waited half as long as you. You take the cake for the best prepared 'soon to be' T owner that I know of!!!

Enjoy!!!

 

[Ariel]

Reading some of these replies I kind of laughed, waited 1 year? 2? it took me 11 years to convince my parents to let me have a T. (wanted one since I was in 3rd grade, when my friend brought in his B. smithi for show in tell ) now I have two, and I might be getting more soon!!!

but ya! Congrats, wonderul choice, I have to say they're on my wishlist as well! definately a knock-out spider

 

[Chaika]

Congratulations! This is a great species to have I love my two slings, well almost juvies now. If you think they're cool to watch now, just wait till they hit the 2in mark in 3 months' time! Great T's, fantastic colours and bags of personality

 

[ZergFront]

Yeah, and The Tarantula Keeper's Guide wasn't kidding, "Like potato chips you can't just have one." I was about a hair width away from PMing KJE tonight about purchasing 2 A. minatrix but if I'd done that so soon after getting these my mom would call me compulsive (o.k. yeah, kind of. I did buy 4 with one being free instead of just 1 but come on, their arboreals for crying out loud!)

Plus.. I wan't to get some more research done on avics because of the SADS or their sensitive care.

My dad brought in this used 65 gal tank we used as an incubation room for our hatched parrot and asked if I could use it for the tarantulas I said "No dad, that's way too big. that would be a mansion to even a T. blondi."

He just said, "Ok..." like he had no idea what I was talking about. Tarantulas are a new thing for us. We've had lots of different animals from parrots, a chinchilla, Guinea pigs (first time I've ever seen a live birth), hampsters, mice, a cat, 2 iguanas (one which wished us dead), 3 alligator lizards, a gopher snake, snowflake eel and probably some others I don't remember. We did babysit for a friend's rosie that just sat in one spot for hours apon hours.

I'm babbling again! :wall:

 

[Steve Calceatum]

I wouldn't worry too much about SADS. I agree it's a reality, and nothing to sneeze at. However, you're one of the most researched newbies I've ever seen, so you shouldn't have too much difficulty with Avics. Don't over-care, and don't get complacent either. SADS just happens. All you can do is minimize any potential causes. My little versi is growing up quite nicely, and I've really done nothing different than most other people....just keep my fingers crossed, and hope for the best.

BTW: I keep my T's in larger-than-recommended enclosures (even for sling requirements), but not too large. For my arborial slings, I go with enclosures that measure 3X legspan for length and width, and 4-5X legspan for height. For substrate, I use coco fiber mixed with about 20-30% Forest Moss to increase humidity, and no greater than 1.5" to 2" of substrate depth. I spot-check daily for mite and mold problems. Also, IME, microwave-sterilization has caused alot of mold problems, so I just easy-bake my decor at 400* for a half-hour. I've noticed that this formula allows the T about 2 or 4 molts before having to rehouse, and the sling gets rehoused only once before reaching a size appropriate to its permanent enclosure; thus minimizing stress on the animal, and allowing plenty of room to grow. I don't power-feed either....just give them what they will eat. 1 cricket every few days should be sufficent. Hope that helps.

 

[ZergFront]

Thanks. Yeah, I've decided power feeding isn't going to work for me. When the abdomen is a little bit bigger than the carapace, feeding is over until they've shrank down some (just like my true spiders). I'd like to have them for quite some time. Any males I get will go for sale or trade (maybe a 50/50 but I don't know how those work shipment wise) to prevent inbreeding.

I might get avics after at least a month of rearing these slings. I have them in 1/4 vermiculite and the rest moist non-fertilized planting soil and mist whenever needed.

Do avics need a heat source? I've read in some places online that they need a higher temp than room temperature. Providing ventilation and humidity I don't think will be a problem since I mist regularly and put over a dozen holes in the containers but if they need heat I'll get them some red party lights unless suggested in a different direction.

I'll catch up with you guys later. I gtg to bed. I got some dogs to work with in the morning. Laterz!

 

[Miss Bianca]

Congratulations!

You may or may not get sleep, and even if you do when you open your eyes from a dreamy state or even first thing in the A.M., you'll remember them and you'll smile, believe me! I know exactly how you feel...
Hell you'll even start having T-dreams!

Tarantulas and pepsi are my two favorite things in this whole world! Never give up either!

 

[Steve Calceatum]

Thanks. Yeah, I've decided power feeding isn't going to work for me. When the abdomen is a little bit bigger than the carapace, feeding is over until they've shrank down some (just like my true spiders). I'd like to have them for quite some time. Any males I get will go for sale or trade (maybe a 50/50 but I don't know how those work shipment wise) to prevent inbreeding.

I might get avics after at least a month of rearing these slings. I have them in 1/4 vermiculite and the rest moist non-fertilized planting soil and mist whenever needed.

Do avics need a heat source? I've read in some places online that they need a higher temp than room temperature. Providing ventilation and humidity I don't think will be a problem since I mist regularly and put over a dozen holes in the containers but if they need heat I'll get them some red party lights unless suggested in a different direction.

I'll catch up with you guys later. I gtg to bed. I got some dogs to work with in the morning. Laterz!

Since heat rises, I keep my avics high up on the bookshelf. My room is kept no cooler than 75* during the day, and 70* at night. T's tend to abhor radiating heat sources, and you could accidentally cook your T in the process. I've just recently learned that heat sources work best if carried by convection. One method is to use a space heater in a location that keeps the corner of a room a bit warmer than the rest of the room, but isn't too close to your T's. Another way is that if you have the funds and the know-how, you can build a cabinet with a heat source on the bottom. By adding holes and insulation to the shelving units, some clever weatherstripping, and a ventilated plexiglass door, you can do this with a $40 Wal-Mart bookshelf. (Don't laugh....One of my cheap-@$$ bookshelf units can hold up to nine 5-gallon arboreal setups, still has some room to spare, and could easly be retrofitted into this type of setup.)

For enclosure ventilation, I'll put 3 or 4 rows of smaller holes, spaced 1/2" apart, toward the top of the enclosure. I'll put a couple of rows on the bottom, about 1" from the top of the substrate.