New tarantula, first tarantula!

waynerowley

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
78
Hi there,

I joined the forum yesterday. I've been researching tarantula keeping for a year or more reading websites, forums and watching various channels on YouTube. My wife is arachnophobic so I never thought I would get beyond that! However, she has also been taking more of an interest in the last 6 months or so and finally gave permission for me to get my first T. So I went to the pet shop yesterday and they had the T that I have wanted to keep - c. versicolor (5cm juvenile). :)

Here he/she is:

IMG_2610.jpeg

I brought it home in the jar it was in, adding some cork bark. That wasn't a rehouse but I had to remove the spider so it gave me a flavour. It did a bit of scurrying and one jump, but I never felt out of control even when:

"No, I will stay on the catch-cup but not in it":

5E81432C-AAC7-4F08-A895-CC63E0115D5A.jpeg

However, the jar is a pain to work with with the small opening, so I popped out the morning to source and make a new enclosure:

IMG_2613.jpeg

Coco fibre, cork bark with some plastic plants glued on. Drilled the container to provide cross-ventilation and added a water tub (old lemonade bottle lid).

Moving it was easy - gentle poking with a straw and it walked out of one and into the other.

IMG_2615.jpeg

So here it is in a new home. I'll leave it a few days now to settle before I try feeding!

Looking forward to watching he/she grow! <edit>

IMG_2619.jpeg

Wayne
 
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Table

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 3, 2020
Messages
141
Your enclosure seems well suited for your T, is there a water dish? I just didn't see one, if not. Thats the only thing I would change, (unless something I overlooked is wronge)

Welcome to the hobby, and GL with your arachnophobic wife. who knows, maybe she'll be a T enthusiast herself soon.
 

Blueandbluer

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Messages
495
She looks great and your enclosure is perfect, so well done. I hope you have many lovely years together.

Since you mentioned YouTube -- generally it's a lousy place to get your care advice, with the exception of Tom Moran from Tom's Big Spiders. Any other channels I would take with about a gallon of salt -- they do and say dumb stuff just to get clicks. Feel free to search these forums and/or ask us if you run into any questions. There are experts here who have been keeping Ts for decades.
 

Neonblizzard

Arachnomoron
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Messages
611
She looks great and your enclosure is perfect, so well done. I hope you have many lovely years together.

Since you mentioned YouTube -- generally it's a lousy place to get your care advice, with the exception of Tom Moran from Tom's Big Spiders. Any other channels I would take with about a gallon of salt -- they do and say dumb stuff just to get clicks. Feel free to search these forums and/or ask us if you run into any questions. There are experts here who have been keeping Ts for decades.
I agree, tom moran is the guy.
 

Tarantuland

Arachnoprince
Joined
Mar 19, 2020
Messages
1,354
Welcome to the group! Nice looking enclosure. It's nice to see someone who did their research before buying the spider. That one will turn into 10 in no time :troll:
 

waynerowley

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
78
Welcome to the group! Nice looking enclosure. It's nice to see someone who did their research before buying the spider. That one will turn into 10 in no time :troll:
Thank you. I’m sure I’ll have lots of questions in the coming weeks,

Since you mentioned YouTube -- generally it's a lousy place to get your care advice, with the exception of Tom Moran from Tom's Big Spiders. Any other channels I would take with about a gallon of salt -- they do and say dumb stuff just to get clicks. Feel free to search these forums and/or ask us if you run into any questions. There are experts here who have been keeping Ts for decades.
Thank you.

I watch 3 tarantulas channels on YouTube - Tom’s Big Spiders, Dark Den and the Tarantula Collective. i found both Tom’s and Richard’s videos on c. Versicolor husbandry to be quite similar and very helpful. I enjoy Petko and the Dark Den, but see that more as entertainment. There are some channels/keepers on YouTube that I avoid though - one being Exotics Lair.

Wayne
 
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Craig73

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
790
Nicely done setup and congrats! I’m an arachnophobe myself, but you cannot help to admire the beauty of a versicolor, great choice for sure.

You mentioned 5 inches, did you mean 5cm?
 

waynerowley

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
78
Nicely done setup and congrats! I’m an arachnophobe myself, but you cannot help to admire the beauty of a versicolor, great choice for sure.

You mentioned 5 inches, did you mean 5cm?
Yes, thank you! I’ve corrected my post. Must proof read more!
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
790
Yes, thank you! I’ve corrected my post. Must proof read more!
Ha! All good, I‘m bad at sizing from pictures and it was still quite blue which lead me to think it was not quite that big. Mine is slightly larger than yours and just really starting to get the reds coming in.

My versi has been one of the better webbers of my avics. Hopefully it’ll settle in quick and get to work. I’ve had ones that have taken weeks. They also have pretty decent growth spurts which is exciting.
 

Iamconstantlyhappy

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 4, 2020
Messages
219
She looks great and your enclosure is perfect, so well done. I hope you have many lovely years together.

Since you mentioned YouTube -- generally it's a lousy place to get your care advice, with the exception of Tom Moran from Tom's Big Spiders. Any other channels I would take with about a gallon of salt -- they do and say dumb stuff just to get clicks. Feel free to search these forums and/or ask us if you run into any questions. There are experts here who have been keeping Ts for decades.
Dave's Little Beasties from the UK is amazing. Absolutely no showmanship only information.
 

Tarantuland

Arachnoprince
Joined
Mar 19, 2020
Messages
1,354
Hahaha i thought actually that is one big juvie 😅
I was wondering too, since they usually lose the blue between 2-3” and start sporting the purple/gray/red/green whatever u can even call it. A 10” Versi would be awesome though
 

Neonblizzard

Arachnomoron
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Messages
611
I was wondering too, since they usually lose the blue between 2-3” and start sporting the purple/gray/red/green whatever u can even call it. A 10” Versi would be awesome though
Bwahh haha that would be awesome! A pizza sized fruit pastel spoody 😂
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Hi there,

I joined the forum yesterday. I've been researching tarantula keeping for a year or more reading websites, forums and watching various channels on YouTube. My wife is arachnophobic so I never thought I would get beyond that! However, she has also been taking more of an interest in the last 6 months or so and finally gave permission for me to get my first T. So I went to the pet shop yesterday and they had the T that I have wanted to keep - c. versicolor (5cm juvenile). :)

Here he/she is:

View attachment 380867

I brought it home in the jar it was in, adding some cork bark. That wasn't a rehouse but I had to remove the spider so it gave me a flavour. It did a bit of scurrying and one jump, but I never felt out of control even when:

"No, I will stay on the catch-cup but not in it":

View attachment 380868

However, the jar is a pain to work with with the small opening, so I popped out the morning to source and make a new enclosure:

View attachment 380869

Coco fibre, cork bark with some plastic plants glued on. Drilled the container to provide cross-ventilation and added a water tub (old lemonade bottle lid).

Moving it was easy - gentle poking with a straw and it walked out of one and into the other.

View attachment 380870

So here it is in a new home. I'll leave it a few days now to settle before I try feeding!

Looking forward to watching he/she grow! <edit>

Wayne
Good setup for a new owner esp for Avic

Not the best angle to sex.

Versi are THE easiest to sex for Avics

Females’ top lip is white, easy to spot. If I had pics of my 2 sisters I’d show you, but I don’t.

You can see their white lip by 3” DLS
 
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waynerowley

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
78
Today's update. After sitting on the side of the enclosure for 24 hours and not moving much, it has now sauntered off behind the cork bark and has started webbing up the top and sides.

Hopefully that means it is feeling more at home. I do wonder how close to a moult it is. The blue colour is quite dark compared with other pictures I've seen. I don't know how long the shop had it, but they did say it had not moulted in their care. Any thoughts based on the pictures above?

Wayne
 
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