New tarantula (sling?)

[Scary Mary]

Hi again tarantula hoomans!!

Well after my fire baptism with a chaco golden knee female tarantula whom I (accidentally and in ignorance with heaps of bad advice from the wrong people - pet store owners) killed (I feel like a monster... ) I feel now more equipped and ready to get another spider. It has to be a docile species though as its for my 5 year old son who will (with supervision) be doing the feeding and watering.
Can anyone please point me in the right direction, where can I get a hold of a very young spider? The aim is not to try and handle it but to feed it, watch it grow and allow my bug loving child to take care of a pet of his choice.
Also, I don't want to break the bank... I'm in the UK near Edinburgh
Thanx folks.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Being you I would purchase directly a sexed female, skipping slings and/or 'shady' unsexed-labeled spiders that turns MM (for pure coincidence) within two months. My advice is G.pulchripes, or a similar specie.

You wouldn't definitely have to break a bank, in UK there's a lot of breeders and good quality sellers (online). Prices are very reasonable.

 

[Teal]

Brachypelma are great "first" tarantulas because they tend to be more slow moving/docile. But if you get a sling, your child will be away to college long before it matures LOL

I recommend a juvenile... 2-3". They will be showing colour and not be in a delicate sling phase.

You might also look into the Nhandu genus. They are brightly coloured, large Ts that grow a bit faster than Brachypelma.

 

[Scary Mary]

Being you I would purchase directly a sexed female, skipping slings and/or 'shady' unsexed-labeled spiders that turns MM (for pure coincidence) within two months. My advice is G.pulchripes, or a similar specie.

You wouldn't definitely have to break a bank, in UK there's a lot of breeders and good quality sellers (online). Prices are very reasonable.

Thank you! Where will I get a breeder ?

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Where will I get a breeder ?

You have two options

1) Btw the one I suggest, easy 'route': reach Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, London. Then start screaming that you need a "... Theraphosidae breeder! I need a Theraphosidae breeder, now!".
Mind, it's extremely important that you say 'Theraphosidae' and not 'spiders'

2) Annoying, hard 'route': search on Google something so cheap, boring etc like "Tarantulas for sale, UK". But I vouche for Hyde Park

 

[Scary Mary]

1) Btw the one I suggest, easy 'route': reach Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, London. Then start screaming that you need a "... Theraphosidae breeder! I need a Theraphosidae breeder, now!".
Mind, it's extremely important that you say 'Theraphosidae' and not 'spiders'

Haha that's so funny ! I can't even pronounce that!!

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Haha that's so funny ! I can't even pronounce that!!

Yup

But, nonetheless, important: this way (in Speakers' Corner, I mean) the so called 'true spiders' elitists wouldn't be upset since you are searching for a Theraphosidae

A lot of UK people share the common habit to order spiders/T's/etc online: they just surf a site, pay, and then the breeder/seller Royal Mail the hell out to their doors, but it's in Speakers' Corner where the real deal is.

Scream 'Theraphosidae breeder' and you will hear someone offering even to you an Atrax robustus, which is, technically, a Mygalomorphae. Hands down, the best T's market

 

[Evan P]

Hi again tarantula hoomans!!

Well after my fire baptism with a chaco golden knee female tarantula whom I (accidentally and in ignorance with heaps of bad advice from the wrong people - pet store owners) killed (I feel like a monster... ) I feel now more equipped and ready to get another spider. It has to be a docile species though as its for my 5 year old son who will (with supervision) be doing the feeding and watering.
Can anyone please point me in the right direction, where can I get a hold of a very young spider? The aim is not to try and handle it but to feed it, watch it grow and allow my bug loving child to take care of a pet of his choice.
Also, I don't want to break the bank... I'm in the UK near Edinburgh
Thanx folks.

Hey Scary Mary I live in the US an get mine offline, they have the choice from majority of online pet stores if you want a sling or mature T, I recently had bought a 1 inch Socotra Island blueleg baboon and he/she is adorable but not a beginners species. I have a Pinktoe as well almost mature which they are very good beginners species

 

[Minty]

Hi again tarantula hoomans!!

Well after my fire baptism with a chaco golden knee female tarantula whom I (accidentally and in ignorance with heaps of bad advice from the wrong people - pet store owners) killed (I feel like a monster... ) I feel now more equipped and ready to get another spider. It has to be a docile species though as its for my 5 year old son who will (with supervision) be doing the feeding and watering.
Can anyone please point me in the right direction, where can I get a hold of a very young spider? The aim is not to try and handle it but to feed it, watch it grow and allow my bug loving child to take care of a pet of his choice.
Also, I don't want to break the bank... I'm in the UK near Edinburgh
Thanx folks.

Google The Spider Shop, Spidersworld or on Facebook, search for Tarantulas Glasgow. All of them are able to get the spider posted to you. Ordered from all of them and they’re all great.

There are other options such as So Many Legs, Portsmouth Tarantulas and others. But I haven’t ordered from these places so can’t comment on them.

I have heard that Bristol Tarantulas are one to avoid. I haven’t had any experience with them but they seem to have a bad reputation.

Don’t know any of breeders or sellers in Fife or Edinburgh where you can collect.

To add to what Chris said, I’d avoid getting a sling too.

Personally, I would go for a Chromatopelma cyanepubescens, which has the common name of Greenbottle Blue tarantula.

This was my first tarantula and I got it from The Spider Shop at 5cm DLS. Less than a year later, it was more than double that. They’re a fast growing species so your child will get a bit of joy seeing it grow.

Brachypelma and Grammostola species are great beginner species, but they tend to be very slow growing. So it’ll be quite a while before you see a small one moult. When it does moult, it won’t put a huge amount of size on. Not as interesting for you or your kid.

The C.cyanepubescens is interesting due its bright colours, its great feeding response, it webs a lot and doesn’t hide often, which means you’ll actually get to see it.

 

[Scary Mary]

To add to what Chris said, I’d avoid getting a sling too.

Personally, I would go for a Chromatopelma cyanepubescens, which has the common name of Greenbottle Blue tarantula.

This was my first tarantula and I got it from The Spider Shop at 5cm DLS. Less than a year later, it was more than double that. They’re a fast growing species so your child will get a bit of joy seeing it grow.

Brachypelma and Grammostola species are great beginner species, but they tend to be very slow growing. So it’ll be quite a while before you see a small one moult. When it does moult, it won’t put a huge amount of size on. Not as interesting for you or your kid.

The C.cyanepubescens is interesting due its bright colours, its great feeding response, it webs a lot and doesn’t hide often, which means you’ll actually get to see it.

Oh wow that sounds amazing! Thank you !

Brachypelma are great "first" tarantulas because they tend to be more slow moving/docile. But if you get a sling, your child will be away to college long before it matures LOL

I recommend a juvenile... 2-3". They will be showing colour and not be in a delicate sling phase.

You might also look into the Nhandu genus. They are brightly coloured, large Ts that grow a bit faster than Brachypelma.

Great thank you

 

[Minty]

Oh wow that sounds amazing! Thank you !

Nae bother.

 

[WildSpider]

Some beginner species I've heard mentioned are:

• Brachypelma albopilosum,
  
• Grammostola pulchripes,
  
• Eupalaestrus campestratus,
  
• Eupalaestrus Weijenberghi

My first T (which I bought a year ago) was a 1 inch Grammostola pulchripes. It has been really easy to care for although in general, there is a higher risk with slings. They don't always make it. I love mine though and if you're like me and don't mind it growing slowly, it's a very fun one to keep. Mine is a juvie now and is so active! Love watching it bulldoze!

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Brachypelma albopilosum is the best readily available starter you can get IMO. Hardy, good eaters, decent growth, generally good temperament, active but not too fast, and out often as they get bigger.

I have heard that Bristol Tarantulas are one to avoid. I haven’t had any experience with them but they seem to have a bad reputation.

About 1/4 of my collection are from them, I only had a problem with one order and they sorted it out and sent me a freebie H. gigas after I complained via email. That said, I haven't ordered from them since, better prices to be had elsewhere tbh.

There are other options such as So Many Legs, Portsmouth Tarantulas and others. But I haven’t ordered from these places so can’t comment on them.

Andy from So Many Legs & Scott from Portsmouth Tarantulas are both an absolute pleasure to deal with.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Thank you! Where will I get a breeder ?

Ones that I have used and will vouch for:

So Many Legs
Tarantulas Glasgow
Portsmouth Tarantulas
Peter Holmes (in this FB group, PM him for a sales list)
The Spider Shop (for slings or sexed spiders only, don't buy unsexed juveniles hoping for a female, it won't happen).
Spidersworld .eu (If you don't mind ordering from Poland)

 

[Minty]

Ones that I have used and will vouch for:

So Many Legs
Tarantulas Glasgow
Portsmouth Tarantulas
Peter Holmes (in this FB group, PM him for a sales list)
The Spider Shop (for slings or sexed spiders only, don't buy unsexed juveniles hoping for a female, it won't happen).
Spidersworld .eu (If you don't mind ordering from Poland)

I actually got a female, L.violaceopes from them, that I bought unsexed.

 

[Scary Mary]

Ones that I have used and will vouch for:

So Many Legs
Tarantulas Glasgow
Portsmouth Tarantulas
Peter Holmes (in this FB group, PM him for a sales list)
The Spider Shop (for slings or sexed spiders only, don't buy unsexed juveniles hoping for a female, it won't happen).
Spidersworld .eu (If you don't mind ordering from Poland)

Thanx so much!

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I actually got a female, L.violaceopes from them, that I bought unsexed.

Lucky you, several members on the boards (myself included) have purchased multiple unsexed juvies from them and ended up with nothing but males.

 

[Minty]

Lucky you, several members on the boards (myself included) have purchased multiple unsexed juvies from them and ended up with nothing but males.

Aye, I remember reading that on here. I posed the question about the rumour, on a FB group and got torn to shreds and TSS owner replied to it saying it was nonsense too.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Hi again tarantula hoomans!!

Well after my fire baptism with a chaco golden knee female tarantula whom I (accidentally and in ignorance with heaps of bad advice from the wrong people - pet store owners) killed (I feel like a monster... ) I feel now more equipped and ready to get another spider. It has to be a docile species though as its for my 5 year old son who will (with supervision) be doing the feeding and watering.
Can anyone please point me in the right direction, where can I get a hold of a very young spider? The aim is not to try and handle it but to feed it, watch it grow and allow my bug loving child to take care of a pet of his choice.
Also, I don't want to break the bank... I'm in the UK near Edinburgh
Thanx folks.

It was cooked haha, petstoerws suck one told me to get lots of pink toes and house then together. I did not !!’n
Buy Ts on here usually cheaper then big volume sellers. I’ll buy from big breeders if they’ve got a hard to find species . Right now I’m broke tho .