New to hobby question!

EnigmaNyx

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Oct 21, 2020
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My wife and I are avid Jumping Spider... ermmm... connoisseurs. They're so darn cute, and trying to save all da bebes is so much fun. Closest thing to cuddly spiders I've found.

I've been doing a lot of research on tarantulas, which is how I ended up here, so that when we get deeply into the hobby I can surround myself with the tarantula big-brains and experts on the forums! A vault of knowledge at our fingertips.

I had the chance to pick up a gorgeous juvy OBT this past weekend, however I backed out at the last second. I've never owned an OW, let alone any T, and wanted to rethink to make sure I'm ready to take care of something with the reputation of the orange biteyboi.

There are several NW T's I want first, however which NW T's would be good "practice" before stepping into the OW realm and getting baboons, cobalts, and goodie's?
 

DomGom TheFather

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Good move.
Obt's are not the devils people make them out to be but i wouldn't recommend them unless you have some experience and are very comfortable around quicker tarantulas.
Start with something easier and build your confidence.

Grammostolas and T. Albos to gbb, lp's and A. geniculata.
If you have no problem with these, I would say move up.
Just know what you can handle and where your comfort level is.
Have fun,
Be safe.
 
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EnigmaNyx

Arachnoknight
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Oct 21, 2020
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273
Good move.
Obt's are not the devils people make them out to be but i wouldn't recommend them unless you have some experience and are very comfortable around quicker tarantulas.
Start with something easier and build your confidence.

Grammostolas and T. Albos to gbb, lp's and A. geniculata.
If you have no problem with these, I would say move up.
Just know what you can handle and where your comfort level is.
Have fun,
Be safe.
Thank you for the quick response! I will definitely look into those that you have listed. I've heard mixed things on OBTs, i figured it was just a similar debate to pitbulls in the dog community.They can't all be nasty little things, although I can definitely understand statistics!

For our first 3 T's we were thinking:
Aphonopelma chalcodes
Dolichothele diamantinensis
Brachypelma hamorii

Once we get a handle on the care and routine, then we'll expand.
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
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There are several NW T's I want first, however which NW T's would be good "practice" before stepping into the OW realm and getting baboons, cobalts, and goodie's?
Welcome! I started out with jumpers, too. It's a pretty easy transition, imo, but obvs there are differences.

I would recommend that you start out with a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Green Bottle Blue), tbh. Not only are they gorgeous, they are strong webbers, feisty, have a good feeding response, and are fast. They are also hardy and easy to care for. A lot of new keepers will start out with this species, even without the experience you already have with jumpers, and do well. I think this would be a good species for you to springboard into OW if you want to do that sooner.

I'd say after getting a few rehousings under your belt with a GBB, it would be reasonable to consider where you're at with your experience and see if you feel comfortable moving into OW or if you want more time.


For our first 3 T's we were thinking:
Aphonopelma chalcodes
Dolichothele diamantinensis
Brachypelma hamorii

Once we get a handle on the care and routine, then we'll expand.
Those are all great first Ts! The DD acts a lot like a GBB, but small. I think that will be most like the OW that you're looking at, speed and behavior-wise.
 

EnigmaNyx

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I would recommend that you start out with a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Green Bottle Blue), tbh. Not only are they gorgeous, they are strong webbers, feisty, have a good feeding response, and are fast. They are also hardy and easy to care for. A lot of new keepers will start out with this species, even without the experience you already have with jumpers, and do well. I think this would be a good species for you to springboard into OW if you want to do that sooner.
A friend of my wife said the same thing, I just didn't take her at her word because she ONLY owns the GBB lol. They are beautiful, which is what originally got my eyes set on the DD.

I appreciate the info! I've been hooked on Dark Den and T Collective now for almost a year and figured it's about time I actually started owning them lol.
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
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A friend of my wife said the same thing, I just didn't take her at her word because she ONLY owns the GBB lol. They are beautiful, which is what originally got my eyes set on the DD.

I appreciate the info! I've been hooked on Dark Den and T Collective now for almost a year and figured it's about time I actually started owning them lol.
I, as an owner of 81 spiders that include 75 tarantulas, do heartily second that recommendation for a GBB XD

The Dolichothele diamantinensis is a cool spider, though. Mine is deffo male, has been holed up for MONTHS in a cork tube and will not eat or mature. I don't know why he's biding his time, but he apparently has plans that are utterly inscrutable. Perhaps he committed a crime and is laying low 'til the fuzz stop looking for him.

In any case, I believe that GBB are generally more visible, which would be the only reason I'd recommend one over the DD. A DD sling is probably about the same price or more expensive, too.

My GBB is a sling, and honestly, one of the most fun tarantulas I have.
 

EnigmaNyx

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The Dolichothele diamantinensis is a cool spider, though. Mine is deffo male, has been holed up for MONTHS in a cork tube and will not eat or mature. I don't know why he's biding his time, but he apparently has plans that are utterly inscrutable. Perhaps he committed a crime and is laying low 'til the fuzz stop looking for him.
He sounds like a ham... if only we could find out what they were thinkin lol.

I may just jump straight for the GBB, or maybe just get it in the batch as the 4th, having a bigboi and tinyboi right next to each other lol.

I have to ask, out of curiousity, what are the other 6 non T's in your collection? If you want to add 50+ phid audax slings to the mix let me know, our girly just popped yesterday.
 

Matt Man

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as a person who started in the hobby with an OBT I wouldn't recommend it. (it was a rescue) I got through it, but it was a steep and nervy learning curve. So it can be done, but just because it can be, doesn't
mean it should be. You have had lots of great advice here. A Chalcodes are great and since they are fairly close to you, will be a cheap in into the hobby. You should be able to get an adult or near adult for the price of a GBB Sling. B Hamorii is also a great choice and another great intro to the hobby, so are B Emilias. But if you have the coin, how can you say no to a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens? They are awesome Ts DateNight.jpg
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
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He sounds like a ham... if only we could find out what they were thinkin lol.

I may just jump straight for the GBB, or maybe just get it in the batch as the 4th, having a bigboi and tinyboi right next to each other lol.

I have to ask, out of curiousity, what are the other 6 non T's in your collection? If you want to add 50+ phid audax slings to the mix let me know, our girly just popped yesterday.
Actually I've been missing having jumpers. I haven't had one in a while.

I have the following true spiders currently and hope to pick up another wolf spider and jumper soon:

0.1.0 Kukulcania arizonica (Arizona Black Hole Spider)
0.1.0 Kukulcania hibernalis (Southern House Spider)
0.0.2 Heteropoda davidbowie
0.0.1 Eresus walckenaeri
0.0.1 Liphistius yangae
 

coolnweird

Arachnobaron
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Anything a bit faster or a bit more defensive will help you prep for old worlds. Once you get the basic care down with beginner species, I'd look into the genera Phormictopus, Psalmopoeus, Nhandu, Pamphobeteus, and Tapinauchenius. They're all a step or two up from most starter species, but still NW so you can get used to them without risking OW venom just yet!
 

EnigmaNyx

Arachnoknight
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Messages
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as a person who started in the hobby with an OBT I wouldn't recommend it. (it was a rescue) I got through it, but it was a steep and nervy learning curve. So it can be done, but just because it can be, doesn't
mean it should be. You have had lots of great advice here. A Chalcodes are great and since they are fairly close to you, will be a cheap in into the hobby. You should be able to get an adult or near adult for the price of a GBB Sling. B Hamorii is also a great choice and another great intro to the hobby, so are B Emilias. But if you have the coin, how can you say no to a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens? They are awesome Ts
Super informative! You may have had the steep learning curve and nervousness, but because you endured it you're able to help others out before they get themselves too deep. For that, I applaud you!

Those are gorgeous T's! I have to ask, and again, haven't owned a T and I know what I'm about to say has been a hot topic in the community, but a large part of why I wanted to own a DD was because it was like a mini, less potent GBB, which could theoretically prove to be a T that I could hold (VERY RARELY) but given the chance have the ability to do so. Don't get me wrong, I do NOT plan on carrying the thing on my shoulder everyday, but I did want to have the small guy so that I could teach my son about spiders while he's still young. He loves holding our jumping spiders, but these would get progressively and substantially bigger than jumping spiders and give him the opportunity to learn and respect them.

Please don't flog me for bringing up T handling!
 

DomGom TheFather

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Stick to holding jumpers.
A bite from a larger spider or watching one die from a fall will ruin it for your boy.
 

Matt Man

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Super informative! You may have had the steep learning curve and nervousness, but because you endured it you're able to help others out before they get themselves too deep. For that, I applaud you!

Those are gorgeous T's! I have to ask, and again, haven't owned a T and I know what I'm about to say has been a hot topic in the community, but a large part of why I wanted to own a DD was because it was like a mini, less potent GBB, which could theoretically prove to be a T that I could hold (VERY RARELY) but given the chance have the ability to do so. Don't get me wrong, I do NOT plan on carrying the thing on my shoulder everyday, but I did want to have the small guy so that I could teach my son about spiders while he's still young. He loves holding our jumping spiders, but these would get progressively and substantially bigger than jumping spiders and give him the opportunity to learn and respect them.

Please don't flog me for bringing up T handling!
I won't judge. In my experience A Chalcodes can be handled, so if that is what you want to do (your choice). ALWAYS check Ts mood with a paintbrush before attempting any sort of handling. Even a docile T will have moments when they aren't in the mood. We never handle(d) our GBBs (bachelor #1 has left us)
 

EnigmaNyx

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Actually I've been missing having jumpers. I haven't had one in a while.
I'll post pics of the brood when I get home, they're still all in the nest outside the sac, just little black beads.

0.0.1 Liphistius yangae
ooooooooooooo this is on my list. so freakin cool. or the brazilian jewel, i've always been curious about the arborreal aspect with a trapdoor spood.

Stick to holding jumpers.
A bite from a larger spider or watching one die from a fall will ruin it for your boy.
It would definitely pose a significant challenge to restore his level of comfort. For the time being it was just going to be me holding them, until he gets older and more coordinated. A bite from a DD, while still painful I'd assume, would not make me as nervous to hold as a GBB lol.

I will definitely keep this in mind though. I know it's highly debated in the hobby.
 

Matt Man

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the Dolichothele diamantinensis are pretty speedy so I would think attempting to handle would be unadvisable.
 

DomGom TheFather

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I'm not flogging but please don't handle.
It is always your choice but the risk to the spider is of real concern.
One little tumble for a larger spider and you are going to be on here asking about cornstarch.
Kids can learn a lot without picking them up and "hands off" should really be one of the first things they learn.

spiders don't even like you, anyway.

Sorry, I had to say it.
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
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I have two Dolichothele diamantinensis slings, tend to make a hide and stay out of the lime light until feeding time, great hunters. If you want cute, the T albo fits the bill. I just got one as a freebie and quickly becoming one of my favorites.

I have a few dwarf/small species as well. Only draw back is they are super tiny as slings and can be stressful if you‘re new to T’s.

But yeah, there are a lot of options for amazing docile T’s and you don’t have to break the bank on; a $20 T can be just as amazing as a $200+ T. The fun part for me is setting up the enclosure and getting to watch them doing tarantula things; sometimes it’s digging a burrow and moving dirt around, webbing, feeding, or doing absolutely nothing.
 
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EnigmaNyx

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I have two Dolichothele diamantinensis slings, tend to make a hide and stay out of the lime light until feeding time, great hunters. If you want cute, the T albo fits the bill. I just got one as a freebie and quickly becoming one of my favorites.

I have a few dwarf/small species as well. Only draw back is they are super tiny as slings and can be stressful if you‘re new to T’s.

But yeah, there are a lot of options for amazing docile T’s and you don’t have to break the bank on; a $20 T can be just as amazing as a $200+ T. The fun part for me is setting up the enclosure and getting to watch them doing tarantula things; sometimes it’s digging a burrow and moving dirt around, webbing, feeding, or doing absolutely nothing.

That is seriously exactly what I'm so excited for. As a kid, I loved making diaramas, and no I'll get to make it for a little crawly T. That's also why I looked at the Brazilian Black, because they said it enjoys struttin it's stuff. I have an image in my mind of a catwalk spider lol.
 

Matt Man

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I have two Dolichothele diamantinensis slings, tend to make a hide and stay out of the lime light until feeding time, great hunters. If you want cute, the T albo fits the bill. I just got one as a freebie and quickly becoming one of my favorites.
I concur, T Albo are kind of sleepers that quickly become adored. Mine is a total goof.
 
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