Should I get a juvenile?

[SheldonTheSnail]

I have never owned a tarantula but have wanted one for years. I’m finally ready to get one, but I can’t decide which to get. I have done tons of research and I am pretty sure I want a Curly Hair. I don’t want a female that is going to live 10+ years. I also don’t want an adult male that will only live a year. But I’m not sure I can raise a Male from a sling. Maybe I’m being to picky. What should I do?

 

[cold blood]

Slings are cheap and easier to raise than many may suggest, especially something like an albo. That said, if you arent patient, raising a sling may not be for you and juvie albos are still reasonably priced.

 

[AngelosAnting]

Hi, I am a beginner my self, I keep tarantulas for like 7 months and I had a great time and some bad/sad moments too, when I started I bought 9 slings (2x C. versicolor, 2x N. Chromatus, 2x B. emilia, 2 T. albopilosus and 1x P. sazimai) and I ended up losing both versicolor and both emilias, I would not suggest starting with versicolor like me because they are kinda hard and seem to just die easily, especially in beginner hands (just saying because I mention them). Like you said I would suggest a albo (curly hair tarantula), I believe you can just buy a 2-3cm one to be safe, not too young and fragile and not too big like you said, both mine seem to be more docile and chill and they dont try to attack me or threatpose me usually, yes they kick hairs and threatpose sometimes but this happen rarerly and most of the times only if you go too far like put the tweezers close to them or something. Albos are my favourites so far and I love them a lot, they always eat and never had problems with molting and stuff so I believe its a great choice to begin with.


Here you can see a old photo of one of my albos eating its mealworm peacefully.


And here a later photo after some molts.

 

[SheldonTheSnail]

Thank you for the advice. I think I will get a sling to start.

 

[viper69]

Yes

 

[arthurliuyz]

Personally I would suggest getting a young confirmed female that's about 4-7cm

 

[HooahArmy]

Slings are fun but are not as hardy as juveniles. Because they are young and fragile, they may need more care than those who are at least 1" in leg span, since most slings lack the waxy coating on their bodies that help them keep in moisture. They'll need you to keep an eye on the moisture levels and will require pinhead crickets to eat (a pain to catch) or squashed/cut mealworms. I started off with older slings 1 to 1.5" in leg span when I first started, and then evolved to mini slings when I became more experienced. Having a larger baby will let you see them more frequently without having to break out the magnifying glass. They can also take little dubia roaches, mini mealworms, or mini crickets.

I likewise second the suggested species above, especially the charming and floofy Curly hair (albo). When recommending Ts to beginners, I find that New World's are wonderful starters due to their slower speed and less-nasty bite as compared to Old Worlds. Starting with a 1 or so inch young spider will also help you get accustomed to how a T moves, their speed, and how to work with their urticating hairs as they get older. A 4-7cm female, as mentioned by arthurliuyz, is also a wonderful pick. She will be stunning to see and feed, but not too big as to surprise you too much with her movements. There are plenty of good recommendations and tips all over the web and this forum as well. We all started out as beginners at some point, so feel free to post or scope around here to help you.

 

[me and my Ts]

I would get a juvenile for your first tarantula, they’re more fun to feed and are larger/easier to observe

 

[8leggednights]

I started with 3 tiny slings, but got tired of getting out a magnifying glass & flashlight to see them well. I bought a couple nice juvenile/ sub-adult t albo to keep my enthusiasm up while my slow growing Ts mature. Just saying there isn’t a perfect answer, but for many of us MORE Ts is always a good answer.

 

[Westicles]

Everyone is different about this topic. But, I personally don't enjoy raising slings up. Nothing wrong with it at all, I just prefer a juvenile/sub adult.

 

[WhiteMoss]

I've found raising slings quite enjoyable. Doesn't matter the genus, they all seem to be hardy eaters as slings and you get to see some nice feedings. As they molt you also get to enjoy watching them change to their adult colors. They require a little more attention then their adult counterparts, but as long as you've done your research and are prepared it's not as much as some make it out to be.
No matter what state you buy a T in just do your homework.

 

[cold blood]

Hi, I am a beginner my self, I keep tarantulas for like 7 months and I had a great time and some bad/sad moments too, when I started I bought 9 slings (2x C. versicolor, 2x N. Chromatus, 2x B. emilia, 2 T. albopilosus and 1x P. sazimai) and I ended up losing both versicolor and both emilias, I would not suggest starting with versicolor like me because they are kinda hard and seem to just die easily, especially in beginner hands (just saying because I mention them). Like you said I would suggest a albo (curly hair tarantula), I believe you can just buy a 2-3cm one to be safe, not too young and fragile and not too big like you said, both mine seem to be more docile and chill and they dont try to attack me or threatpose me usually, yes they kick hairs and threatpose sometimes but this happen rarerly and most of the times only if you go too far like put the tweezers close to them or something. Albos are my favourites so far and I love them a lot, they always eat and never had problems with molting and stuff so I believe its a great choice to begin with.

View attachment 425985
Here you can see a old photo of one of my albos eating its mealworm peacefully.

View attachment 425986
And here a later photo after some molts.

judging from your pics, your issue is clear...waaaay too much moisture. Too damp is FAR more detrimental than too dry. And for the record, versicolor are by far the easiest avic type to raise....but too much moisture is even more dangerous with them. Good luck in the future.

 

[Benzen]

If you get a sling, you will probably not see your spood for months...they tend to burrow themselves into the substrate and hide for months...so, for your first time experience it could be a slight disappointment. I would suggest a Juvie, they are resilient and don't necessarily burrow themselves (tho it can happen too). My first T was a juvenile B. Hamorii and i didn't regret it. While it did seal the hide once during premolt, it reappeared 14 days later. Then i got a sling and i haven't seen it for 2 months now. So, i got another Juvenile this time. I would always get a juvenile if i decided to get another T. But it's up to you and what you prefer in the end. Raising a sling can be rewarding, but quite a challenge for a beginner.

 

[cold blood]

If you get a sling, you will probably not see your spood for months...they tend to burrow themselves into the substrate and hide for months...so, for your first time experience it could be a slight disappointment.

Only if you house it in too large of a container. IMO this is the single biggest mistake people make with slings, especially terrestrials. A sling that is allowed to burrow away, eats far less, hides FAR more and grows 4-5 times slower as a result. I have done an experiment with many hundreds of slings at a time, and in every single example of a sling housed in an over sized enclosure the results were the same.

IMG_0472

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

Keep your small terrestrial slings like this.

 

[Benzen]

Only if you house it in too large of a container. IMO this is the single biggest mistake people make with slings, especially terrestrials. A sling that is allowed to burrow away, eats far less, hides FAR more and grows 4-5 times slower as a result. I have done an experiment with many hundreds of slings at a time, and in every single example of a sling housed in an over sized enclosure the results were the same.

IMG_0472

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

Keep your small terrestrial slings like this.

Interesting. Would recommend rehousing my sling (G. Pulchripes) to a smaller enclosure then? Or just let it be?

 

[Smotzer]

Only if you house it in too large of a container. IMO this is the single biggest mistake people make with slings, especially terrestrials. A sling that is allowed to burrow away, eats far less, hides FAR more and grows 4-5 times slower as a result. I have done an experiment with many hundreds of slings at a time, and in every single example of a sling housed in an over sized enclosure the results were the same.

IMG_0472

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

Keep your small terrestrial slings like this.

Whole heartedly agree that this is the biggest beginning mistake and is the perpetrator of a lot of other new beginner issues that don’t have to come with raising slings. Keeping slings isn’t a stressful or hard thing to do or at least doesn’t have to be!

 

[cold blood]

Interesting. Would recommend rehousing my sling (G. Pulchripes) to a smaller enclosure then? Or just let it be?

if its under 1.25", yes, i would personally re house it to something smaller

 

[TheHound]

I started with a juvenile. I wanted to see it grow, but vs a sling a juvenile is hardier and reaches adult size sooner. Seemed a good halfway house for a beginner who wanted to grow a tarantula but have it not take forever for it to get big.

 

[vancwa]

I have never owned a tarantula but have wanted one for years. I’m finally ready to get one, but I can’t decide which to get. I have done tons of research and I am pretty sure I want a Curly Hair. I don’t want a female that is going to live 10+ years. I also don’t want an adult male that will only live a year. But I’m not sure I can raise a Male from a sling. Maybe I’m being to picky. What should I do?

Do not get a tarantula according to what you posted.

 

[AngelosAnting]

judging from your pics, your issue is clear...waaaay too much moisture. Too damp is FAR more detrimental than too dry. And for the record, versicolor are by far the easiest avic type to raise....but too much moisture is even more dangerous with them. Good luck in the future.

Thanks for the tip but I didnt kept my versicolors in a setup like this and I didnt water much, I am afraid that I might overdid it and that the setup might have been too dry, I keep my Tlitlocatls so moist because I am afraid that they will dry out because my room is too dry and summer here is brutal (my room was 30-35C for several days).