"Starter" Old World Tarantulas

TheMissonary

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
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1
Hello all!
I'm looking to add my first old world to my collection I'm pretty set on starting with c.darlingi or marshali but before I pull the trigger I was hoping to hear from some people who have had old worlds and would just like to hear some alternative starting species for an old world that maybe I haven't considered or heard of yet. I'm excited to add a new world to my collection but I want to start a little slower adding species to my collection rather than grabbing 3-5 specimens like I did with my new world spiders lol.

Thanks!
 
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me and my Ts

Arachnoknight
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Mar 20, 2021
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251
Heterothele sp. was my first old world and one of my favorite Ts but definitely not slow growing
 

cold blood

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My darlingi are all more defensive than my marshalli.



But IMO, E. ezendami is a better choice. They are a really great first OW, while they can be a tad bolty, its a short burst bolt though, and not very defensive at all.

 

kingshockey

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Sep 4, 2017
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p muticus got mine july 2020 a half inch sling and its still under 3 inches molts every few months or so zero worries about any mad dashes up and out once its gotta burrow dug an easy rehouse in my opinion since it comes out ready fight in a threat pose when its dug out to rehouse easy peasy to drop a catch over it in a threat pose. also you wont see it much once its settled
 
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Edan bandoot

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my ceratogyrus brachycephalus is pretty chill, but i started with Ornithoctoninae lol
 
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spideyspinneret78

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Some will disagree with me, but I think that P. murinus can be a great starter OW tarantula. Ease of husbandry, beautiful spider, yes can be defensive but in my opinion this is way overblown. Just make sure you have the right setup, use common sense, and it's unlikely you'll have issues.
 

Craig73

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Jun 2, 2016
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My darlingi are all more defensive than my marshalli.
😳, wonderful. I was for sure the darlingi with it’s slightly curved horn would be more laid back. 🤣.

I’ve enjoyed my darlingi, still small and has three entrances it pops in and out of and webbed the snot out of the enclosure quickly.

Another favorite is H. pulchripes and I. mira.

C. darlingi pattern/color is impressive. This is day one when housed, so no web in the pic.
915689A2-2969-4457-9E84-6ED6EBB161C7.jpeg
 

pongdict

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 2, 2021
Messages
69
Hello all!
I'm looking to add my first old world to my collection I'm pretty set on starting with c.darlingi or marshali but before I pull the trigger I was hoping to hear from some people who have had old worlds and would just like to hear some alternative starting species for an old world that maybe I haven't considered or heard of yet. I'm excited to add a new world to my collection but I want to start a little slower growing an old world collection rather than grabbing 3-5 specimens like I did with my new world spiders lol.

Thanks!
C. darlingi or marshalli are pretty solid choices IMO.
 

QuinnStarr

Arachnosquire
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Oct 4, 2021
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115
Personally, I jumped in headfirst to OW’s with an O philipinus and then a Chilobrachys that I got as a freebie.

An immediate deep dive isn’t for everyone though, which is fair. I hear good things about Ceratogyrus being good starters, though. I have a marshalli sling that’s a little bolty but surprisingly out and about way more than I expected it to be.

and please excuse @Craig73’s god awful puns. 🤣 He’s got that whole “dad joke” thing down pat.

Edit: For a split second, I panicked because I thought I tagged the wrong Craig 🤣
 

magouilles

Arachnoknight
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Apr 10, 2020
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truth is : the tarantula's temperament only depends on the tarantula itself
my baboons are pretty chill while my ceratogyrus darlingi is a nightmare
generally speaking, ceratogyrus, i.mira, e.pachypus, l.violaceopes tend to be less defensive
if you're unsure about getting OWs, maybe start with a psalmopoeus as they can be more challenging than your typical terrestrial docile t
 

Edan bandoot

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truth is : the tarantula's temperament only depends on the tarantula itself
my baboons are pretty chill while my ceratogyrus darlingi is a nightmare
generally speaking, ceratogyrus, i.mira, e.pachypus, l.violaceopes tend to be less defensive
if you're unsure about getting OWs, maybe start with a psalmopoeus as they can be more challenging than your typical terrestrial docile t
Lampropelma tend to not be defensive? Those things are are evil
 

Craig73

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.
and please excuse @Craig73’s god awful puns. 🤣 He’s got that whole “dad joke” thing down pat.
Me, monkey around about baboons, never. Baboons are serious business, especially when it comes down to things that matter most, straight horned or curved. 😁

I‘m pretty light weight on ow, some of the ones members have would terrify me; my status is the kiddie table at this point, lol.
 

Edan bandoot

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Me, monkey around about baboons, never. Baboons are serious business, especially when it comes down to things that matter most, straight horned or curved. 😁

I‘m pretty light weight on ow, some of the ones members have would terrify me; my status is the kiddie table at this point, lol.
aint nothing wrong with not keeping OW, doesnt make you any better or worse of a keeper
 

me and my Ts

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 20, 2021
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251
Personally, I jumped in headfirst to OW’s with an O philipinus and then a Chilobrachys that I got as a freebie.

An immediate deep dive isn’t for everyone though, which is fair. I hear good things about Ceratogyrus being good starters, though. I have a marshalli sling that’s a little bolty but surprisingly out and about way more than I expected it to be.

and please excuse @Craig73’s god awful puns. 🤣 He’s got that whole “dad joke” thing down pat.

Edit: For a split second, I panicked because I thought I tagged the wrong Craig 🤣
Absolutely love my Chilobrachys species and I would definitely recommend them as beginner old world
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
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Jun 2, 2016
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790
aint nothing wrong with not keeping OW, doesnt make you any better or worse of a keeper
With the exception of my one challenging experience with a Poecilotheria I’m finding my comfort level is with ’ground dwelling’ ow’s.
 

Metallattorney

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 24, 2019
Messages
38
I got a marshalli and an a. ezendami at the same time for my first OWs. They have both been pretty easy to deal with, no issues with either one. I have gotten one defensive posture from the ezendami once when I was trying to pull a feeder back out when she was in pre-molt, but no strikes or anything. I have even rehoused them both with no problems.
 

Kibosh

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 6, 2013
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257
My C. darlingi was also a nightmare, only T that would stridulate at the slightest disturbance. Really neat species though and I loved her, even after she managed to get a fang in me.

Echoing a lot of people I. mira, M. Balfouri, A. ezendami, C. marshalli, E. Pachypus are all very hardy great OW though some of those are very hard to find.

For Asian OW pretty much all of the Orphnaecus genus make great starters. They require a lot more moisture than the above baboons, but aren't defensive and in my experience are quite hardy.
 
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Edan bandoot

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My C. darlingi was also a nightmare, only T that would striate at the slightest disturbance. Really neat species though and I loved her, even after she managed to get a fang in me.

Echoing a lot of people I. mira, M. Balfouri, A. ezendami, C. marshalli, E. Pachypus are all very hardy great OW though some of those are very hard to find.

For Asian OW pretty much all of the Orphnaecus genus make great starters. They require a lot more moisture than the above baboons, but aren't defensive and in my experience are quite hardy.
what do they sound like? I've never had any stridulate
 
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