The best thing about keeping T's is...

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I like that once you have a decent sized collection, even if it is small by 'serious' hobbyist standards, there is always something going on in the tarantula room. Even if none of the tarantulas NEED anything or there's nothing that needs to be done, there's always something fun to see when you take a look.

Personally, I have trouble really being able to relax after a stressful day at work. Working with the tarantulas is the perfect level of interaction while still being able to give myself downtime... I just crack a beer, put some music on, and spend a couple hours enjoying myself without trying. It's one of the few activities where I really get to give myself a break from the day to day stress and trouble of regular ole life.

Outside of time spent actively engaging in the hobby, keeping tarantulas is my favorite way to limit my conversations with people I don't particularly enjoy. It really is an easy way to weed out the boring/fussy folks at parties or gatherings. And once I've hit my limit on socialization, well, back to the office I go for some much-needed 'therapy'. Ha!

This is going to sound sappy, but most of all, the best thing about keeping tarantulas is how it has changed the way I interact with the world around me. I was never a spider killer, so to speak, but I did carry the typical anxiety surrounding loxosceles and latrodectus... not anymore! Keeping tarantulas was the catalyst that reignited my love for invertebrates of all kinds, and I am just so much happier, in general, without the misinformation-based fear surrounding so many of these awesome animals.

 

More seriously, if I was to say the best thing... it's probably the opportunity to learn and expand in any direction depending on level of interest.

From husbandry you can branch off into bioactive setups, which often leads into learning about the clean-up crews and plants. You can take a turn and get into the breeding aspects and the seasonal triggers and attempts to replicate them. Going form your basic "pet rock" and expanding into funkier species with differing requirements. You can delve into taxonomy, photography and just hiking/travelling to their native habitats. Hell, being able to teach others the reality vs the bogeyman fantasy of tarantulas is something in of itself, even if it's helping others expand their point of view and knowledge.

There's a lot of things to keep one active or that can otherwise lead into other hobbies, finances and time allowing of course depending on one's interest. It can be as simple as owning an individual and caring for it, to something more expansive and mentally stimulating. There are other pets like this, but it's nice our cherished "eight-legged freaks" can offer so much for the low, low price of a few crickets/dubias.

 

Definitely the fascination of studying everything there possibly is to know about it. And then again. And again with the next species. Ooo how about an arboreal this time? Lol.

 

Don’t smell, require little food.

 

I enjoy the anticipation of raising and producing offspring. And as sick as this sounds the risk and reward involved is the kicker for me. If it dies, it dies, if she eats a sac, she eats it. Best not to try to get overly involved in expectations and manipulating nature. The spiders know what they are doing and I've gotten my best results just maintaining a balanced environment and watching from a distance.

 

That i dont have to call the exterminator to get the cochroachers away from my wall!

 

You can go about at your own pace and you get to appreciate every little moment with these amazing creatures. Every molt, every feeding, heck every grooming session is special. Whether you're enjoying yourself with the basic Brachypelma and Grammostola (like me ) or that you're all over the Poecilotheria or Pterinochilus species, there is something unique about each and every one of them. You're given a glimpse into their secret lives, something that only a small handful of people would attempt. I was never arachnophobic to begin with, but keeping tarantulas has not only brought forth a newfound appreciation of spiders in general, but it has also provided me with a healthy dose of respect.

If I can take a house spider and release it outside, I will. Just so it can continue helping out to control the harmful insect populations. No really, getting into keeping tarantulas has probably been the best decision of my life. I have zero regrets for it. They ask so little yet give so much in return. It's also a great conversation piece when people drop by and it's simply therapeutic to simply sit by and gawk at their individual beauty, even if they remain motionless for hours on end.