The difference between a newb and a NEWB.

[Shell]

Research never made me confident. I mean, how can you develop confidence by reading some words or watching some videos? Confidence builds up from experience.. But one must be knowledgable before beginning to attempt to gain experience.

I agree with you here. I did alot of research and was still second guessing getting a T. Being arachnophobic I was second guessing if I would even be able to change its water or pick boluses. I knew I made the right choice species wise for me, so I just bit the bullet and brought her home. Im so glad I did as my confidence is really building every day, Im not scared of her anymore and Im able to do all her maintanence and care no problem.

As I posted earlier I know I am nowhere near ready for any OW, I am going slowly my next 2 will be a smithi and a versi and eventually a GBB But the fact that I now have a "wish list" tells me my confidence is growing as I was convinced I would only have the 1.

 

[Stopdroproll]

I agree with you here. I did alot of research and was still second guessing getting a T. Being arachnophobic I was second guessing if I would even be able to change its water or pick boluses. I knew I made the right choice species wise for me, so I just bit the bullet and brought her home. Im so glad I did as my confidence is really building every day, Im not scared of her anymore and Im able to do all her maintanence and care no problem.

As I posted earlier I know I am nowhere near ready for any OW, I am going slowly my next 2 will be a smithi and a versi and eventually a GBB But the fact that I now have a "wish list" tells me my confidence is growing as I was convinced I would only have the 1.

I was convinced I would only get 1, but now I want more, looking at genic, gbb, and irminia next. Just have to make sure I can find the proper enclosure for the arboreal.

 

[dantediss]

I agree with xhedx but i think instead of confidence it should be knowledge and understanding..nothing prepares for the real thing except THE REAL THING but a bit of knowledge goes a long way

 

[xhexdx]

That's why you start with the 'beginner tarantulas' and work your way up.

 

[paul fleming]

That's why you start with the 'beginner tarantulas' and work your way up.

How can a rosea get you ready for a pokie or S.cal ?
I remember,many moons ago,some "expert" telling me the best snake to start off with was a corn snake.The worst advice I have ever been given.
Got shot of the (boring) corn and got a few bci's and a macklots........never looked back.
I did keep the corn for all of a week mind so I probably did get a bit of experience with that though
research + confidence = happy days

 

[Mack&Cass]

When Mackenzie and I moved in together, his collection consisted of a rosea and an albo....
and a P. fasciata, H. mac and lividum

So I was kind of just thrown into it. With that being said, I was partial to the albo and consider him to be my first T. He was the first one I fed, and handled, and saw molt.

This whole debate is so different for me because I never had a choice as to what I wanted to start with and work my way up to. I do agree with Bill on this topic, as I would never recommend anything but an albo (but I'm biased ) as a first T, but I don't really have the 'newb' experience like others do to be making a call like that. There are people out there who have had an H. mac as their first T, but if someone is getting a T to get over a fear of spiders, like many people on these boards did, then perhaps something that won't bolt up the tweezers and go down your shirt is a good idea....like an albo :}

And since we're on opinions, I think it's a shame that a lot of people are using the internet for this kind of thing (ie what's the best beginner). The best thing to do before buying a T, IMO, is buying a book and reading about it first. The way to streamline a site like this, isn't to have stickies about where to go to find out information that you can find just as easily in a book (I'm not knocking your thread Joe, I think it's great, but I don't think it should have to come to that). Now we just have a lot of threads with people asking common questions, and a lot of posts with people saying "use the search function" and it just clutters things. I really think that this problem could be taken under control by people just taking a few hours and reading a book a book about T's. If you really are serious about getting a T, and you're willing to join a forum and everything, then finding a book shouldn't be a problem. There are several good ones out there. Most pet stores (in Canada, anyway) sell a good T book, Tarantulas and Other Arachnids, and this book, along with the TKG have enough info to enable a 'newb' to come to a conclusion about what T they should get first.

That is all

Cassandra

 

[Fran]

I agree with JimM here, and may I add,the starter post is probably the best one he has posted in a good month .

In theory,For a responsable adult, witha brain in his head, it should be ok to get a pokie or almost any spider because theres no need to handle and fool around with the spider,and becaue you expect from him to have done his extensive research and to be fully aware of what he has in his tank...Then little by little get his experience...But in the practice, this doesnt ocurr this way.
So its definately a bad idea.

The problem is that people will still do whatever they want, bites will still ocurring, problems will still arise. Till a lil kid gets bitten and the worst happen,then we will have our banns and life will still follow its curse of stupidity.

 

[Fran]

And since we're on opinions, I think it's a shame that a lot of people are using the internet for this kind of thing (ie what's the best beginner). The best thing to do before buying a T, IMO, is buying a book and reading about it first. The way to streamline a site like this, isn't to have stickies about where to go to find out information that you can find just as easily in a book (I'm not knocking your thread Joe, I think it's great, but I don't think it should have to come to that). Now we just have a lot of threads with people asking common questions, and a lot of posts with people saying "use the search function" and it just clutters things. I really think that this problem could be taken under control by people just taking a few hours and reading a book a book about T's. If you really are serious about getting a T, and you're willing to join a forum and everything, then finding a book shouldn't be a problem. There are several good ones out there. Most pet stores (in Canada, anyway) sell a good T book, Tarantulas and Other Arachnids, and this book, along with the TKG have enough info to enable a 'newb' to come to a conclusion about what T they should get first.

That is all

Cassandra

It should be that easy, right? But if people get in here and ask those questions when they are at the tip of a "click" dont expect from them to go read a book

 

[Mack&Cass]

It should be that easy, right? But if people get in here and ask those questions when they are at the tip of a "click" dont expect from them to go read a book

A girl can dream...I don't know, I was just always brought up with the whole "do research before buying" thing, and for the longest time on these boards, the same questions coming up all the time didn't bother me, and now they're starting to, especially when some of us did do our research beforehand, yes I read the books after I had T's but as stated previously I was thrown into the whole thing and I honestly wasn't expecting to get into them and I did read a book about them before I made my own first order...I realize that everyone has to start somewhere, but it wouldn't kill you to buy a book. Maybe I think this because the importance of books was pretty much beaten into me when I was in high school. Who knows. Maybe I'm just crazy for thinking that someone should buy a book and read up on an animal they're going to buy and possibly have for quite a long time.

Cass

 

[maitre]

A girl can dream...I don't know, I was just always brought up with the whole "do research before buying" thing, and for the longest time on these boards, the same questions coming up all the time didn't bother me, and now they're starting to, especially when some of us did do our research beforehand, yes I read the books after I had T's but as stated previously I was thrown into the whole thing and I honestly wasn't expecting to get into them and I did read a book about them before I made my own first order...I realize that everyone has to start somewhere, but it wouldn't kill you to buy a book. Maybe I think this because the importance of books was pretty much beaten into me when I was in high school. Who knows. Maybe I'm just crazy for thinking that someone should buy a book and read up on an animal they're going to buy and possibly have for quite a long time.

Cass

The worst are the noobs who come in here and say "I want/got this but don't know anything about them and haven't even tried to look up information. Do all the work for me and give me information so I don't have to find it myself."

 

[Ariel]

I started with books, I never found the TKG, books on tarantulas are really hard to come by here for some reason, but I search and searched until I found two books which I read and re-read before buying my first T. I didn't even join this site until after my second tarantula, though it'd come up several times during my initial research for both my first and second T.

 

[pouchedrat]

I agree with OP's post. While I do still consider myself very much a noob with T's, I've been keeping all kinds of exotics for many years, and find the T's to be probably one of the easiest creatures I've ever kept.

I still did research to figure out what kind of T to start with, and went with a CB sling from a dealer, a chaco golden knee. So yeah, if you already come in with a background in strange exotic animals, and know what to expect and such, it is different from a person who saw a rosehair in the LPS and brought it home on a whim, or something.

It's the same with any exotic forum, though, you get the same exact posts over and over again asking the same questions. I think I'm guilty of it, and I even use the search button on a daily basis..

 

[xhexdx]

A girl can dream...I don't know, I was just always brought up with the whole "do research before buying" thing, and for the longest time on these boards, the same questions coming up all the time didn't bother me, and now they're starting to, especially when some of us did do our research beforehand, yes I read the books after I had T's but as stated previously I was thrown into the whole thing and I honestly wasn't expecting to get into them and I did read a book about them before I made my own first order...I realize that everyone has to start somewhere, but it wouldn't kill you to buy a book. Maybe I think this because the importance of books was pretty much beaten into me when I was in high school. Who knows. Maybe I'm just crazy for thinking that someone should buy a book and read up on an animal they're going to buy and possibly have for quite a long time.

Cass

I went to a show several months ago with a friend of mine and his fiancee. They decided spur-of-the-moment to buy a flying squirrel. Dropped over $200 on it and the supplies. I told them not to, that they wouldn't like it, and I also recommended if they did get a flying rodent, to get a sugar glider instead (yes, I know they're marsupials, not rodents).

They didn't listen. Now the poor squirrel sits in the cage in a corner of the bedroom and is ignored.

 

[Shell]

And since we're on opinions, I think it's a shame that a lot of people are using the internet for this kind of thing (ie what's the best beginner). The best thing to do before buying a T, IMO, is buying a book and reading about it first. The way to streamline a site like this, isn't to have stickies about where to go to find out information that you can find just as easily in a book (I'm not knocking your thread Joe, I think it's great, but I don't think it should have to come to that). Now we just have a lot of threads with people asking common questions, and a lot of posts with people saying "use the search function" and it just clutters things. I really think that this problem could be taken under control by people just taking a few hours and reading a book a book about T's. If you really are serious about getting a T, and you're willing to join a forum and everything, then finding a book shouldn't be a problem. There are several good ones out there. Most pet stores (in Canada, anyway) sell a good T book, Tarantulas and Other Arachnids, and this book, along with the TKG have enough info to enable a 'newb' to come to a conclusion about what T they should get first.

That is all

Cassandra

Agreed I read a few books BEFORE coming on here and searching and reading and finally posting to get some opinions on the species I was wanting to get. For me, posting was more about hearing first hand stories of keeping this species. I had already done alot of reading. Although I did have a heck of a time finding care sheets for the G.pulchripes, so this forum was awesome to help me with my "last minute" questions before we brought her home

 

[JimM]

I agree with JimM here, and may I add,the starter post is probably the best one he has posted in a good month .

I do love you Fran.
:razz:

 

[maitre]

I went to a show several months ago with a friend of mine and his fiancee. They decided spur-of-the-moment to buy a flying squirrel. Dropped over $200 on it and the supplies. I told them not to, that they wouldn't like it, and I also recommended if they did get a flying rodent, to get a sugar glider instead (yes, I know they're marsupials, not rodents).

They didn't listen. Now the poor squirrel sits in the cage in a corner of the bedroom and is ignored.

Even sugar gliders are a handful. They take a lot of time and effort to socialize before they are even remotely 'handle-able.' And during this time, they are usually super bitey and mean! I've considered a sugar glider but ended up not getting one because they just seemed too mean.

 

[gambite]

Good thread, though I think the use of "newb" vs. "NEWB" is a little weird.

 

[pouchedrat]

Sugar gliders aren't that great except for the right person. I had two, I did the research and everything. Never bonded. I think I should have researched glider breeders better, instead.

I'm a rodent person through and through though, and probably would have been better with a flying squirrel. One rescue group used to call me the "rat whisperer" and there was a reason for that, I can turn any nasty and aggressive rodent into a sweetheart, and have had my fair share of "weird" exotic rodents. I guess what I mean to say is, different pets work for different people. Like how there's dog people, cat people, and people who hate both heh.

If you go the book route, you really need to get more than one and the most up to date ones you can find. I HAVE a T book that I've had since I was a kid (yeah didn't have tarantulas, but I collected pet care books even as a kid). The book is severely out of date, and many photos in it show T's on gravel. It was probably the best one back then who knows? it's 20 or so years old.

 

[maitre]

Sugar gliders aren't that great except for the right person. I had two, I did the research and everything. Never bonded. I think I should have researched glider breeders better, instead.

I'm a rodent person through and through though, and probably would have been better with a flying squirrel. One rescue group used to call me the "rat whisperer" and there was a reason for that, I can turn any nasty and aggressive rodent into a sweetheart, and have had my fair share of "weird" exotic rodents. I guess what I mean to say is, different pets work for different people. Like how there's dog people, cat people, and people who hate both heh.

If you go the book route, you really need to get more than one and the most up to date ones you can find. I HAVE a T book that I've had since I was a kid (yeah didn't have tarantulas, but I collected pet care books even as a kid). The book is severely out of date, and many photos in it show T's on gravel. It was probably the best one back then who knows? it's 20 or so years old.

I'm planning on purchasing a hedgehog this weekend or next and though they need socialization as well, they seem so much friendlier! Wish me the best ^__^

 

[Shell]

I'm planning on purchasing a hedgehog this weekend or next and though they need socialization as well, they seem so much friendlier! Wish me the best ^__^

They are quite friendly, but you're right they do need socialization. Typically though they aren't bitey, they will hiss and ball up instead. Good luck