Thinking too much about my choice of "my first"

[Hydrazine]

So..The choice of first spider(s) is quite essential, as it has the potential to both encourage and discourage continuation of the hobby/addiction.

Still got some time before I get my first, as the expo is 2 weeks from now, which is perhaps bad.

After making myself sure that I'm really serious about getting a T, I constructed a general idea of what I want. Narrowed it down to an easy, terrestrial New World species with a low tendency to burrow. I don't care much about handling, I want a silent companion on the table to look at, perhaps projecting an internal dialogue on, or just to help me forget about outside world for a while. I want to raise it from a tiny little thing so sling it is. Found a reliable breeder which will be attending the expo but haven't contacted him yet because I wanna be at least 90% sure what I want to get.

Finally I narrowed it down to B.smithi and G.pulchra, as both have similar requirements and long lifespan, even in case of males - but I couldn't decide so I'll get them both.

I don't intend to breed them or make/expand a collection...oh scratch that, I have read Stan's Rant...OKAY, I hope I still have some time before the transformation is complete and I'll join my brothers and sister in the sunken city of R'lyeh...oh wait, wrong setting...AHEM. I hope it'll take a few years before I evolve into a full-fledged arachnomaniac so I'll be able to get things in my life more stable and get more space first.

So I started doing some homework, watching vids on youtube that somehow led me here - and I started lurking, beginning at the pics section, moving to the tarantula chat, questions and others. Read Stan's Rant and couple other things that led me to believe that thinking too much about the care and 'living conditions', overcaring etc is actually even worse for Ts.

Read some more topics on the forum, then more during my sleepless nights, some other Stan's posts and replies to newbies' posts, lurked enough to catch a basic grip on terminologies and abbreviations..

Aaaaand suddenly I'm not so sure anymore. Should I really be getting slings/babies as my first ones? Should I pick another genus/species? What should I get in case the breeder won't have my desired species within the desired age limits? Should I succumb to my urges to get a cute, fluffy arboreal? Should I ignore the fear of teleporting Avics? Why do I inexplicably and irrationally NOT want a Ros(i)e? (and that one dates BEFORE reading the Evil Rose Therapy Group topic), Should I get a fluffier terrestrial like B.albopilosum? OR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT? Is a longlived, slowly growing species really a good starter as a sling or should I get a quick grower like uh...Nhandu or whatever else springs to mind?

IT WAS SO EASY BEFORE I HAD TIME TO THINK. I SHOULD'VE JUST GOTTEN SMITHI AND PULCHRA SLINGS WITHOUT HESITATION.

Sorry for the post being quite erratic, it's over 7 AM and I had another sleepless night(did I mention sleeping problems?) aaaand feeling too hyper because I fell asleep after lunch and woke up in the evening and can't sleep anyway because of the caffeine but most importantly because in two hours I'm departing to Prague for my FCE exam and my head's just buzzing and...

Oh well.

 

[LV-426]

My suggestion for you is to get a T that is about 3+inches because it's past the fragile stage (spiderling).

 

[meghanbe]

I feel your pain. My wish list is a constantly changing thing, as the more I read and research, the more I want. I started out wanting docile NW terrestrials, and six months later I clearly favor arboreals, and docility is no longer a concern. And I have four OW's, where I once thought that was somewhere I wouldn't go.

My advice? If you're interested in an arboreal, get one. Avics don't really "teleport", at least not compared to a pokie or Psalmo. They are totally suitable for a beginner (my second T was an A. versicolor) and will provide more variety than getting a B. smithi and a G. pulchra (which are pretty similar spiders in terms of behavior and care, honestly). I worried about getting an arboreal as a newbie as well, because the reading seemed to suggest that they were more challenging to keep alive and maintain. I haven't found that to be true. Same with raising slings vs. juvies/adults. The first T I bought was an adult, but since then I've only bought slings. My smallest is 0.5". The biggest is about 3". I really enjoy buying babies because you get to see them grow. Molt days are awesome days, and raising slings gives you more of them to enjoy.

Good luck with whatever you decide! I have no doubt that you'll struggle to stop at two.

 

[Hydrazine]

The similarity between the two species is actually the precise reason I chose those two - bigger chance one of them will turn out to be a female and will stay with me for a long time.

Quite firmly still standing on the B, not necessarily smithi though, as the breeder doesn't have to have the desired age. Definitely not the usually foul tempered vagans, temper risk is also a reason why I'd have to think long about boehmei, otherwise one of the most beautiful Bs.

Not as sure about the G.pulchra..maybe...something more fluffy..

Might get an arboreal later, when I gain some experience about slings.

MUST...RESIST...URGE TO GET THREE...

 

[MarkmD]

I agree B,smithi and Avics are good choices I own 1 of both, but I would go for a L,parahybana they grow/molt fast get rather large, eat good and easy to care for, pretty cute to.

Good luck.

 

[Bobafett2k6]

Get one of each?

I like my G. rosea, she's pretty mellow and represents my first foray into the hobby.
I like my A. avic, she's quite a busy spider at times, and does indeed teleport if she gets spooked on the rare occasions she gets handled!

 

[Terry D]

H, The two that you have it narrowed down to seem good choices, especially G pulchra. Another terrestrial you might consider that "sits out lookin' pretty" is Acanthoscurria geniculata. Good luck choosing.

T

 

[macbaffo]

Did you have in the past any other pets, reptiles or amphibians or inverts?
What will you use as live food?
Do you have the space for the terrariums once that the Ts will grow up?

B. smithi and the G. pulchra are indeed similar in terms of humidity and setup. A B. bohemei is already a little different...a Lasiodora sp. Is completely different ( in terms of humidity).
Why did you choose those two species in the first place?

 

[Storm76]

When I started, I got myself a 2.75-3" B. smithi juvie and an approx 3" P. irminia juvie female. The smithi actually burrowed a little and stayed mostly in that hide. However, after her molt I set her tank up anew and ever since then she doesn't burrow at all anymore (not that I wouldn't allow her to, she can do what she likes in there), but she obviously feels totally comfy where she ist (turned out female). She's pretty calm, seldomly kicks hairs even if I want to move her aside (using wooden chopstick or just my tongs as she's somewhat defensive over her waterdish, ).
The Psalmo was another story, but wasn't a big deal either.

Moral of the short story: If you've done your homework and know what you want, then chances are you'll have no problems except getting used to the T. After all, it's not a "usual" pet and their reaction time (even that of a B. smithi) is probably considered "fast" (though once you got more speedy T - that changes! ).

Frankly, I'd suggest juveniles - that gives you the chance to see it grow up some more and you don't have to worry about a "baby" T. Once you feel comfy, you'll probably gonna get some babies anyways, since it's great watching them grow up and it shows you you're doing well with caring for them. Some slings -are- less forgiving than their adult counterparts, though it isn't hard to care for them at all either.

B. boehmei = my sling is very nervous, kicks hairs and sometimes tries to bite outright. Quite quick, too. Up to you if you feel you can deal such T.
B. smithi = quite calm, slightly defensive over waterdish, always out and visible (but petrock stereotype - just be aware of that!)


Here's some suggestions from me for some other T's you could check on:

* Euathlus sp. "red" (sometimes also labeled "fire" or "flame") - extremely docile species that seldomly kick hairs, seemingly never tries to bite (I haven't heard of a SINGLE incident so far) and very curious - "pop lid open, out comes the T" Certainly a great species to start out with, but it's a dwarf T and won't get bigger than 3, maybe 3.5" and takes AGES to grow to that age. Great thing about these is that their care is also extremely easy - with this one a juvie or adult is probably the best idea as they grow extremely slow (have 4 - the biggest couple is 1" after 1 year!)

* Grammostola pulchripes (Chaco Golden Knee) - except for the fact that Grammostolas in general -can- be moody and sometimes go on fasting it's a great T to own! Grows to a decent size (over 6") and generally out and visible 24/7 (at least mine is)

*If you want to try something more out of the ordinary, try what's being sold as Homoeomma sp. "blue" - beautiful blueish coloration, slightly skittish, seldomly if ever kicks hairs, sometimes a bit defensive (so far only experienced that when they were in premolt).

* Another idea that's hard to come by would be Euathlus pulcherrimaklaasi (also being sold as sp. "blue" lately) - 5-6" size max and very colorful - slightly skittish but mostly behaves like the E. sp "red" from what I can tell. Like mentioned before, these are hard to get usually...

* Eupalaestrus campestratus is also generally very docile (as slings/juvies these tend to be somewhat skittish) and grows to decents sizes, seldomly kicks hairs, too. (not sure if the E. tarsicrassicus is also quite docile, but I assume so)


Whatever T's you're gonna decide on, one thing you have to keep in mind is that no matter the species you chose in the end: It can always happen you get one of the oddballs of their species and despite the fact they are "generally" docile, you might happen to get a more defensive one! Don't be worried about that, though - they'll grow on you nevertheless, trust me!


Have fun looking at and chosing your first T's! And post pictures once you have them


Best,
Jan

 

[poisoned]

I think you should get a 3"+ as your first. B. smithi and G. pulchra are great, but they take time to grow. Avic is also great choice for beginner

 

[Hydrazine]

Everyone, YOU'RE NOT MAKING THIS ANY EASIER!! :biggrin:

As for macbaffo's questions: Only vertebrates, two dogs (not at once, one died of old age, then we adopted another one)
Concerning live food, there's a pretty neat shop nearby that offers crickets, mealworms, superworms and roaches in multiple sizes (crickets starting at .5 cm (or .2in for Americans )) both in small quantities and in bulk so I've got a variety available. A logical choice would be to rotate the food to provide variety and/or find out what the Ts like the most. Breeding my own live food wouldn't really be advantageous for just a few Ts. They've also got locusts but I'm not sure what size they are.
and yes, there is enough space for at least 2 terrariums for terrestrials and perhaps another one for arboreals in the corner.

As for my choosing process, as I said: Not very demanding, non skittish species with long lifespan on which I can learn the basics and which would form the core of my future collection, if I get to that point.

Hmmmm...juvies x babies/slings..it's gonna sound strange but I kinda feel I'd be missing out something if I skipped the sling stages and bought juvies, I really wanted to *raise* them, you know..
Oh well, the worst part is that you guys make sense with the juvies :biggrin:

There's also the financial aspect, as far as I can tell, depending on size and being sexed or not, the total price with everything could reach beyond my current capabilities. I can spend money gradually but not bigger sums at once.

GAH. More things to think about.
Thanks, everyone (NOT meant sarcastically )

 

[poisoned]

Hmmmm...juvies x babies/slings..it's gonna sound strange but I kinda feel I'd be missing out something if I skipped the sling stages and bought juvies, I really wanted to *raise* them, you know..
Oh well, the worst part is that you guys make sense with the juvies :biggrin:

There's also the financial aspect, as far as I can tell, depending on size and being sexed or not, the total price with everything could reach beyond my current capabilities. I can spend money gradually but not bigger sums at once.

Get one bigger one and one sling. While slings all really cool to watch, cute and everything, a decently sized tarantula is really impressive in its size. As those species aren't really the fastest growers out there, you might get annoyed with waiting. If you really want only slings, get at least one fast grower.

 

[RockinOutAmber]

I say get a GBB! They're so beautiful and they web like a maniac.

 

[macbaffo]

Just wanted to check if you already thought on the long term. T can be addictive and you can run out of space pretty quickly once they grow.
As for food, don't buy it and give it right away to your Ts but wait always a couple of days. In this way you can check if food is healthy or at least to make sure you don't feed a dying thing to your pet. A bit sort of quarantine.

 

[Hydrazine]

I'm starting to wonder whether I'd be able to pull off a B.smithi juvie, G.pulchra sling annnnd lets say Nhandu or Avic sling
Or some other combination of the spiders aforementioned in the topic - juvie (any growth rate), one fast growing and one slow growing sling.

---------- Post added 10-06-2012 at 03:38 PM ----------

I'm planning not to expand the collection beyond the initial purchase until I find a bigger place to live.
Can take months or perhaps years - which would be another argument for longlived slow growers.

 

[SamuraiSid]

I'm planning not to expand the collection beyond the initial purchase until I find a bigger place to live.
Can take months or perhaps years - which would be another argument for longlived slow growers.

In my humble opinion, Life doesnt give a damn about our plans And secondly, do not enter this hobby thinking about where your gonna be years down the road. Multi-million dollar companies do fine thinking three months in advance:sarcasm:, no need for a simple Tarantula enthusiast worrying about his un-owned T's, five years from now.

1) Unless you have some weird disease, you have all the time in the world to own as many Tarantulas as you want.

2) Everyone who starts this hobby has eyes bigger than their wallets/ T room.

3) Your always going to be updating your wishlist.

 

[macbaffo]

Between a Nhandu and an Avic go for the Avic. At least you get an arboreal...

 

[Hydrazine]

In my humble opinion, Life doesnt give a damn about our plans And secondly, do not enter this hobby thinking about where your gonna be years down the road. Multi-million dollar companies do fine thinking three months in advance:sarcasm:, no need for a simple Tarantula enthusiast worrying about his un-owned T's, five years from now.

1) Unless you have some weird disease, you have all the time in the world to own as many Tarantulas as you want.

2) Everyone who starts this hobby has eyes bigger than their wallets/ T room.

3) Your always going to be updating your wishlist.

I am limited with my resources, especially space, and three spiders seem to be the limit.
If it's really that addicting, maybe I should wait before I start, then.

 

[poisoned]

I am limited with my resources, especially space, and three spiders seem to be the limit.
If it's really that addicting, maybe I should wait before I start, then.

Time and space start to bend when you get arachnophilia.

 

[Bobafett2k6]

Time and space start to bend when you get arachnophilia.

True that.

I had no space when I got my first. Now I have 3 with space for more!