Third Sling

Darkskies

Arachnopeon
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Sep 11, 2016
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Hi,

I'm a completely newbie T owner. I picked up 2 slings at the White Plains reptile expo back in September. One is a B. albopilosum and the other is a Euathlus sp. red. There will be another White Plains reptile expo towards the end of November and I was wondering if there's a third species of Tarantula that would be a good choice to pick up. I'm an arachnophobe and would only want docile species. I only want to buy a sling and I was wondering if there was a species that grows at a slow to moderate speed(faster than albo or euathlus sp red) but is also very docile once it's an adult. Any suggestions? I was thinking about a eupalaestrus campestratus or a Grammastola pulchripes. However, I don't like how big a size the pulchripes can get to and I've also heard that they can be moody and become defensive or bite unexpectedly. Mind you, I would never handle any of my Ts.
 

Moonohol

Two Legged Freak
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Aug 8, 2016
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Grammostola pulchra is almost exactly what you're looking for. They are notoriously slow growers, very curious/docile like E. sp. red, have a great feeding response for Grammostola, and they are drop-dead gorgeous once they get their adult colors. Only down side is that they can get pretty big, much like the G. pulchripes.
 

CyclingSam

Arachnoknight
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May 22, 2016
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Take a look at the B. emilia. I love their colors and patterns. They don't get as big as others either.
 

cold blood

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Grammostola pulchra is almost exactly what you're looking for. They are notoriously slow growers, very curious/docile like E. sp. red, have a great feeding response for Grammostola, and they are drop-dead gorgeous once they get their adult colors. Only down side is that they can get pretty big, much like the G. pulchripes.
Pulchripes is noticeably larger than pulchra.

I agree pulchra would be a great choice, as would the E. camp. You probably won't find one, but if you do...T. cyaneolum is really really what you are looking for....the single most chill spider I've ever been around, and theyre gorgeous.....terrible pic, but....
 

Haemus

Arachnosquire
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Feb 11, 2016
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Can't go wrong with a G. pulchra, but don't sleep on the G. pulchipes! My G. pulchripes are very slow and timid, unless food is involved...then they move like lightning lol
 
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Andrea82

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E.campestratus is a very good option, I would try to get a juvi or adult though, as they grow really slow. Mine is the slowest most calm of all my tarantula, I've only seen her kicking hairs once, at a locust which scared her by jumping on her.
Be aware though, even if you have a mellow spider, they are still wild animals and can show unexpected behaviour. Always work with tools in the enclosure, don't feed them with your hands.
 

johnny quango

Arachnoknight
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May 17, 2013
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If the op wants something that grows faster than a B albopilosum and an E sp red then i don't see how G pulchra is the one in my experience (i own all 3 species mentioned) the albo is by far the fastest grower of the 3 the pulchra may grow faster than the E sp red. G pulchra is known for fasting for long periods sometimes a year or more (mine as recorded almost 10 months). As @cold blood as suggested Thrixopelma cyaneolum meet the criteria as would all Thrixopelma apart from ockerti as they can be skittish and a little less docile than the others Thrixopelma lagunas is another faster growing species but like the T cyaneolum can be harder to find.
Lastly don't discount the G pulchripes they are an amazing tarantula with a great appetite and a faster growth rate than albo and a side note not all tarantulas hit the size given
@Darkskies why not look into dwarf species if size is a concern something like Euathlus parvula but get a juvenile it'll only be around 1" dls at that point
 
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Darkskies

Arachnopeon
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Sep 11, 2016
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If the op wants something that grows faster than a B albopilosum and an E sp red then i don't see how G pulchra is the one in my experience (i own all 3 species mentioned) the albo is by far the fastest grower of the 3 the pulchra may grow faster than the E sp red. G pulchra is known for fasting for long periods sometimes a year or more (mine as recorded almost 10 months). As @cold blood as suggested Thrixopelma cyaneolum meet the criteria as would all Thrixopelma apart from ockerti as they can be skittish and a little less docile than the others Thrixopelma lagunas is another faster growing species but like the T cyaneolum can be harder to find.
Lastly don't discount the G pulchripes they are an amazing tarantula with a great appetite and a faster growth rate than albo and a side note not all tarantulas hit the size given
@Darkskies why not look into dwarf species if size is a concern something like Euathlus parvula but get a juvenile it'll only be around 1" dls at that point
Thanks to everyone for replying. I tried looking up more information regarding the T. cyanoleum and the Thrixopelma genus in general but I couldn't find much out there. Could you fill me in on how these Ts act? How big does the cyanoleum grow to and roughly how quickly? I'm not entirely opposed to the G. pulchripes, I just worry that I'll freak out at how big it can grow and how menacing it might look(I'm still in the arachnophobia stage). Also, I've never even been stung by a wasp in the past so the thought of being bitten by a tarantula with nearly 1 inch fangs does not sound appealing to me at all. Like I said, I would never handle the Ts but what if it got out somehow and was loose in my room? I know I'm probably being too nervous and paranoid..
 

johnny quango

Arachnoknight
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Thanks to everyone for replying. I tried looking up more information regarding the T. cyanoleum and the Thrixopelma genus in general but I couldn't find much out there. Could you fill me in on how these Ts act? How big does the cyanoleum grow to and roughly how quickly? I'm not entirely opposed to the G. pulchripes, I just worry that I'll freak out at how big it can grow and how menacing it might look(I'm still in the arachnophobia stage). Also, I've never even been stung by a wasp in the past so the thought of being bitten by a tarantula with nearly 1 inch fangs does not sound appealing to me at all. Like I said, I would never handle the Ts but what if it got out somehow and was loose in my room? I know I'm probably being too nervous and paranoid..
I kind of understand some of the nerves thats natural for any new keeper and i suppose because you have a phobia they will be a little more intense but there is pretty much nothing to fear.
With regards to T cyaneolum i keep my adult female just like i do my adult female E sp red dry substrate a fake plant an hide and most importantly a water dish it doesn't require any special care as for growth rates i don't know with this species as i bought her as an adult maybe @cold blood can shed some light on this. As for other Thrixopelma i have another 3 species lagunas, pruriens and sp cajamarca. I have a cajamarca adult female and a sling I'm hoping is male the sling as gone from 1cm dls to around 1.5" in less than a year thats about the same as my B smithi in 2 years so the growth rate is medium ish. My little pruriens is about 1/4" it's double the size it was so I'm waiting on the growth rate of this species myself. However my T lagunas is around 3.5" in just over a year and is very aggressive with food but apart from 1 threat pose it's pretty chilled out.
As cold blood stated T cyaneolum is really tolerant and super chilled out and i would say that my sp cajamarca is the same they tend to be on the gentle side with prey it's like they know it's there they want it but they won't rush. So far the pruriens and lagunas are typical good eaters but as i said pretty chilled also but all tarantulas are individuals and you may get a crazy one lol. There is a member on here who as a really grumpy E sp red and i don't think i was alone in being shocked at that. If you haven't already check out Euathlus parvula they are slightly larger than E sp red but just as chilled (generally) and they are inexpensive, easy to care for (same as e sp red) and finally a very undervalued gold black and red/pink tarantula i hope this helps a little
 

Haemus

Arachnosquire
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Feb 11, 2016
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what if it got out somehow and was loose in my room? I know I'm probably being too nervous and paranoid..
Spend good research and effort into an enclosure and you'll be prepared for it. Nowadays I'm more worried about my T's safety over mine if it escaped lol

My sister bought a L. parahybana sling to help kick her phobia as well. That was about 9 months ago and now she has no issues doing regular maintenance and rehousings for her 2.5" T (it grew much faster than we thought lol). Like her, your curiosity and interest will probably conquer your fear :)
 

Andrea82

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I forgot to say this in my earlier posts, kudos to you for wanting to overcome your fear!

Re:G pulchripes
Even though they get bigger than what you feel you can handle, they don't grow that fast in a single night, meaning you will have a slinh/juvi sized T for a long time, which will give you time to get used to it, caring for it. There are quite a lot of threads about people dealing and conquering arachnophobia. If you type 'arachnophobia arachnoboards' into the Google search function, you'll get a lot of info on how to go about dealing with your fears.

But, all that being said, you could also stick to the T's you have now, and get some feeling for them before getting something bigger or faster. There is absolutely no pressure for you to get more. T's live a long time, and will be around when you are comfortable :)
 

cold blood

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Thanks to everyone for replying. I tried looking up more information regarding the T. cyanoleum and the Thrixopelma genus in general but I couldn't find much out there. Could you fill me in on how these Ts act? How big does the cyanoleum grow to and roughly how quickly? I'm not entirely opposed to the G. pulchripes, I just worry that I'll freak out at how big it can grow and how menacing it might look(I'm still in the arachnophobia stage). Also, I've never even been stung by a wasp in the past so the thought of being bitten by a tarantula with nearly 1 inch fangs does not sound appealing to me at all. Like I said, I would never handle the Ts but what if it got out somehow and was loose in my room? I know I'm probably being too nervous and paranoid..
I'd say cyaneolum grows at a medium pace. They're not overly large, 4-5 inch range. I've heard of them over 5", but I think that's on the larger size. They're easy to care for as Johnny explained, and seriously calm. Mine never hid and was always in the open, although she did move around regularly. Not much of webbers, and they don't burrow often. Great eaters, mine basically caught prey before it hit the substrate nearly every time.

You hear "its like a wasp bite", but that's not really accurate....it will hurt more, although the end result/effects will indeed not be any worse than a wasp sting...I don't know how you have never been stung by one, seems impossible unless your agoraphobic and never leave the house, even then, I've been stung in the house....lol.

Anyway, being stung by a bee/wasp is really not that bad of an experience, it hurts a little for a minute or two, then itches...its really not that dramatic...people freak because of watching kids scream after being stung, not taking into account that they scream like that almost every time they get a scrape or bump. Like when a kid falls down and balls like crazy...as an adult we've all fallen, and we just go oooowwww, and move on, its no big deal...same thing with bee stings.;)
 

Jeff23

Arachnolord
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Jul 27, 2016
Messages
620
I have some eupalaestrus campestratus slings. They are known to be docile. But you will need to plan for a burrowing sling. All of mine are burrowing but do come up to eat pre-kill. If you plan a burrow for them near the side of the deli cup (or preferred container), you can at least keep a constant watch over them. They supposedly will stop burrowing after they reach juvenile/adult growth.

My Grammastola pulchripes T's are nearing juvenile state, but are very calm and docile so far.

I would advise that you also consider Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Green Bottle Blue). While they are labeled as skittish all of mine stay put right where they are or move less than an inch when I open the container. They are also colorful and web up the enclosure like crazy. They are also easy on the care side. Your only concern on them will be to handle rehousing situations with care or you could be chasing a semi-fast spider if you do it wrong.
 
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Darkskies

Arachnopeon
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Sep 11, 2016
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So many to choose from! I can't decide which ones or how many more to get. I'm now thinking I might get two out of the following 5 either B. smithi, G. pulchripes, T. cyaneolum, E. campestratus or Euathlus parvulus. However, I don't want to feel creeped out when they're much larger and I also have to make sure I have room for a total of 4 Ts. Any suggestions out of the ones I mentioned? I'm really leaning towards a G. pulchripes now because of all the rave reviews but do they become hard to house or hard to manage once they're larger? How big of a catch cup would I have to use?
 

Graves6661

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Dec 31, 2015
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You will become more comfortable with them as they get larger. My C. cyaneopubescens is the largest in my small collection and even though he can be very skittish I know when I can and cannot open the enclosure without him bolting. In my opinion and experience, its the little one you gotta be careful with.
 

Darkskies

Arachnopeon
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Any suggestions on which two I should get? I'm leaning towards B. smithi and G. pulchripes. However, maybe T. cyaneolum and E. Campestratus would be more docile choices. Also T. cyaneolum has beautiful colors rivaling the smithi.
 

Jeff23

Arachnolord
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Jul 27, 2016
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620
Any suggestions on which two I should get? I'm leaning towards B. smithi and G. pulchripes. However, maybe T. cyaneolum and E. Campestratus would be more docile choices. Also T. cyaneolum has beautiful colors rivaling the smithi.
I think you will be making good choices with any combination of those T's you pick. I would advise that you check around in the classifieds for this forum and other Internet sellers for what your available choices might be. Sometimes that helps to narrow it down once you see prices and sizes.

As an example, I am not aware of E. Campestratus being available except in a small sling size. B. Smithi on the other hand is available in sling and adult female depending on how much money you wish to spend. I know that @cold blood as some nice G. pulchripes slings available (I bought several of them). I am less sure about T. cyaneolum. But don't trust my comments as being complete since I am using the breeders that I have recently browsed as a reference and it certainly doesn't even come close to including everybody. Best of luck to you in finding what you want.
 
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Darkskies

Arachnopeon
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Sep 11, 2016
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Hello again,

I'm still undecided about which species to pick up. The Expo is this Sunday so I'm getting pretty excited. I'm thinking about possibly getting all 3 of the ones I had contemplated earlier so that would be B. smithi, G. pulchripes, and Euapalaestrus Campestratus. If I can find a T. cyaneolum or any Thrixopelma species I will probably drop the pulchripes in its stead but still go for the other 2. Am I going in over my head by potentially have 5 tarantula slings in my apt? They're easy to hide when they're so small but I wonder how I will make space for 5 full-grown Ts if I continue to live in my small apartment for the next few years.. Should I just opt for two at the Expo and not go for 3?
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
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Jan 28, 2016
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1,896
Hello again,

I'm still undecided about which species to pick up. The Expo is this Sunday so I'm getting pretty excited. I'm thinking about possibly getting all 3 of the ones I had contemplated earlier so that would be B. smithi, G. pulchripes, and Euapalaestrus Campestratus. If I can find a T. cyaneolum or any Thrixopelma species I will probably drop the pulchripes in its stead but still go for the other 2. Am I going in over my head by potentially have 5 tarantula slings in my apt? They're easy to hide when they're so small but I wonder how I will make space for 5 full-grown Ts if I continue to live in my small apartment for the next few years.. Should I just opt for two at the Expo and not go for 3?
These are all questions only you can answer. :)
 
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