Total newbie needs advice

[CyclingSam]

A newbie looking for advice? *twirls evil mustache* *mwahahaha*
Get yourself a Grammostola pulchripes. My little lady Regina is a tank and a half who's super well-behaved and eats like a beast.
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I don't have a mustache to twirl, but I'll throw in a vote for the G. pulchripes. Here's a picture of my girl, Chaco Taco.

 

[sultsina]

Another one here with depression issues. Got three slings(A. eutylenum, GBB, G. pulchripes) and one juvenile A. chalcodes oh maybe a month and half ago, they have been a nice distraction. Did not think I would get more.. but two weeks ago got two P. sazmai, one I. mira, B. baumgarteni and a C. versicolor slings....... Slings mostly because they were what I could find so far, just like little'uns...

I originally went for good starter and "hardy" terrestrials- there are several local native Aphonopelmas so I figured temperature was not that much of a concern. G. pulchripes came up very often as a good starter and I thought they are so beautiful,, GBB was more of a impulse, for the color and was very impressed with pictures of their enclosures all webbed up. edit: by the way I had since learned most species will do well in room temps you are comfortable at wearing a t-shirt.

The newer ones were a result of wanting to add a fossorial and an arboreal- had decided on I. mira due to their very unique trapdoor lifestyle and C. versicolor because it had the most color(I am color blind so being able to see colors on something is kind of special to me...) and it is supposed to be a good starter arboreal. The P. sazmai and B. baumgarteni were impulse buys because they happened to be right next to the I. mira and C. versicolor...

Turns out I'm really glad to have the different kinds with completely different life habits. Particularly like the I, mira, it is a crazy webber and is very active.... this one has an odd habit of running UP when it has caught prey.. reverse trapdoor? Ha.. I love grabbing the magnifying glass to look at the GBB sling to see the tiger stripes, gold starburst, the little fuzz.. turns out the A chalcodes is a very feisty specimen... and is surprisingly active, moving around, digging, pushing substrate against the sides, she is the cool one to watch for behavior other than feeding time(she does the cutest dance when she has dubia though!).

The little slings have been very easy to keep.. but wanting older/larger is understandable especially with the super slow growing species or wanting a sexed female and one con has been finding feeder insects that are actually small enough for them.. so far all of mine have refused 'prekilled' prey. But fortunately, they do not need to eat all that often anyways..

That's quite a few spiders you've got there. How do you manage to house them all?
Sorry to hear about your depression though. I know how much it can wear a person out, so with that in mind, best wishes to you.
If you don't mind me asking, how has owning Ts affected your life and mood? Has it made you feel better?

 

[cold blood]

Judging from the evil mustache twirling and ominous laughter I thought you were gonna recommend me some absolute beast, but as it turns out this species might actually be a good candidate, so thanks for being nice to the unknowing newbie XP
Also, your lady R is very pretty.

I don't have a mustache to twirl, but I'll through in a vote for the G. pulchripes. Here's a picture of my girl, Chaco Taco.

Gotta agree..if you cant get your sp.red, G. pulchripes as an equally great choice...very active, great eaters, generally visible and they dont grow glacially slow...much faster than the Euthlus. They do get larger, females can reach 7", but theyre a really easy keep, and theyre typically easy to find and inexpensive.

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[sasker]

Don't be too afraid to order abroad, there are many reputable sellers in Europe who know how to ship Tarantulas safely to your country. I usually order from within the country I live, but recently I ordered in Poland a spider that I really wanted. There are several sellers in Poland, but I only have experience with one. He did an absolutely fantastic job packing the spider, she arrived alive and well after being in transit for 6 days and she ate within an hour after I placed her into her new home.

Spiders you buy at your local pet shop are not necessarily in a better state when you buy them than when you order them from an online seller. Usually it is quite the opposite. And you get the spider you really wanted as opposed to the one they have available

 

[sultsina]

I got my first slings a few days ago. I say get at least three which makes your chances of getting a Female much higher!

I got 3, a GBB and a G Rosie. The Rosie I actually got for my gf and we both already want more, haha! It's a very exciting hobby, tons of fun watching them and learning.

My problems with my slings have so far been the enclosures that they came with were too big and they didn't have enough ventilation so I did a rehouse, oh also, it can be hard to find small enough prey for little baby slings. I just took small crickets and pulled the hind legs off and fed them, that worked, today I gave one of my slings a huge cricket and didn't take the legs off firsthand, he threw it a threat pose and it jumped to the other side of the enclosure to get out, he held the pose and it just kept away from him. I decided that because of its size I should kill the cricket, I did and it hasn't eaten it YET. We will see...

But as I gain experience with baby slings I love it more than I think I would if I just got a MF right off, plus I can judge the age by the size (sorta) and I learn more from a sling IMO.

I have considered getting multiple spiderlings, though it might be for the best to try raising little ones only after starting with something more matured.
Did the sling end up eating the cricket? To me, feeding the spider with live bugs is the part I'm looking forward to the least. I'm a real softie when it comes to all kinds of animals, including insects, I just hope I won't feel too bad when I doom the poor things to be eaten alive by a tarantula :'D On the other hand, seeing the spider eat would be pretty cool.

 

[sultsina]

I don't have a mustache to twirl, but I'll through in a vote for the G. pulchripes. Here's a picture of my girl, Chaco Taco.

This T seems to be a popular choice, as it's already gotten multiple votes! Btw, your girl is cute and so is her name.

 

[sultsina]

Gotta agree..if you cant get your sp.red, G. pulchripes as an equally great choice...very active, great eaters, generally visible and they dont grow glacially slow...much faster than the Euthlus. They do get larger, females can reach 7", but theyre a really easy keep, and theyre typically easy to find and inexpensive.

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This T seems to be a frequent recommendation, now I'll have to consider getting one. Frequent availability is definitely a big plus, especially since my hunt for an E. sp. red has been pretty unproductive.

 

[sultsina]

Don't be too afraid to order abroad, there are many reputable sellers in Europe who know how to ship Tarantulas safely to your country. I usually order from within the country I live, but recently I ordered in Poland a spider that I really wanted. There are several sellers in Poland, but I only have experience with one. He did an absolutely fantastic job packing the spider, she arrived alive and well after being in transit for 6 days and she ate within an hour after I placed her into her new home.

Spiders you buy at your local pet shop are not necessarily in a better state when you buy them than when you order them from an online seller. Usually it is quite the opposite. And you get the spider you really wanted as opposed to the one they have available

Thanks for the reply and for all the good information. Being able to order online would make this so much easier. Do you have any sites or sellers you recommend?

Btw, I couldn't help but notice your avatar with the weird looking creature in it. That's a net-casting spider right? That spider's face was actually one of the factors that lead to my growing interest in arachnids. It's got this kind of weird, creepy look to it due to its huge pair of eyes and it has an unusual method of catching prey as well. Just the right thing to draw me in, I love weird-looking things

 

[Andrea82]

@louise f is from Denmark, she might be able to recommend breeders to order from in your region. @TownesVanZandt is from Norway, and @boina is from Germany.

I struggle with depressions as well from time to time, I know how you feel.
For me, my spiders are an element of quiet and peace in my life. They don't ask or demand for anything, in fact, they rather want me to not mess with them, which is wonderful in this world where there are demands being made from all directions. Working with them requires all focus, which in turn relieves stress and gets me out if my head when needed.
It doesn't take a giant effort to keep a T succesfully, being the low maintenance creatures they are.
And that is not even considering the fun I have watching them feed, web, clean themselves or other antics. There are 900 species in the hobby, so there is always a species that suits you.

Edit:re: E.sp.Red,
I wouldn't get a sling of this species as your first T, or first sling. They grow reaaaally slow and aren't the best eaters, which can be frightening and frustrating for new keepers.
My first was B.albopilosum. Other new keepers' species I have are E.campestratus and B.smithi (they can be hair flicky though).

 

[sasker]

Do you have any sites or sellers you recommend?

I bought my 0.1 Pamphobeteus sp mascara from Jacub at http://spidershop.pl/

Other Polish vendors that I don't have any experience with are are:

http://wildtarantulas.eu/
http://www.spidersonline.pl/
http://www.spidersworld.eu/en/
http://prospiders.pl/

They seem fine, for as far as I can tell. If someone has bad experiences with these sellers perhaps they can share their thoughts?

I also have good experiences with this Bulgarian seller: http://tarantulas-bg.com/

That's a net-casting spider right?

It is indeed. They look like little aliens. I hope to be able to keep them one day. They are awesome!

 

[Andrea82]

Yeah, I would love to have a Deinopidae (ogre faced spider, net casting spider) as well. I don't see them for sale a lot unfortunately

 

[GreyPsyche]

The T ended up not eating the pre killed prey, I'll try again on Monday, I work all day today and tomorrow thr pet store won't be open so they'll just have to build up an appetite till then, lol.

 

[johnny quango]

@sultsina The Euathlus sp red is worth waiting for, in the meantime though others members have given you good advice about other tarantulas and that the idea of ordering from outside of your own country shouldn't be a daunting prospect.

Now back to your tarantula dilemma I don't know if you're wanting a dwarf/small species so I'll offer another suggestion in the form of Euathlus parvulus it's alittle larger than E sp red as an adult at around 3-3.5" but it's generally a calm docile curious species like the E sp red. It is often overlooked and to be honest it makes a perfect beginner tarantula infact it's a great addition at any point and they turn up more often in my experience. Here's my adult female

 

[Trenor]

To start with I'd suggest getting a juvi and not a sling for you're 1st T. It'll give you a good size T to start out with that is not so fragile.

I liked the links to @EulersK videos because of variety. A lot of people seem to consistently recommending the same "flavor of the week Ts" that are popular on here. That's great, they are popular for good reason, but they don't always fit what everyone is looking for.

Different keepers look for different things when getting into Ts. Some like Ts who are hardy eaters. Some like Ts that do quick food strikes. Some are looking for size (some like small and others like large Ts). Some are looking for Ts that are kill proof or very hardy. Some wants a good looking T and others like really colorful ones. Some like the fuzzy Ts.

Go watch EulersK's video list and pick out the one that appeals to you. Meanwhile I'll toss out a few I got early and enjoyed.

B.albopilosum (fuzzy and great looking) I've really enjoyed keeping my girl. I can't wait till this current molt cycle is over for new photos.

B.vagans (You can find a sexed juvi female for cheap and its a great looking T)

C.cyaneopubescens GBB (Very colorful and great eaters)

Hope this helped. Good luck in finding the T that fits you.

 

[patriotgator]

Good luck and have fun with whatever you get.

 

[Paramite]

Hi! I'm a complete newbie who's about to get started in the hobby. I've never owned an invertebrate before, and wouldn't even have considered getting one until recently. In the past few months I've grown more and more fond of spiders and the idea of buying a T seems really appealing. As a young adult with life at a total standstill and long-term depression to boot, I feel like I need something interesting to ease the monotony.

While I was looking for a potential starter species, I kinda got my mind set on Euathlus sp. red, as it's a nice looking T (small and cute!) with what I hear is a nice personality. I think I'm ready for this new and different pet, but the problem is that I can't find one anywhere. Dwarf Chilean flames appear to be quite scarcely sold online, and I'm a bit apprehensive about shipping a live animal around the world. Finding one at a pet store or from a breeder would be best, but any tarantula breeders here in Finland are few and far between. A pet store I contacted orders new spiders regularly, but currently they're only offering sp. green spiderlings. Apparently they only get babies when they order abroad, to ensure that all their animals are captive bred and not picked up from the wild as adults. I'd rather not get a baby T as I have absolutely zero experience, and I'd really like the spider to be female so it would have to be old enough to be sexed.
I have no idea what to do next, how should I go about this?

All help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Hello. I'm from Finland too and I buy my tarantulas from Germany, from terraristik.com. You should check it out.

Niin ja tervetuloa foorumille!

Edit: You don't have to worry about shipping tarantulas. These days, pretty much every dealer knows how to pack them safely.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Other Polish vendors that I don't have any experience with are are:


http://www.spidersworld.eu/en/

I had 2 orders shipped to the UK from them last summer and had no issues whatsoever, their packaging is top notch.

 

[aphono]

I struggle with depressions as well from time to time, I know how you feel.
For me, my spiders are an element of quiet and peace in my life. They don't ask or demand for anything, in fact, they rather want me to not mess with them, which is wonderful in this world where there are demands being made from all directions. Working with them requires all focus, which in turn relieves stress and gets me out if my head when needed.
It doesn't take a giant effort to keep a T succesfully, being the low maintenance creatures they are.
And that is not even considering the fun I have watching them feed, web, clean themselves or other antics. There are 900 sp.

This is very spot on.

That's quite a few spiders you've got there. How do you manage to house them all?
If you don't mind me asking, how has owning Ts affected your life and mood? Has it made you feel better?

To be honest, the overall effect is mild. A little better but it's still there, more of providing nice breaks in the monotony and whipping me up into action.

In addition to what Andrea said, it also 'forces' me to get out of the house- for supplies and feeders. I fall into a pattern of not going out unless absolutely necessary so this is good.. It's also enjoyable reading others excitement over their Ts, some videos- the breeding attempts are fun, no script, unless the title says successful mating(spoilers, ugh )... I've gotten into the habit of randomly getting up and simply looking at them(they're on a tall bookcase) sometimes just a glance, sometimes for a couple minutes.. Keeps me moving around and focused on something that is not negative and not letting me 'dwell', you know what I mean. I always had an interest in animal behavior so getting to see them engage in some things tickles that fancy- a smile, a bit of a warm feeling.

All except one are little slings, so space is not an issue for now. They're still in the little deli cups and vials they came in, they fit on one shelf with plenty of room left. Plan to convert some display boxes into enclosures for them soon, as some of the deli cups have a very strong snap at closing/opening no matter how gentle I try and for better visibility.

I'm dialing down on getting more, easy for me as I simply have no interest in getting most of the available species.. although at the fault of someone on here, I've become rather strongly interested in the Harpatricas.... this forum can also be a little dangerous Fortunately those don't seem to be very available so I should be good for a while, ha!

 

[Andrea82]

This is very spot on.



To be honest, the overall effect is mild. A little better but it's still there, more of providing nice breaks in the monotony and whipping me up into action.

In addition to what Andrea said, it also 'forces' me to get out of the house- for supplies and feeders. I fall into a pattern of not going out unless absolutely necessary so this is good.. It's also enjoyable reading others excitement over their Ts, some videos- the breeding attempts are fun, no script, unless the title says successful mating(spoilers, ugh )... I've gotten into the habit of randomly getting up and simply looking at them(they're on a tall bookcase) sometimes just a glance, sometimes for a couple minutes.. Keeps me moving around and focused on something that is not negative and not letting me 'dwell', you know what I mean. I always had an interest in animal behavior so getting to see them engage in some things tickles that fancy- a smile, a bit of a warm feeling.

All except one are little slings, so space is not an issue for now. They're still in the little deli cups and vials they came in, they fit on one shelf with plenty of room left. Plan to convert some display boxes into enclosures for them soon, as some of the deli cups have a very strong snap at closing/opening no matter how gentle I try and for better visibility.

I'm dialing down on getting more, easy for me as I simply have no interest in getting most of the available species.. although at the fault of someone on here, I've become rather strongly interested in the Harpatricas.... this forum can also be a little dangerous Fortunately those don't seem to be very available so I should be good for a while, ha!

When re-reading my post it sounded a little like T's are the answer to solving depression. They are not. But they do lighten me up, and when I get stressed or have trouble relaxing, their slow pace (generally, not counting rehouses or feeding frenzies) helps me to calm down as well.
@aphono , I think you mean Harpactira? Beautiful genus. I think they all look pretty, not only the H.pulchripes with its blue feet, the others as well. It is an OW genus though, so not really suitable as a first Theraphosid, even though they don't seem to be as defensive as their other African cousins.

 

[darkness975]

That's quite a few spiders you've got there. How do you manage to house them all?

That is one of the (many) beautiful perks of this hobby. Most species require such little daily "care" or "maintenance" that you can have a decent amount of them and it does not take up huge amounts of time. Even with everything that I have there are many days that I don't have to do anything with any of them. On the days I do have to do some maintenance it is usually small things like refilling water dishes, feeding, etc. None of which are hugely time consuming activities unless you have a room full of them.

Sorry to hear about your depression. I am no stranger to it myself. They are definitely therapeutic.

Welcome to the hobby (addiction) friend!