What got you started?

[sandybanjo]

I grew up with the A. hentzi on the cotton farm when I was little. They fascinated me, but there was some fear factor for a while....mainly because my folks told me how very dangerous they are. So, I started picking them up and taking them to show Mommy how docile they are. She just about had conniption fits! She'd get a broom, knock it off my hands and beat the whammy out of it. The final blow was sucking its remains up with a vacuum cleaner. I was so distraught!

So, after years, I decided to start keeping them, starting with two adult female Rosies and an A. hentzi sling! So now I have twenty spiders in my collection! See my profile for a list.

 

[gobey]

Lol research beforehand.

No we are not all good little doobies.

I had wanted one since I was young. Like teenage years. I wanted a snake when I was real young. I liked the idea of exotic pets. Display pets. I had tropical fish for a while.

But I'd see the tarantula in the pet shop and it would fascinate me. But I was not allowed to get one so young.

I'm 26 now. And I'm sadly back at home after a nasty break up and lay off and starting my own business. Turns out the parents still don't want a tarantula in the house. I'm assuming that old tarantula in the pet store was a rose hair. But I couldn't tell you. Because after my fish died I,never walked back into that shop. It's a specialty terrarium and aquarium shop. I had no reason to just walk in as I had cats otherwise.

But this June I was at a horror move convention. And there was an exotic reptile booth. And they had adult rose hair tarantulas for $15. $15 for a tarantula!? That's gotta be a steal I thought. So I googled prices on rose hairs. And I read Stan Schultz care sheet. And after seeing just how hardy and easy to care for they were I knew I had to get one that day. I asked how much more for the spider with water dish, enclosure, and substrate? $20. Sold.

So I went home with" Dee Spider" my 4" female rose hair. And immediately realized I needed to extensively research rose hair tarantulas. Which lead to extensively researching pet tarantulas. Which lead to buying books. Whch lead to learning about the other hobby Ts that are common. Whch lea to me seeing what other tarantulas were in pet stores. Which led me to having an Avic only 5 days after buying my Rose hair.

That was another impulsive buy that lead me to deciding to research my "ideal tarantula" and buy one from the dealers here, since I learned the online tarantula shipping industry is a thing, instead of just buying something at a pet shop just because it wasn't a rose hair.

So I narrowed it down to a salmon pink bird eater. And finally found a good priced one at 4 inches. So I got 2. Because impulsive behavior and this hobby are a bad mix. I'd like to note I take very good care of my animals, I am happy with them, and I continue to educate myself on them.

Anyways I said 4 tarantulas is enough. That was about a little over a month in. Then a little while back I got the itch. I really wanted a curly hair. But I really couldn't spend a lot of money or take up space.

SLINGS! Cheap! Live in side dressing cups! I'll get a baby! That turned into 2 baby curly hairs. And then an offer of a free H. Maculata was shown. Now I had said I'd never want an O.W.

I also said I'd never want a sling. Well luckily I've become good friends with the manager of the aquarium terrarium shop and he breeds and keeps Ts. So be said take the baboon and we'll raise it in the store. Because he has a female and figured it'd be a shame too pass up on maybe breeding it. Plus I thought they were so beautiful.

Anyways 2 months. 7 tarantulas. No particular tarantula to thank. Just that reptile candy and his cheap rose hair. Who's delightfully bipolar.

 

[XBabysinX]

I think it was the p. Metallica for me as well, then the a. Versi and GBB, after I saw those I knew without a doubt I would one day have a tarantula room instead of just a tarantula... I've always been pretty intrigued by them and when I was offered one (My b. Smithi) I was ecstatic because not only did I never think I'd own one (not sure why) but my cousin with whom I was very very close to had just died from an accidental O.D. and he was a big spider fanatic (he convinced me to keep a black widow at my house...) so it felt like "fate" or any of those unrealistic things =p

 

[kellixo]

I got my first tarantula to overcome my fear of house spiders. Didn't help lol tarantulas are amazing, I love them all, dont scare me in the slightest, house spiders on the other hand, still terrified lol I know how silly that sounds but I think it's because of how little they are and how easily they can disappear from sight. (I live in Ireland, any spider that makes it into my house is tiny) I just dont like the idea that it could actually be on me and I wouldnt even know it lol or the fact it could just set up home in my house and I'd have no idea


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[SpiritScale]

A combination of fear and happening to be absolutely fascinated and drawn to the tarantula tables at my local expos.
Outside of the expo? I was afraid. At the expo? Intensely fascinated. Add that to a video of a beautiful P. regalis and I was hooked.

I knew then that I wanted to conquer the fear and keep some of these awesome if misunderstood critters.

 

[Tcollector]

When I was 10 we had a mall that had a weird looking store. This store had all of these enclosures with plants, logs and all sorts of decorations in them. Also I seen these huge a$$ spiders that were in them . Out of curiosity I went inside and looked around. I remember seeing: P. murinus, H. maculata, AGB's and many more species. The store gave me the creeps. I remember saying to myself, "Who in their right mind would own these?". However everytime I went back to the mall I found myself back in that shop looking at all these tarantulas. I remember wanting one (H. mac) but I was not allowed . My parents thought they were deadly (rolleyes). I didint know how to care for them or anything. I just liked the way they looked lol. Looking back now its a good thing they said no because H. mac is NOT the way to start. When I turned 17 I got my first B. albop, G. rosea and A. avic. After that I was hooked.

 

[Ridick]

My 1st T

My First T was given to me by my son i received a Nhandu tripepii - Brazilian Giant Blonde and the wife was not happy about me having a spider, needles to say i kept and a added a few more to collection since that day

 

[MrsHaas]

My mom got me a Rosie for my fifth birthday- and it was a wrap



--J.Haas