What is your recommendation for my first Arboreal tarantula

[PrimalTaunt]

VENTILATED, not insulated.

Lol. Sorry. It's late here and my typing is a bit sloppy at this point in the day. You are indeed correct that I meant ventilated and not insulated.

 

[codykrr]

also he ment to say "ventilated" not insulated...:wall:

 

[Xian]

That's deep blue.

I'm going to refer back to this.




How many avic's do you own Xian?


I still don't see the black.

I don't own any anymore, I've owned them in the past, like I said, not an arboreal fan. That being said, when I look at most Avics, I see black.

edit----11, by the way, is how many I have owned.

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

Cody, have you ever owned an iridopelma or psalmo? They are flightier than avics for sure!

 

[codykrr]

no not iridopelma..but psalmopoeus...i was meaning...i should have specified. i ment to say. that avics are the slowest but even they can be flighty if need be...sorry about that.

ro the OP: maybe you should either try being a little less demanding in certain traits.

most arboreal are fast moving, fast growers, and some have tempers..

other than that all i can say is get a Avicularia versicolor, or Avicularia avicularia...

 

[Nomadinexile]

Avicularia versicolor is your best bet imo
You can check out the Avicularia photos on here and find other species like A. minatrix. Look and see what YOU like. But remember, prices will only go up from versicolor. (although I have seen minatrix on here at good price) Good luck, and enjoy whatever you get. r

 

[Endagr8]

TBH, I'd recommend P. regalis as a beginner arboreal to anyone. They typically have good temperaments and their speed is very manageable. They are, IME, much hardier than any Avicularia spp. sling, and as adults, look more appealing than any Avicularia spp.. If their growth rate is an issue, you could manipulate feeding frequency/amount and temperature. I've seen slings going for as low as $10 a pop recently.

 

[Ariel]

I can't say I would reccomend a P. regalis. In his profile is says he only owns a B. vagans and a G. pulchra I wouldn't even recommend a Psalm. My P. cambridgei is and evil speed demon. I'm a little surprised this hasn't been mentioned, but I would recommend a A. minatrix from what I've heard they're pretty slow growing and they're base color is beautiful.

 

[TarantulaFanBoy]

I can't say I would reccomend a P. regalis. In his profile is says he only owns a B. vagans and a G. pulchra I wouldn't even recommend a Psalm. My P. cambridgei is and evil speed demon. I'm a little surprised this hasn't been mentioned, but I would recommend a A. minatrix from what I've heard they're pretty slow growing and they're base color is beautiful.

I agree P.Regalis Is a good starter Pokie maybe. But as a first time arboreal. I wouldnt recommend it. Get an A.Versicolor one of the best looking t's around and there not to feisty.

 

[Endagr8]

I can't say I would reccomend a P. regalis. In his profile is says he only owns a B. vagans and a G. pulchra I wouldn't even recommend a Psalm. My P. cambridgei is and evil speed demon. I'm a little surprised this hasn't been mentioned, but I would recommend a A. minatrix from what I've heard they're pretty slow growing and they're base color is beautiful.

Why wouldn't you recommend regalis? I've never seen a threat display from any of my six. My Psalmopoeus cambridgei, on the other hand, is one of the most defensive Ts I own. I purchased an adult female regalis as my first arboreal and first old worlder...it was nothing I couldn't handle. If the OP purchased a sling, he/she could adapt to the spider's speed as it grows.

 

[Ariel]

Why wouldn't you recommend regalis? I've never seen a threat display from any of my six. My Psalmopoeus cambridgei, on the other hand, is one of the most defensive Ts I own. I purchased an adult female regalis as my first arboreal and first old worlder...it was nothing I couldn't handle. If the OP purchased a sling, he/she could adapt to the spider's speed as it grows.

My P. regalis was my 3rd arboreal and my second OW and I wasn't nearly ready for the speed, I'll admit, I've never got a threat from mine either, but mine is a sling, and during rehousing I nearly lost it cause it shot up the wall before I could blink! not to mention it doesn't fit most of the criteria:

1. Docile
5. NOT very quick moving
6. medium or slow grow rate (this is important)

not to mention while its base color is not black, its primarily grey and white. I am not bashing this species, my P. regalis is one of my absolute favorite Ts and I would reccomend one in a heart beat to someone who's had a little more experiance and is looking for a species that follows the cirteria I would put a regalis under, but in this situation, it is not what I reccomend.

 

[DreadLobster]

Why wouldn't you recommend regalis? I've never seen a threat display from any of my six. My Psalmopoeus cambridgei, on the other hand, is one of the most defensive Ts I own. I purchased an adult female regalis as my first arboreal and first old worlder...it was nothing I couldn't handle. If the OP purchased a sling, he/she could adapt to the spider's speed as it grows.

I jumped right in to arboreals and started with a P. regalis, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that to everyone. They're venom is apparently nothing to mess around with, and my female, while far from being my meanest T, will pull a straw out of my hand, quite literally. She's not very friendly.

Avics are probably going to be the best bet. You're not going to find a "slow" arboreal, but avics will probably be the most docile, predictable, and all around mellow. At least mine are, comparatively.

There's a huge variety of colors too. A. avics are the cheapest, but they are mostly dark (maybe not black, but not far off...).

As far as growth rate, if you don't feed them as much, they probably won't grow as fast. I would say mine were about medium as far as growth. No where near as slow as a rosea, no where near as fast as an LP.

Look into all the different kinds of Avicularia. I'd recommend A. versicolor, but then again, they're the only avics I've owned.

 

[unprofessional]

Since you're looking to buy one at 2-3", I think Avic avic would be perfect. I use mine for education with my students, and they're good eaters, but certainly not a hyper T. Personally I find them a little boring, but they definitely have their benefits, and are a great starter T. One thing I like is that they really pop with a nice enclosure design, and their good temperment makes maintaining the terrarium very relaxing.

 

[Nomadinexile]

I love Avics. I'm doing some traveling and not keeping anything but a couple of scorps right now. But when my work on the road is done, the first tarantula I am going to restart with is an avic. If you have any reservations with pokies, get an avic. They are known for not biting. They have mild venom if they ever actually did. Versicolors are really nice. Those blue slings make tarantulas cool even for people who generally don't like them. Maybe I just need to bond with a pokie,... but I would get an avic.

 

[paul fleming]

TBH, I'd recommend P. regalis as a beginner arboreal to anyone. They typically have good temperaments and their speed is very manageable. They are, IME, much hardier than any Avicularia spp. sling, and as adults, look more appealing than any Avicularia spp.. If their growth rate is an issue, you could manipulate feeding frequency/amount and temperature. I've seen slings going for as low as $10 a pop recently.

 

[JC]

1) Spiders of the genus Pocilotheria and Psalmopoeus are not considered spiders beginner spiders.

2) There are no slow moving arboreal spiders.

3) The only arboreal genus with fast growing spiders is Poecilotheria, in which females can mature in 1.5 years and males can mature under in under 1 year. Arboreal baboons also may match their growth rate

The genus that best fits your requirements is Avicularia. They usually are well tempered and tolerate handling. Females can take up to 3 years to mature if not powerfed and kept at normal temperatures.

I recommend A.metallica.

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[Moltar]

These guys have covered a lot already but I feel like chiming in anyway (i'm bored) soooo here goes:

I think your best bet is a juvenile A. avicularia or A. metallica. Here's why.

1. Docile: Avicularia are definitely docile. Bites from this species are practically unheard of (But never entirely impossible)

2. Black is NOT the dominant color (this is important): Although at first glace A. avics do look black, they are in fact full of irridescent greens and blues with some red trim. In proper light they're quite stunning, especially when freshly molted.

3. NOT very expensive (I can give $30-45 for 2-3") $30 should get you a nice 2"-3" specimen. There aren't a lot of arboreals that will come this cheap. (You often see terrestrials like L. parahybana or B. smithi this cheap because they have thousands of eggs. Arboreals usually have more like 100-200)

4. Caring is NOT too challenging (e.g. not too delicate, ) Avic spiderlings can be tricky sometimes but a larger specimen is hardy enough. You need to keep them ventilated and somewhat humid but they're not very susceptible to "SADS" after about 1" or so.

5. NOT very quick moving: ALL arboreals are quick moving, period. Avics aren't as flighty as some species though. As arboreals go they're fairly predictable and slow but, when spooked they're still capable of moving faster than you can see. I mean that literally.

6. medium or slow grow rate (this is important): As above, all arboreals are fairly fast growing. They need a faster metabolism to sustain the higher levels of activity an arboreal lifestyle requires. They simply move around more. AFAIK there are no arboreals who grow very slowly or live beyond about 12-15 years.

In lieu of an Avic, a P. regalis would be ok. They're feistier and flightier than an Avic but still on the tame side as OW arboreals go. You won't find anything but a small spiderling for $30 though. If you get an A. avicularia you won't be disappointed. These T's are gentle, active and have tons of "kittenish" personality. I love 'em.

 

[sean-820]

Hello,
I am expanding my collection (currently have only 2 Ts). I know what terrestrials I will get but I have very limited knowledge about arboreals. it seems like internet has more limited knowledge on arboreals. Anyway, I would like to buy an arboreal tarantula preferably with the following characteristics:

1. Docile Most avics are, But they are known to shoot poo
2. Black is NOT the dominant color (this is important)Avic versi is a colourful arborial. There are other more colourful avics, but they are a bit costly
3. NOT very expensive (I can give $30-45 for 2-3")I got an avic versi for 25$ as a sling. Geroldi or purperea would be cool too, but their probably out of your budget if you can even find them.
4. Caring is NOT too challenging (e.g. not too delicate, ) Avics sometimes die for no apparent reason, but ive never had problems with mine
5. NOT very quick moving No arborials are slow moving really. Avics can move really fast, but they wont usually unless spooked
6. medium or slow grow rate (this is important) My versi vent from a sling to about 4" female due for a molt in about a year an and a bit. So i would say this is a medium growth rate

Thank you very much for your advises in advance...

I also have a avic avic, but my versi is much nicer looking, better feeder and more active. Nothing wrong with a avic, but they are mainly black with just pink toes

 

[Endagr8]

My P. regalis was my 3rd arboreal and my second OW and I wasn't nearly ready for the speed, I'll admit, I've never got a threat from mine either, but mine is a sling, and during rehousing I nearly lost it cause it shot up the wall before I could blink! not to mention it doesn't fit most of the criteria:

1. Docile
5. NOT very quick moving
6. medium or slow grow rate (this is important)

not to mention while its base color is not black, its primarily grey and white. I am not bashing this species, my P. regalis is one of my absolute favorite Ts and I would reccomend one in a heart beat to someone who's had a little more experiance and is looking for a species that follows the cirteria I would put a regalis under, but in this situation, it is not what I reccomend.

If you've never seen any threat displays, then how is it not classifiable as docile? As I've said, the speed is manageable, especially if you buy a smaller spider. I'll reiterate: if their growth rate is an issue, you can manipulate feeding frequency/amount and temperature. One of my regalis mature females took more than three years to mature, and she was fed LOTS very frequently. As for the base color, Poecilotheria spp. are FAR from jet black. In fact, they're some of the most beautiful tarantulas on the market.

1) Spiders of the genus Pocilotheria and Psalmopoeus are not considered spiders beginner spiders.

2) There are no slow moving arboreal spiders.

3) The only arboreal genus with fast growing spiders is Poecilotheria, in which females can mature in 1.5 years and males can mature under in under 1 year. Arboreal baboons also may match their growth rate

The genus that best fits your requirements is Avicularia. They usually are well tempered and tolerate handling. Females can take up to 3 years to mature if not powerfed and kept at normal temperatures.

I recommend A.metallica.

I'll reiterate (for the third time): if their growth rate is an issue, you can manipulate feeding frequency/amount and temperature. One of my regalis mature females took more than three years to mature, and she was fed LOTS very frequently.

The speed and temperaments of Poecilotheria spp. are WAY overrated IMO, and it's a shame many hobbyists are too scared to ever attempt to own one.

 

[Nomadinexile]

The speed and temperaments of Poecilotheria spp. are WAY overrated IMO, and it's a shame many hobbyists are too scared to ever attempt to own one.

It's not that I am scared. It's that my house looks like a hobby lobby blew up inside of it. On top of that, it is not completely sealed. Avics can be jumpy, but I don't think it would ever be too hard to corral. An on the run pokie in this rented house wouldn't be fun. I can take a bite. I'm not worried about that. It's the running and hiding that I "fear".