What to Get Next?

[dopamine]

Not very helpful to the OP, however. I would definitely not recommend this genus for the OP based on their current collection and the requirements listed. I also would not suggest an OBT either, although I don't know if the person who did so meant it seriously or in jest.

Definitely wasn't a suggestion to the OP lol

 

[scott308]

Definitely wasn't a suggestion to the OP lol

But when someone asks for suggestions as to what they should get, anything that is mentioned is potentially going to be taken as a suggestion, especially if the original poster is not familiar with the species/ genus in question.

 

[dopamine]

Hmmm I must've missed the "not a pet hole" part...oops.
OP never stated he/she was new the hobby either, though.
At any rate, happy hunting!

 

[Ungoliant]

Right now I am leaning towards Acanthoscurria geniculata as my next tarantula, but Aphonopelma seemanni also interested me in that it has been described as fairly active by @EulersK. Does anyone have any thoughts on that species?

OP never stated he/she was new the hobby either, though.

I am not brand new to the hobby, but I recognize that I am not ready for the advanced species. (I'm also not looking to add stress to my life via my hobbies, so the beginner/intermediate species are fine for me.) I just assumed the comments about OBT and Haplopelma were not intended as suggestions for me.

I started keeping tarantulas in 2013 when my mother surprised me with an Avic for my birthday. (Before that, I had been keeping true spiders, which I still keep.) I have a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide, which I ordered as soon as I got the Avic. I've also learned a lot from lurking on this forum and others. On impulse, I got a second Avic a few months later, and now I have a total of five tarantulas. (My latest acquisition is the GBB sling.) I really enjoy my tarantulas, and if I had more space, I suspect I'd have a lot more than five.

If you want something a little different, you could get the "mini-GBB" below, the NICE thing about them, they lack urticating setae!
Dolichothele diamantinensis

That looks like a really cool species. I'm a fan of webbers and will definitely keep my eyes peeled for them.

You own 2 pet rocks (pulchra)

Funny you mention that. One of my pet rocks is pretty active and feisty. She grabs anything that moves in her cage, including my tongs, the water dish (when I try to remove it), and even water I am pouring into the dish. She's also an industrious excavator.

 

[EulersK]

... but Aphonopelma seemanni also interested me in that it has been described as fairly active by @EulersK. Does anyone have any thoughts on that species?

This is one of my favorite beginner species. Now, the downside is that they burrow deep as juveniles and slings. Not so much as adults, but they'll stay buried for months waiting for a molt. Until then, however, they're constantly excavating and making your life hell concerning the water dish

 

[Ungoliant]

This is one of my favorite beginner species. Now, the downside is that they burrow deep as juveniles and slings. Not so much as adults, but they'll stay buried for months waiting for a molt. Until then, however, they're constantly excavating and making your life hell concerning the water dish

Aphonopelma seemanni may be a more practical option if I want to keep the peace with my husband, who is wary of getting something with "nasty" urticating hairs. (As sensitive as I am to poison ivy, maybe I should be more wary of that too, though I have to admit that I find a little "attitude" entertaining.)

Edit: I noticed that my local dealer also has Dolichothele diamantinensis for sale. It's so hard to choose just one, but we have extremely limited space (little more than a studio apartment of 500-600 square feet).

 

[EulersK]

Aphonopelma seemanni may be a more practical option if I want to keep the peace with my husband, who is wary of getting something with "nasty" urticating hairs. (As sensitive as I am to poison ivy, maybe I should be more wary of that too, though I have to admit that I find a little "attitude" entertaining.)

Edit: I noticed that my local dealer also has Dolichothele diamantinensis for sale. It's so hard to choose just one, but we have extremely limited space (little more than a studio apartment of 500-600 square feet).

To be clear, all members of Aphonopelma have urticating setae. They're just negligible in my opinion, especially with A. seemanni - they will scurry off (at worst) before kicking. The most you'd have to worry about is what's in their cage, as they do routinely lay a thin carpet of setae. That's easily avoided with gloves if you're sensitive, though.

I've never kept D. diamantinensis, but perhaps @viper69 or @Blue Jaye could weigh in. I'm pretty sure both have had them for awhile.

 

[viper69]

To be clear, all members of Aphonopelma have urticating setae. They're just negligible in my opinion, especially with A. seemanni - they will scurry off (at worst) before kicking. The most you'd have to worry about is what's in their cage, as they do routinely lay a thin carpet of setae. That's easily avoided with gloves if you're sensitive, though.

I've never kept D. diamantinensis, but perhaps @viper69 or @Blue Jaye could weigh in. I'm pretty sure both have had them for awhile.

I haven't owned D. diamantinensis YET. I have spoken to people who own them from slings to adults. Care is not that different than GBB. The best person to contact in the USA to my knowledge is netbug on this as Anastasia has bred them.

 

[viper69]

Aphonopelma seemanni may be a more practical option if I want to keep the peace with my husband, who is wary of getting something with "nasty" urticating hairs. (As sensitive as I am to poison ivy, maybe I should be more wary of that too, though I have to admit that I find a little "attitude" entertaining.)

Edit: I noticed that my local dealer also has Dolichothele diamantinensis for sale. It's so hard to choose just one, but we have extremely limited space (little more than a studio apartment of 500-600 square feet).

Poison Ivy and setae are completely unrelated, do not use one as a gauge to determine reaction to the other.

However, if you hate those setae, research and own the NW species that do not have them. An excellent and very INTERESTING species to own is N. incei. They are very fast, but gorgeous, and make some of the most intricate webs unlike other Ts. They are a dwarf species, so if you don't like small Ts, then there are others. Of course OWs don't have this issue.

 

[SausageinaNet]

Good to know!
I'm not too worried about bites. However, I know they have itchy hairs. How feasible is it to avoid feeling the effects of those?

My other question is cage maintenance. For example, I read on another thread where someone was advised to cover or remove the geniculata before removing a water dish for cleaning. Is that necessary? If so, that's probably more of a hassle than I want to sign up for right now. If, on the other hand, I can use long tongs to extract the water dish (the way I do for my other terrestrials), that's doable.

I have two and mine don't kick hair yet. They are a bit nervous and they will go on anything that could be food but else they are pretty easy to work with. Usually after they have something to munch on they calm down quite a bit so you don't really have to remove them before doing maintenance. That's probably only necessary if you have a very moody geniculata or your reaction to the hair is very bad.

 

[viper69]

How feasible is it to avoid feeling the effects of those?

Wear gloves if you are concerned. I keep a box of latex gloves around for my boehmei.

Funny you mention that. One of my pet rocks is pretty active and feisty. She grabs anything that moves in her cage, including my tongs, the water dish (when I try to remove it), and even water I am pouring into the dish. She's also an industrious excavator.

There is always an exception to every rule

BTW, nice quote in your signature. You should add in either Dr. or Ph.D. considering he's a scientist.

 

[Ungoliant]

To be clear, all members of Aphonopelma have urticating setae. They're just negligible in my opinion, especially with A. seemanni - they will scurry off (at worst) before kicking. The most you'd have to worry about is what's in their cage, as they do routinely lay a thin carpet of setae. That's easily avoided with gloves if you're sensitive, though.

Before I posted this thread, I thought all NW tarantulas had urticating hairs, just that some hairs are worse than others, and some tarantulas are more prone to flick than others. Looking at the list of genera without urticating hairs, there are some interesting options.

Personally, I'm not put off by the presence of urticating hairs, especially if the tarantula isn't much of a flicker. I would expect exposure to be fairly preventable if you use a little common sense (wear gloves, use tongs to reach in for things) and avoid handling or harassing the tarantula.

My husband, however, likes the idea of a NW species with no urticating hairs, so I may go with Dolichothele diamantinensis. (Pinchers & Pokies has them at already 1.5" - 2".) Neoholothele incei sounds interesting too, although the local ones are tiny slings.

What I have learned from this thread is that I haven't lost interest in any of the species on my wish list. You guys are such enablers.

However, if you hate those setae, research and own the NW species that do not have them. An excellent and very INTERESTING species to own is N. incei. They are very fast, but gorgeous, and make some of the most intricate webs unlike other Ts. They are a dwarf species, so if you don't like small Ts, then there are others. Of course OWs don't have this issue.

I'm not opposed to dwarf tarantulas. (I started out keeping true spiders. My favorite true spider to keep maxes out at around 1.5" and gradually webs up the entire enclosure.) I just prefer to skip the first delicate instars.

 

[BobBarley]

If cost isn't a problem: Dolichothele diamantinensis all the way. I want one pretty bad lol.

 

[Ungoliant]

If cost isn't a problem: Dolichothele diamantinensis all the way. I want one pretty bad lol.

$80 is within an acceptable price range for me, especially since I can pick it up locally with no shipping.

I know a lot of people (not here, of course) view tarantulas as "disposable" starter pets for kids, and they would look at me funny if I said I paid more than $20 for one, but to me, tarantulas are a great value given their lifespan. (Averaged over their lifespan, they are probably among the cheapest pets I've ever had, and they are also lower-maintenance than other "look but don't cuddle" pets.)

 

[BobBarley]

$80 is within an acceptable price range for me, especially since I can pick it up locally with no shipping.

I know a lot of people (not here, of course) view tarantulas as "disposable" starter pets for kids, and they would look at me funny if I said I paid more than $20 for one, but to me, tarantulas are a great value given their lifespan. (Averaged over their lifespan, they are probably among the cheapest pets I've ever had, and they are also lower-maintenance than other "look but don't cuddle" pets.)

Awesome, and very well said. Agreed 100%, tarantulas are the underrated best.

I'd say go for it!

 

[cold blood]

Dont worry about size for incei....even when small theyre fantastic eaters, webbers and burrowers...not to mention exceptionally fast growers.

Resized_20161001_172721

• cold blood
• Oct 15, 2016
• 1

 

[viper69]

Dont worry about size for incei....even when small theyre fantastic eaters, webbers and burrowers...not to mention exceptionally fast growers.

Resized_20161001_172721

• cold blood
• Oct 15, 2016
• 1

I have 5 of Coldblood's incei and they eat like champs. One of the most interesting species I've ever owned.

 

[Ungoliant]

Update: I ordered a 1.5" - 2" Dolichothele diamantinensis.

Thanks for the advice and letting me know about some additional options. (I will likely be adding some of those to my collection as space allows.)

 

[Ungoliant]

Not only do I now have the Dolichothele diamantinensis, but I also received an Acanthoscurria geniculata sling as a freebie.

 

[Andrea82]

Not only do I now have the Dolichothele diamantinensis, but I also received an Acanthoscurria geniculata sling as a freebie.

That is awesome! Lucky you