What Was Your First Tarantula?

[ECH]

So I’m curious to know different peoples first T! I know most first T’s are a B. hamorii, G. rosea, B. albipilosum, GBB, etc. but feel free to tell a funny story about your first tarantula. Or if there’s people like me who have had a weird first tarantula that isn’t a common beginner species? My first T was a Hapelopelma minax. I got her about 2 years ago and she’s about 3-4” now.

 

[spookyvibes]

My first tarantula was a 5" Grammostola porteri, so basically everybody's first tarantula. She's a weird one. A lot more defensive than I would've expected, she's the type that gets into a fight with the stream of water coming down into her water bowl. Also the type that angrily turns around when prodded with a paint brush. She's still my Queen though, my collection wouldn't be complete without her

So I’m curious to know different peoples first T! I know most first T’s are a B. hamorii, G. rosea, B. albipilosum, GBB, etc. but feel free to tell a funny story about your first tarantula. Or if there’s people like me who have had a weird first tarantula that isn’t a common beginner species? My first T was a Hapelopelma minax. I got her about 2 years ago and she’s about 3-4” now.

Haplopelma minax is beautiful! How did you manage that speed/temper though??? I bet rehousings have been a blast so far

 

[Jesse607]

I got two to start with, 1 juvie B. albopilosum and a P. murinus sling. The B. albo matured male a year later and lived almost a year more. The P. murinus turned out female and lived for 7-8 yrs before a molting accident, but produced 1 successful sac after a breeding on year 5.

 

[ECH]

My first tarantula was a 5" Grammostola porteri, so basically everybody's first tarantula. She's a weird one. A lot more defensive than I would've expected, she's the type that gets into a fight with the stream of water coming down into her water bowl. Also the type that angrily turns around when prodded with a paint brush. She's still my Queen though, my collection wouldn't be complete without her


Haplopelma minax is beautiful! How did you manage that speed/temper though??? I bet rehousings have been a blast so far

Well my dad got two P. metallicas, and a freebie. The freebie was a Hapelopelma minax and he took care of her for a bit and he didn’t like her and I wanted to get in the hobby so I took her and dad assisted. So i can’t take all the credit cause I wasn’t alone.. but tbh she’s very docile atm but that might change in a year or two...

 

[D Sherlod]

Lasiodora parahybana. .....half inch sling,,, that is now 5inchs and loves to hide it' water dish.

 

[Toddydog]

My B. smithi was my first. He's a bit of a baby. He gets so scared of his food and if he sees me he's gone. Fast little one but I can usually get a nice picture when he's distracted by a good meal.

 

[spookyvibes]

Well my dad got two P. metallicas, and a freebie. The freebie was a Hapelopelma minax and he took care of her for a bit and he didn’t like her and I wanted to get in the hobby so I took her and dad assisted. So i can’t take all the credit cause I wasn’t alone.. but tbh she’s very docile atm but that might change in a year or two...

Hey, it's great that you have someone to help you with a species like that! Fingers crossed that she'll stay calm for you!

 

[Greasylake]

My first T was a vicious avic avic. I'd post a video of her eating but I cant seem to figure how to do so.

 

[BoyFromLA]

My first tarantula ever was 1/2” Brachypelma hamorii.

 

[MrTwister]

First was a L.p. Within a month I was up to six.

 

[Mychajlo]

So I got my first tarantula 7 years ago when I was in 6th grade ( middle school, I was 11 or 12 ) but I was not expecting it at all, my parents took me to a pet store here and they had a G. porteri ( kept very poorly ) and my dad said “I dare you to hold it” and I wanted to show him I was tough so I did, I was shaking the whole time, so I gave it back to the employee and we kept looking. A little bit later my dad said so what did you think of the spider and I said it was really cool, so that following Christmas BAM pet tarantula right there, I didn’t know what to do so I took it to my room ( in a glass tank with Cedar chips and a water bowl ) did some research about a month later and changed the entire enclosure, and a little after that she flipped on her back which scared the life out of me at the time cause I had no idea what was going on, but found out she was molting and I was excited, that spring I became infatuated with the tarantula hobby and I ordered my second tarantula offline from kenthebugguy which was a B. hamorii and I’ve been obsessed ever since. To date I have kept 10 tarantulas and 4 scorpions

 

[Greasylake]

Haha! Technology is no match for me. There's the video of the avic eating. Don't bash me too hard for that enclosure. I didn't know much about T's at the time so I made a few mistakes while trying to figure out what I was doing. None of my T's live in tanks like that, I feel like I should make that clear.

 

[volcanopele]

My first was an Avic avic I got when I was in the 7th grade, more than 20 years ago. I ended up selling it to a friend of mine before I went off to college.

 

[ECH]

So I got my first tarantula 7 years ago when I was in 6th grade ( middle school, I was 11 or 12 ) but I was not expecting it at all, my parents took me to a pet store here and they had a G. porteri ( kept very poorly ) and my dad said “I dare you to hold it” and I wanted to show him I was tough so I did, I was shaking the whole time, so I gave it back to the employee and we kept looking. A little bit later my dad said so what did you think of the spider and I said it was really cool, so that following Christmas BAM pet tarantula right there, I didn’t know what to do so I took it to my room ( in a glass tank with Cedar chips and a water bowl ) did some research about a month later and changed the entire enclosure, and a little after that she flipped on her back which scared the life out of me at the time cause I had no idea what was going on, but found out she was molting and I was excited, that spring I became infatuated with the tarantula hobby and I ordered my second tarantula offline from kenthebugguy which was a B. hamorii and I’ve been obsessed ever since. To date I have kept 10 tarantulas and 4 scorpions

I bet you really show your dad how tough you are now

 

[Paul1126]

Brachypelma hamorii 6cm was my first.

As if I've just caught my B. hamorii drinking!

• Paul1126
• Mar 9, 2018
• 1
• brachypelma brachypelma hamorii brachypelma smithi drinking hamorii mexican redknee tarantula

20171216_155821

• Paul1126
• Dec 20, 2017

B. hamorii

• Paul1126
• Nov 26, 2017

 

[ECH]

Haha! Technology is no match for me. There's the video of the avic eating. Don't bash me too hard for that enclosure. I didn't know much about T's at the time so I made a few mistakes while trying to figure out what I was doing. None of my T's live in tanks like that, I feel like I should make that clear.

Beautiful T! Even though it’s mean, it’s always fun to have a feisty spider

 

[ECH]

Brachypelma hamorii 6cm was my first.

As if I've just caught my B. hamorii drinking!

• Paul1126
• Mar 9, 2018
• 1
• brachypelma brachypelma hamorii brachypelma smithi drinking hamorii mexican redknee tarantula

20171216_155821

• Paul1126
• Dec 20, 2017

B. hamorii

• Paul1126
• Nov 26, 2017

Pretty tarantula! Big fan of hamoriis

 

[Mychajlo]

I bet you really show your dad how tough you are now

Yes every time I throw a roach into one of my Ts enclosures I silently say under my breath “take that dad”

 

[Turiell]

My first was a E.sp red female, and her white speck of a sling that was given as a freebie. When I saw the size of that little, tiny creature, I have to admit I kind of panicked. I had never cared for something so small. I was sure I'd do something wrong and kill it.

However, a little over a year from that nervous day my tiny baby has been doing great. He eats well and molts frequently. In fact he just molted a few days and I got some pictures of him. Hopefully they are clear enough!

I love his mother too, she's so darling. Bringing those two in my life is the best thing I've ever done for myself!

 

[Lokee85]

My first is a B. albo purchased at the same time as my husband's first, a B. vagans (Valentine's day last year). They were approximately 0.5" and are both now around 3". Two weeks later, we each had an A. avic, and within two months, had a collection of 25 (down to 23 now due to one death and one given to a friend as a gift).