What Was Your First Tarantula?

[nicodimus22]

From what I’ve found, some slings just die for no reason at all. Couldn’t find any really good theories as to why it would happen randomly.
The only thing I could find on the subject was most people thought that some species sacks are so large because a certain percentage will die for no apparent reason.
Thanks for the post!

I think that when nature goes with quantity over quality (as with k-selected species where there are hundreds of babies or more, but almost none are expected to reach adulthood in the wild) there is probably a higher chance that some of them have defects. When we remove a lot of the factors that kill most of the offspring (predators, starvation, dehydration, parasites, bad weather/temps, etc) most of them do very well. However, there are probably still a few of them that have some kind of health problem. I'm guessing that was the case with my sling, as it was raised in the same conditions that dozens of others did great in.

If I see some kind of pattern of sling deaths emerging, it will be necessary to step back and figure out what about my husbandry could be causing it. As of now, it's just a weird anomaly. Still a humbling experience, though.

 

[Hoxter]

C. cyaneopubescens. Why? Because they make amazing webs, care for them is pretty easy and look pretty even as small slings. Did I mention great feeding response? Those were main factors that I took into consideration while choosing one and this one checked all of them. Thanks to this guy I decided very fast that I needed some more tarantulas in my life and soon enough got them.

I don't think I really had any problems with him at all. First problem was on my side - enclosure wasn't high enough for it so I simply had to grab bigger one.

 

[Swagg]

C. cyaneopubescens. Why? Because they make amazing webs, care for them is pretty easy and look pretty even as small slings. Did I mention great feeding response? Those were main factors that I took into consideration while choosing one and this one checked all of them. Thanks to this guy I decided very fast that I needed some more tarantulas in my life and soon enough got them.

I don't think I really had any problems with him at all. First problem was on my side - enclosure wasn't high enough for it so I simply had to grab bigger one.

Very cool. I want one of this species eventually.
Thanks for posting!

 

[Tuisto]

Brachypelma hamorii
Always the quintessential theraphosid to me as well as being on every starter list

 

[Kitara]

T. albopilosum because it was available and we knew it was a good "beginner" species. @Asgiliath I do have empty enclosures.

No major errors as of yet, but I'm only 9 months in.

 

[Asgiliath]

I already have six. I bought two, and the rest...just kind of magically found their way into my shipping boxes of Ts over the years. I gotta pass.

I feel you! I also have an excess of A. seemanni’s. They’ve been part of like 5 sling package deals I’ve gotten.

 

[SlytherinAway]

I got my first three tarantulas all on the same day at a reptile show.

first was a little 3/4" A. seemani (claimed blue form), then the guy pulled out a 1" T. vagans that I had to have. Then I got a sexed female 1.5" G. pulchripes as well because I had been looking for one all morning but I didn't want a 1/4" sling like most vendors were selling. $35 for a 1/4" unsexed sling vs $45 for a 1.5" sexed female? no way I'd pass that up

 

[PanzoN88]

T. albopilosum

I saw one in a video and figured that species would be what cures my arachnophobia and sure enough it did just that. That same video led me to this great place as well as the classified ad that had this big girl at a mere 1/2" DLS



As for a keeping problem, never had a major one, just the same wall all beginners hit at one time or another. Now the only problem I have is self control (55 tarantulas and that number will grow when weather permits).

 

[Mister Senpai]

My first T was a female Brachypelma Hamorii (Smithi). I got it because I fell in love with their beauty, not because that it was a beginner T. I never actually knew about beginner, intermediate and advance T’s. Only found out about them 2 years after my brachypelma died. I only had this T for 1 year. It escaped its enclosure and climbed up our wall, then probably lost its grip and fell to its death. Found it the next morning with its abdomen and guts on the floor. After this died, I got a male and female B. Hamorii (smithi). The male died when I tried to ‘breed’ it with my female when I was 13, and the female is still alive to this day, at 16 years old.

I will admit, I used to be a shit owner. I got this T when I was 10 years old, which was 11 years ago. 11 years later I have way too many tarantulas, and I guess I can call myself a good owner now.

 

[Ungoliant]

I merged this thread with an earlier thread asking the same question. Carry on.

What was the first T in your collection and why did you pick that one?

Mine was a mature female Avicularia avicularia that my mother (who hates spiders) gave me for my birthday in 2013. The previous owner had her set up terrestrially, with a log laid horizontally on the substrate. She also told my mom that the tarantula was seven years old and "likes to be petted." (My mom seemed kind of disappointed that I would not continue petting her.)

Avicularia avicularia (Twinkle Toes)

• Ungoliant
• Mar 19, 2017
• 4
• avicularia avicularia avicularia female mature female pinktoe tarantula twinkle toes

Mature female

She lived with me for four petting-free years until she died in March 2017 during a bad molt.

 

[Metallattorney]

After several years of considering getting into the hobby and several months of extensive research, I finally got my first tarantula from a breeder nearby. A male GBB that I chose mostly because of the ease of care and coloration. I have had him for a little more than a month now and am just so happy to finally have one. I am strongly considering branching out from here.

 

[Swagg]

After several years of considering getting into the hobby and several months of extensive research, I finally got my first tarantula from a breeder nearby. A male GBB that I chose mostly because of the ease of care and coloration. I have had him for a little more than a month now and am just so happy to finally have one. I am strongly considering branching out from here.

Beautiful spider.

 

[Tessa Clifton]

My first T was a gorgeous little aphonopelma species that I found on my driveway in California. I found her (I think it was a her didn't know a lot about T's at that time) when I was about 6 or 7 years old and fell in love with Tarantula's ever since. Unfortunately she passed because she had gotten into the ant poison around our house before we found her but I will never forget her!

 

[SpiderQueen666]

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.

My first was an online order of:
3/4" a.geniculata sling and now it is 2"
And a 1" g pulchra which is 2.5 "now

 

[kinglaz85]

My first T was a Grammostola porteri. I got her from a pet store. After that all my T’s have came from dealers or breeders. Within a few weeks of getting her I had 20 in two months.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

My first T was an A. chalcodes from netbug. She's feisty as all get out and I adore her.

 

[Swagg]

I got 3 slings as my first. G. Pulchripes, T. Albopilosum and A. Chalcodes.

 

[asunshinefix]

I was a super nervous newly reformed arachnophobe, so I went with G. pulchripes, G. pulchra, and T. albopilosum, all under 3/4". They were perfect for me and survived my beginner mistakes.

 

[ExotiPet]

First one was a A. Versicolor over 8 years ago. Our collection grew to several hundred within a year.