When to know you are ready for the "next level"

[Katastrop]

Is there a specific genus are you considering in the future?

I am eventually wanting several of the Poecilotheria... metallica, regalis, etc. They are just absolutely spectacular!!! I did already "cross the line" into OW. I already got 9 M.balfouri slings for a communal, although I have 1 of them separate on his/her own because he was significantly smaller than the others. They are all 0.5in roughly, I had no problems rehousing them out of the tiny little dram bottles they came in. Noone bolted. Actually the Avic boa vista and A.purpurea misbehaved more than the balfouris. I kept a calm head, used my catch cup and paint brush, both Avics caught up within seconds, rehoused, no issues. I had no hesitation in getting M.balfouri... I thought it out, planned, researched, etc. I have had hesitation in getting a P.metallica because I just know I'm not ready for it yet. I've come close trust me LOL. But that hesitation tells me all I need to know. I have no desire (at least not now LOL) to get some deranged OBT, Thailand Black, or any of the more psychotic species. Thanks for responding!

Think it has more to do with being more prepared mentally and what to expect sort of thing, most old world T's are actually very easy to keep and rehouse when you have already done it a hundred times. Obviously it doesn't matter how prepared you can be there can still be misshaps, this is where the experience comes into play someone who has only kept a couple of Ts even for a few years will only have done a few rehouses at most and would more than likely panic and loose the old world T somewhere, with the experience this risk is minimised, that is why you work you're way up to old world. Now with the humidity dependent species you mentioned the advanced ones of these are mainly new world like the Threaphosa genus so it's a different ladder system basically.

Thank you for your response. That makes sense, mental preparedness. I mean it comes down to If all your T's are well behaved beginner NW, then you can't advance until you get the next level of spicy and learn how to deal with it. I already got a communal of M.balfouri and they gave me FAR less trouble than the Avics (so far). Two of the avics bolted, the purpurea went for a walk about, and the Boa vista teleported, just luckily it teleported into its enclosure lol. I didn't panic, I kept a cool head. The walk about Avic was caught up immediately and rehoused without issue. I've seen a lot of info and learned from experienced keepers that just because it's NW doesn't mean it's nice and just because it's OW doesn't mean it's spicy.

Humidity is humidity. Maybe the enclosure size changes, etc. or whatever, but humidity as a scientific fact or concept does not change.

Depends how comfortable you are with rehousings, the T bolting, the speed of the next T, sensitivity to hairs and venom (if OW).

If you had only 1 T for 12 months I wouldn’t suggest jumping to a P metallica. What T do you keep?

B.smithi, A.purpurea, A. sp boa vista, B.albiceps, GBB, G.rosea, G.pulchripes, C.versicolor, D.diamantenisis, and an M.balfouri communal of 9. The know the balfouri are OW but after much research for some reason I felt comfortable about it and planned it out, it wasn't impulsive, and I knew a lot of people would think me crazy and stupid. The second I feel ready for that P.metallica I'm all over it, but I know I'm nowhere near that. And trust and believe it's the first on the list. I've been struggling with metallica temptation but I have hesitation and that tells me all I need to know. Hesitation = not ready. I'll get some experience with Phormictopus and Pamphobeteus first (when ready for those too).

 

[TheraMygale]

Atleast you got a D diamantensis. Then again, depending on how you housed them, your overall experience could differ.

i won’t be the one to tell you you’re not ready.

the fact thay you’re asking, reflects what another member has said.

when i got my P murinus, i didn’t ask. I knew what the answer would have been. I know why they would have said: no.

if you are wondering, get a defensive New World. If you like your experience, once its full grown and assertive, then wonder if it was medicaly significant, and how comfortable you are with that. Multiply your experience by 10x. Thats a minimal expectation, dealing with more venomous species.

its not so much the defensiveness, then then the result of an accident, that comes into factor. The tarantulas death and/or, you getting bit, and then pain that can last years.

look into Sericopelma sp Santa Catalina. Maybe that would get you into a next vibe.

 

[Katastrop]

i recommend stopping to buy another spider/animal for at least 3 months after each purchase (pace yourself)

otherwise you are just feeding your addiction rather than enjoying what you have treated yourself with, but i do get it believe me

compared to other pets they are cheap, easy to care for and at least initially take very little space, so it is easy to overload yourself unknowingly. Its not enough to be able to care for them well when your interest is at an all time high, you need to be able to do so continously year after year without it getting to be too much or your interest wanders more towards reptiles again.

there is no such thing as "beginner", "intermediate" or "advanced" if you are an adult and do the research to determine if you can manage their care and set them up properly, have read through the bite reports and know the risks you CAN start with any of them sucessfully. Its just that many of the people who decide they are ready are really overestimating themselves and it usually shows.

in any case, those "terms" are more useful for impulse buyers that only do very basic research. They give you a generalized order of difficulty & risk. Not just difficulty.

Thank you for your response, what you said makes sense. I have more T's in the shopping cart and I've been hesitating. None of them are spicy or OW, but I know I have to pace myself and not get overwhelmed. I have never in my life rehomed or sold a single animal. To me it's a life commitment and their welfare means everything to me. I can't imagine only going by "terrestrial, NW, tropical", etc. and buying an animal. I only use that to know if it's a possibility and something I should do more research on or not bother because I'm either not interested or not there yet. it's helped to learn the genus and species of T's better. Like if it says fossorial, I have ZERO interest in fossorial or worse a pet hole. I understand the little slings are likely to burrow, but strictly fossorial, no interest. If it says OW I say maybe one day lol Thanks again.

 

[TheraMygale]

Thank you for your response, what you said makes sense. I have more T's in the shopping cart and I've been hesitating. None of them are spicy or OW, but I know I have to pace myself and not get overwhelmed. I have never in my life rehomed or sold a single animal. To me it's a life commitment and their welfare means everything to me. I can't imagine only going by "terrestrial, NW, tropical", etc. and buying an animal. I only use that to know if it's a possibility and something I should do more research on or not bother because I'm either not interested or not there yet. it's helped to learn the genus and species of T's better. Like if it says fossorial, I have ZERO interest in fossorial or worse a pet hole. I understand the little slings are likely to burrow, but strictly fossorial, no interest. If it says OW I say maybe one day lol Thanks again.

you already have a grasp on what you don’t like. Thats awesome.

the difference with an Avic and an OW Arboreal, is how they choose to defend themselves.

the Avics can get keepers nervous. Add “i am going to defend myself, with intent” factor into that equation. With no hesitation. Because, your prespective, is different. So they could choose to bite right away. In the same situation you have with your Avics.

technicaly, the Avics should not have flown out. That should have been container. If you had things down perfectly. The fact you let them “fly”, was that you knew they couldnt “hurt” you that bad.

with an Old World, that can never happen. If we’re talking to talk. Because the consequences of that, escalate quickly. Sure it happens to the most experienced keepers. But they have their own strategies that no one can just tell you. Because its experience. So they know how to deal with it. And even those who do, have horror stories.

if i can find it, i will share. This member got bite by his “pokie”. And old member not present anymore. For those of you who can help identify him, because i cant find it anymore, he’s the guy who in a youtube video, shows how his girlfriend handles their T stirmi.
I saw him in the video. I don’t want to experience that.

 

[Stu Macher]

I am eventually wanting several of the Poecilotheria... metallica, regalis, etc. They are just absolutely spectacular!!! I did already "cross the line" into OW. I already got 9 M.balfouri slings for a communal, although I have 1 of them separate on his/her own because he was significantly smaller than the others. They are all 0.5in roughly, I had no problems rehousing them out of the tiny little dram bottles they came in. Noone bolted. Actually the Avic boa vista and A.purpurea misbehaved more than the balfouris. I kept a calm head, used my catch cup and paint brush, both Avics caught up within seconds, rehoused, no issues. I had no hesitation in getting M.balfouri... I thought it out, planned, researched, etc. I have had hesitation in getting a P.metallica because I just know I'm not ready for it yet. I've come close trust me LOL. But that hesitation tells me all I need to know. I have no desire (at least not now LOL) to get some deranged OBT, Thailand Black, or any of the more psychotic species. Thanks for responding!


Thank you for your response. That makes sense, mental preparedness. I mean it comes down to If all your T's are well behaved beginner NW, then you can't advance until you get the next level of spicy and learn how to deal with it. I already got a communal of M.balfouri and they gave me FAR less trouble than the Avics (so far). Two of the avics bolted, the purpurea went for a walk about, and the Boa vista teleported, just luckily it teleported into its enclosure lol. I didn't panic, I kept a cool head. The walk about Avic was caught up immediately and rehoused without issue. I've seen a lot of info and learned from experienced keepers that just because it's NW doesn't mean it's nice and just because it's OW doesn't mean it's spicy.

Humidity is humidity. Maybe the enclosure size changes, etc. or whatever, but humidity as a scientific fact or concept does not change.

B.smithi, A.purpurea, A. sp boa vista, B.albiceps, GBB, G.rosea, G.pulchripes, C.versicolor, D.diamantenisis, and an M.balfouri communal of 9. The know the balfouri are OW but after much research for some reason I felt comfortable about it and planned it out, it wasn't impulsive, and I knew a lot of people would think me crazy and stupid. The second I feel ready for that P.metallica I'm all over it, but I know I'm nowhere near that. And trust and believe it's the first on the list. I've been struggling with metallica temptation but I have hesitation and that tells me all I need to know. Hesitation = not ready. I'll get some experience with Phormictopus and Pamphobeteus first (when ready for those too).

I can't recommend pokies enough. Definitely get a P cambridgei and a P irminia. They are very similar to Poeciletheria in terms of care, and ime more defensive. Not as fast, but very fast when they want to be. Besides that, they are quick growers and beautiful T's.

I wouldn't worry too much about humidity. I'd worry more about ventilation. If your ventilation is good, over watering a tad isn't going to create a big issue. Mold formation will tell you if you're overwatering. You'll notice condensation on the lid too.

I'd also recommend an overlooked NW T that is very quick and doesn't get large. A H sp Colombia "Pumpkin Patch" or a H vangoghi "Speckle Patch" both will not hesitate to bolt and both are beautiful T's in their own right. These will prepare you for some speed. They won't threat posture on you, they'll just take off. Very fun T's

 

[TheraMygale]

I can't recommend pokies enough. Definitely get a P cambridgei and a P irminia. They are very similar to Poeciletheria in terms of care, and ime more defensive. Not as fast, but very fast when they want to be. Besides that, they are quick growers and beautiful T's.

I wouldn't worry too much about humidity. I'd worry more about ventilation. If your ventilation is good, over watering a tad isn't going to create a big issue. Mold formation will tell you if you're overwatering. You'll notice condensation on the lid too.

I'd also recommend an overlooked NW T that is very quick and doesn't get large. A H sp Colombia "Pumpkin Patch" or a H vangoghi "Speckle Patch" both will not hesitate to bolt and both are beautiful T's in their own right. These will prepare you for some speed. They won't threat posture on you, they'll just take off. Very fun T's

i am totaly getting a H sp Columbia large. Its just a total package tarantula after all the research I did.

 

[Charliemum]

This thread has been amusing for sure, mind set not skill as others have said .
Your choices so far seem sound, maybe not so much with the communal, research has shown most are eventually broken up , I don't think I have seen proof of one that lasted long term people seem to brake them up after a few years n start over. I am not sure why I haven't properly looked into it . But as long as you are prepared for that eventually and you were comfortable with your decision then why not.
I can highly recommend phormictopie and pampho, psalmo too, I keep all and they are fun , huffy bolty little floofers till they get big then they don't care, as long as you offer food first .
Really you know you best you will know when you want to move forward, I had about 80/90 nw t's before I started with ow and even then I am alot more selective with my ow then nw, but everyone's journey is different and only you can know when you are ready or not .

I will say as a side note I got alot of t's very quickly 110+ by 3 years in and while I wouldn't change my journey or my baby's, I knew when to chill. I got swept up in the t world, all the beautiful sp, pics, info all at my finger tips, it was so easy to just get more, but I am not a breeder and I didn't want to get to the stage where my baby's felt like a job. Pace yourself , spend some time enjoying what you have, watching them, getting experience with them, that will teach you more then any research on line could as t's are individual, just like ppl, and the info given on line is usually more guidelines then rules, there's always an oddball or 10 lol.

Gl to you n your floofers

 

[Andrew Clayton]

Humidity is humidity. Maybe the enclosure size changes, etc. or whatever, but humidity as a scientific fact or concept does not change.

Yes you are correct here, although Tarantulas do not need humidity, what is meant when that is said is how damp or dry the substrate is humidity numbers and Tarantulas don't mix.

what about pink or pastel serpents?

theres a member on here whos daughter has the cutest snake ever. The colors are gorgeous. Its not pink but…

Bow Chicka Bow Wow

Everybody X Your fingers. We're in a breeding attempt with my daughter's Limburg Anery Coastal Rosy! Maybe babies in October.

arachnoboards.com

I wish, honestly I've tried for years to get her around to the idea but she's not for having it. If I live longer than her it will be the 1st thing on my to do list lol.

 

[Katastrop]

Atleast you got a D diamantensis. Then again, depending on how you housed them, your overall experience could differ.

i won’t be the one to tell you you’re not ready.

the fact thay you’re asking, reflects what another member has said.

when i got my P murinus, i didn’t ask. I knew what the answer would have been. I know why they would have said: no.

if you are wondering, get a defensive New World. If you like your experience, once its full grown and assertive, then wonder if it was medicaly significant, and how comfortable you are with that. Multiply your experience by 10x. Thats a minimal expectation, dealing with more venomous species.

its not so much the defensiveness, then then the result of an accident, that comes into factor. The tarantulas death and/or, you getting bit, and then pain that can last years.

look into Sericopelma sp Santa Catalina. Maybe that would get you into a next vibe.

I was thinking maybe Pamphobeteus or Phormictopus for "OW training" if you want to call it that... preparation at least. Funny thing is, yes I know OW have powerful life changing venom, but I never compared them to like let's say venomous snakes, which I would NEVER get, because T venom isn't likely to kill me. I never considered OW T's as "hot" like I would with a venomous snake. Something to think about!!! Thanks for your advise.

you already have a grasp on what you don’t like. Thats awesome.

the difference with an Avic and an OW Arboreal, is how they choose to defend themselves.

the Avics can get keepers nervous. Add “i am going to defend myself, with intent” factor into that equation. With no hesitation. Because, your prespective, is different. So they could choose to bite right away. In the same situation you have with your Avics.

technicaly, the Avics should not have flown out. That should have been container. If you had things down perfectly. The fact you let them “fly”, was that you knew they couldnt “hurt” you that bad.

with an Old World, that can never happen. If we’re talking to talk. Because the consequences of that, escalate quickly. Sure it happens to the most experienced keepers. But they have their own strategies that no one can just tell you. Because its experience. So they know how to deal with it. And even those who do, have horror stories.

if i can find it, i will share. This member got bite by his “pokie”. And old member not present anymore. For those of you who can help identify him, because i cant find it anymore, he’s the guy who in a youtube video, shows how his girlfriend handles their T stirmi.
I saw him in the video. I don’t want to experience that.

Well technically the 2 Avics were my first REAL rehousing. The B.smithi came in a suitable enclosure so he wasn't rehoused yet at the time. The C.versicolor and GBB from Josh's Frogs were 2inch in a tiny dram for shipping and I was able to take them out of dram and put tissue in new enclosure slightly unrolled, let them come out on their own. It was both for the T's sake and because I was a scary cat with my first rehousing. But the order from Exotics Unlimited contained tiny little 1/2 inch or smaller slings that I did have to fully redirect into new tiny enclosures. The 2 Avics were first so they were my first "real" rehousing. The A.purpurea decided to go on a walk about, it was "semi bolting", nothing too quick, I just didn't panic, kept an eye on him, I had enclosure within a big bin so it wasn't really going too far, got the catch cup right there and everything was fine then. But that made me a little on edge for second housing of the A. boa vista and that one did come out of the dram quickly, which spooked me, and I thought it had bolted, looking everywhere, only to discover it bolted into its enclosure thank God. For my first 2 real rehousing it wasn't bad. The rest of the rehousings went very very well, including getting all 9 tiny balfouri in the same small enclosure. It boosted my confidence knowing overall my first rehousings went fairly well. There will be many rehousings by the time I advance to other OW, including rehousing the balfouris. Anyway I appreciate your words, sorry for the long response. lol I'm just excited and happy to have some positive feedback on Arachnoboards. I've been lurking and see other people get ripped to shreds.

I can't recommend pokies enough. Definitely get a P cambridgei and a P irminia. They are very similar to Poeciletheria in terms of care, and ime more defensive. Not as fast, but very fast when they want to be. Besides that, they are quick growers and beautiful T's.

I wouldn't worry too much about humidity. I'd worry more about ventilation. If your ventilation is good, over watering a tad isn't going to create a big issue. Mold formation will tell you if you're overwatering. You'll notice condensation on the lid too.

I'd also recommend an overlooked NW T that is very quick and doesn't get large. A H sp Colombia "Pumpkin Patch" or a H vangoghi "Speckle Patch" both will not hesitate to bolt and both are beautiful T's in their own right. These will prepare you for some speed. They won't threat posture on you, they'll just take off. Very fun T's

Awesome!!! Yea I've seen the Pumpkin and Speckle Patches and have some interest in them. Well I'm interested in like everything right now so I've had to prioritize LOL so far focused on the more colorful beginner T's. I think after everyone's responses on this thread, I'm going to slow down with my purchases, and anything else I get for now will continue to be the "friendlier" beginner T's. G.pulchra or G.quirogai for example. Once the ones I have are grown up more, things are going well, everyone is still alive and eating, and I'm feeling reasonably comfortable and confident, I'll start looking into NW that are faster and/or spicier. It's just been so hard seeing different opinions in the hobby, OW are advanced/the devil/etc. and others that say some of the NW's are more defensive/fast than some of the OW and proper skills, staying calm, good handling (not touching but management), OW aren't as bad as their rep... but yea a bite from OW is serious even if not specifically deadly (for most). Thanks for your input!!!

 

[Stu Macher]

Awesome!!! Yea I've seen the Pumpkin and Speckle Patches and have some interest in them. Well I'm interested in like everything right now so I've had to prioritize LOL so far focused on the more colorful beginner T's. I think after everyone's responses on this thread, I'm going to slow down with my purchases, and anything else I get for now will continue to be the "friendlier" beginner T's. G.pulchra or G.quirogai for example. Once the ones I have are grown up more, things are going well, everyone is still alive and eating, and I'm feeling reasonably comfortable and confident, I'll start looking into NW that are faster and/or spicier. It's just been so hard seeing different opinions in the hobby, OW are advanced/the devil/etc. and others that say some of the NW's are more defensive/fast than some of the OW and proper skills, staying calm, good handling (not touching but management), OW aren't as bad as their rep... but yea a bite from OW is serious even if not specifically deadly (for most). Thanks for your input!!!

You're going about it the right way. That mindset will bring you success. Everyone's journey is different and no approach is wrong imo. As long as your safe and the T is safe, its a win. Enjoy the learning process and spend time here. Also, if you're buying cages (tcribs or others) maybe try to make your own. You'll save loads of money and that kind of turns into a hobby itself. There's just something about melting holes in plastic that keeps bringing me back

 

[TheraMygale]

Phormictopus auratus is a very beautiful tarantula. Tons of colorful Phormictopus available. I think you would enjoy such a species. There are plenty of spicy new worlds that can add some extra flavor in a collection.

 

[cold blood]

I was thinking maybe Pamphobeteus or Phormictopus for "OW training" if you want to call it that... preparation at least. Funny thing is, yes I know OW have powerful life changing venom, but I never compared them to like let's say venomous snakes, which I would NEVER get, because T venom isn't likely to kill me. I never considered OW T's as "hot" like I would with a venomous snake. Something to think about!!! Thanks for your advise.

a Psalmopeous, specifically cambridgei, is quite possibly the best t you could get for OW prep.....and just a great species to raise as well.

 

[fcat]

What research did you find that shows M balfouri live communally? I'd love to see it...

 

[Andrew Clayton]

a Psalmopeous, specifically cambridgei, is quite possibly the best t you could get for OW prep.....and just a great species to raise as well.

My favourite T is a Cambridgei was my 3rd T ever and was my 1st T when I started collecting again. 1st one was a female and my 1st experience of a T loosing it's leg and growing back again
And the one I have now, turns out it's male so he's getting gave away so I can get another one.