which kind of tarantula do you like more

[Christian Jocson]

I ran out of pinheads recently for my 3/4" N tripepii...tried feeding a medium sized "cricket drumstick" to no avail...then ripped off the other back leg and the mouth parts so it couldn't hurt her...the cricket died and she had no interest at all because it wouldn't wiggle. Tried again with another one, ripping off mouth parts and the majority of the back legs to leave the cricket alive and she went for it, has been carrying it around in her mouth for two days now. She should be molting soon and will be big enough for a small cricket so I won't have to do any more cricket surgery in the near future

Hmm good idea. I may become a cricket surgeon as well to avoid dealing with pinheads

 

[nicodimus22]

She should be molting soon and will be big enough for a small cricket so I won't have to do any more cricket surgery in the near future

It is quite a grisly business, but with 6 slings right now, I have become a pretty skilled cricket butcher. I definitely kill them faster than any of my pets, so I'm at least the giving them the most humane death. Just slice the head right off with a knife on a cutting board and go from there.
I am looking forward to the time when they can all take down live prey, and I don't have to be so...involved.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I just hate pinheads and I'm terrified I'm gonna lose anything under 1/2"

The first one I got that small (1cm) was my N. chromatus back in August and I was like "That's ridiculous, how in the hell am I supposed to keep this tiny little speck alive?" (I'm a gigantic clumsy ogre so I thought it's just a matter of time before I kill it).
I fed it legs from small crickets initially, sometimes the whole thing would disappear, other times it would be clearly partially eaten and other times just moved to a different part of the vial (I thought it wasn't eating when it did that but I read on here somewhere that if they'd moved it then they've probably had a little nibble) then moved up to pre-killed crickets until it was big enough to tackle live prey, it's over 2" now.

Did the same with my Chilobrachys huahini.

I kept all my mealworms that pupated and turned into beetles so I could try breeding them and I now have loads of baby mealworms that are perfect for feeding to tiny slings (they take a while to grow to the "mini mealworm" stage), I just crush their heads and leave them by the T's burrow and they're usually gone by the next day, you can keep them in the fridge to slow down their growth rate as well.

 

[Paiige]

beetles so I could try breeding them and I now have loads of baby mealworms that are perfect for feeding to tiny slings (they take a while to grow to the "mini mealworm" stage), I just crush their heads and leave them by the T's burrow and they're usually gone by the next day, you can keep them in the fridge to slow down their growth rate as well.

None of my Ts eat worms of any kind and they creep me out so I'll pass on that

 

[Christian Jocson]

None of my Ts eat worms of any kind and they creep me out so I'll pass on that

Glad I'm not the only one like this. Funny how giant spiders are no big deal, but worms make my skin crawl

 

[The Grym Reaper]

None of my Ts eat worms of any kind and they creep me out so I'll pass on that

Fair enough, mine are only fussy about roaches.

 

[clive 82]

what kind?

At the moment I only have NW terrestrials but as I get more experience I hope to keep arborials & OW species.

 

[Jeff23]

It is quite a grisly business, but with 6 slings right now, I have become a pretty skilled cricket butcher. I definitely kill them faster than any of my pets, so I'm at least the giving them the most humane death. Just slice the head right off with a knife on a cutting board and go from there.
I am looking forward to the time when they can all take down live prey, and I don't have to be so...involved.

That sounds like me. I try to be humane too. I just view it like preparations for food in the kitchen for me. But it is sometimes hard to know if I have truly killed them since the legs keep on running regardless of what the missing head tells them.

If I do go to hell for anything, I will probably be stuck in a world where there are large numbers of venomous crickets that also have urticating hairs and stingers.

https://www.amazon.com/Most-Delicio...rd_wg=9Wa6e&psc=1&refRID=JMRETA8HD1W195VXAE5E

 

[Tanner Dzula]

i wish there was an option for both!

I love them both for far different reasons,
i love the massive size of some of my NW's, not that OW's don't get big but, i don't think ill find a OW that will ever match my LP

but, even though I've only been keeping T' for ~1 year, and i told myself id wait until i get more experience, i now find my self with 3 OW's. i thought, based on many stories and testaments on here that they would be Hell to keep, but the first one i get was a ~2 inch OBT (now pushing 3-3.5") and he's been great, and my newest addition, my O. Philippinus, has been great!(despite him literally being a teleporter)

so in the end i like NW's for their size and their willingness to stand out and be seen ALL the time, i find my self looking more and more into OW's, as they are incredibly unique in Size and shape and have some of the brightest colors I've seen so far!

 

[nicodimus22]

But it is sometimes hard to know if I have truly killed them since the legs keep on running regardless of what the missing head tells them.

I know, right? I frequently see legs moving on crickets that lost their heads the night before. It is so strange to me that they keep moving so long after death.

 

[Venom1080]

no other option opened up, so i have to go NW. Avicularia and Xenesthis could be my whole collection and id be happy.

 

[KezyGLA]

Even the "angry snowflake" of H. maculata doesn't hold a candle to a P. cancerides or A. geniculata.

"Angry snowflake" eh? Where did you hear such a nickname?

 

[KezyGLA]

And for the record, OW.

Baboons.. baboons.... BABOONS!

 

[Rittdk01]

New world. T stirmi and lp are by far my two favorites.

 

[EulersK]

And for the record, OW.

Baboons.. baboons.... BABOONS!

Don't get me wrong, I love me some baboons. But they're more of a frantically defensive spider - they're clearly scared of you. Not so with some of these NW beasts. They actively want to fight you.

 

[KezyGLA]

Don't get me wrong, I love me some baboons. But they're more of a frantically defensive spider - they're clearly scared of you. Not so with some of these NW beasts. They actively want to fight you.

I agree but I meant for the OP question. I mean African species are my favourite. Though maybe I haven't made that clear enough