Brachypelma got me hooked

[Inventory Full]

Hey everybody, I bought my first sling from a local exotic store just after Christmas. That was my daughter's idea for my present. I opted for a Hamorii because I always liked how they looked and I instantly became hooked. Since then I have picked up a b. vagans and a b. albopilosum, so I guess I'm collecting brachypelmas.

I came to this thread to see if I could find a better substrate and the replies were so friendly and helpful I decided to join. I look forward to talking to you all in the future and sharing in something we are all passionate about.

-John

 

[RonC]

Welcome to the forums. Good choice for beginner Ts. I started with Grammostollas then got a couple of Brachys. Hamorii, and Albopillosum.Would have had a Vegans but it was DOA. Most use coco fiber for substrate. Others have their special blends. I mix enough water in it to allow it to pack but not be wet then allow it to dry out depending on size of the T. Smaller than one inch I try to keep a little moisture in the substrate.

 

[Enn49]

Hello and welcome

 

[ilovebrachys]

welcome to the group

 

[Arachnoclown]

Welcome

 

[Whitelightning777]

Mine always brings a smile to my face. Since they're a dry spider, coco fiber is just fine.

Keep the water dish full & feed it every week if under 2", otherwise I just do mine every 2 weeks with either a small mealworm, roach or cricket.

Although you CAN handle them, that's always a bad idea with and tarantula. A catch cup, paintbrush and a well fitted lid are your friends.

Another fun genus is Lasiodora species or A geniculata etc. These are very different, great feeding response, huge size and fast growth.

I have since removed the moss from the B hamorii's cage because it was unnecessary.

 

[Inventory Full]

Mine always brings a smile to my face. Since they're a dry spider, coco fiber is just fine.

Keep the water dish full & feed it every week if under 2", otherwise I just do mine every 2 weeks with either a small mealworm, roach or cricket.

Although you CAN handle them, that's always a bad idea with and tarantula. A catch cup, paintbrush and a well fitted lid are your friends.

View attachment 35994
View attachment 35995

Another fun genus is Lasiodora species or A geniculata etc. These are very different, great feeding response, huge size and fast growth.

View attachment 35996

View attachment 35997

I have since removed the moss from the B hamorii's cage because it was unnecessary.

Wow, gorgeous! That is the coloration I am excited to see slowly blooming. Mine is probably about 3/4 to an inch and I have started feeding one a week after I read a post on here and realized I was overfeeding them. Anxious parent here trying to keep them fed and happy.

I have a moss section with my slings for a little extra moisture and they seem to appreciate it as they hang out on top of it most of the time.

That blue one is beautiful, I was looking at c. cyaneopubescens because I love the coloration but I'm holding off for the time being. I'll get the experience with my brachys.

 

[GermanGamer7]

Hello, I'm new here. You guys know how I can find my way around? Check my user page if you need to know some stuff about me.

 

[Whitelightning777]

Hello, I'm new here. You guys know how I can find my way around? Check my user page if you need to know some stuff about me.

Welcome to the forum!! Tell us what you have in your collection (or want to have)

 

[Whitelightning777]

In terms of brachys, I have 3 B sabolsum slings that are doing very well & one in particular is getting quite a bit of color.

In natural light, they are a bit more brown but the flashlight makes the colors really pop.

 

[MassExodus]

Welcome to TF John, you have excellent taste in tarantulas.

 

[Inventory Full]

Welcome to TF John, you have excellent taste in tarantulas.

I heard great things about Brachys and I always loved the colorations on the hamorii. Then i kept picking up more when I'd go in for crickets because I feel dumb asking for a dozen and know I'll be lucky if one sling can eat 1/4 of those before they die. So I'm being cost effective haha

 

[MassExodus]

I heard great things about Brachys and I always loved the colorations on the hamorii. Then i kept picking up more when I'd go in for crickets because I feel dumb asking for a dozen and know I'll be lucky if one sling can eat 1/4 of those before they die. So I'm being cost effective haha

Just so you know, a dubia or lateralis colony is an easy solution to crickets...crickets die fast, roaches last a long time, and are much easier to keep, they dont stink, they breed well but not overly so, and they arent noisy. To be fair, I always enjoyed crickets chirping when I went to sleep..they're just too much hassle. Roaches have a stigma attached to them, but its not applicable to home raised colonies, whether they're a "pest" species or not. Check it out, you'll never go back to crickets. You got the fever now, I can tell. Do yourself a favor. Btw, try a B boehmei, they're my favorite Brachy , cheers man, I envy your journey.

 

[RonC]

I heard great things about Brachys and I always loved the colorations on the hamorii. Then i kept picking up more when I'd go in for crickets because I feel dumb asking for a dozen and know I'll be lucky if one sling can eat 1/4 of those before they die. So I'm being cost effective haha

I got over asking for a dozen. I just get what I need. Usually after dog food or something else anyways.

 

[Inventory Full]

Just so you know, a dubia or lateralis colony is an easy solution to crickets...crickets die fast, roaches last a long time, and are much easier to keep, they dont stink, they breed well but not overly so, and they arent noisy. To be fair, I always enjoyed crickets chirping when I went to sleep..they're just too much hassle. Roaches have a stigma attached to them, but its not applicable to home raised colonies, whether they're a "pest" species or not. Check it out, you'll never go back to crickets. You got the fever now, I can tell. Do yourself a favor. Btw, try a B boehmei, they're my favorite Brachy , cheers man, I envy your journey.

I want a boehmei super bad, but the only one I've found thus far was a mature female for 250 . I have about a half dozen dubias but my only issue is that as soon as I release the tongs and they hit the substrate they freeze and my T never finds it. I tried tong feeding too but my hamorii is a shy eater, leaving crickets to wander for a couple hours before I come back and it is holding it in a death snuggle.

 

[GermanGamer7]

Welcome to the forum!! Tell us what you have in your collection (or want to have)

I don't actually own any T's, but I do hold knowledge about them and do enjoy talking about them. Sorry 2 disappoint

 

[Whitelightning777]

I don't actually own any T's, but I do hold knowledge about them and do enjoy talking about them. Sorry 2 disappoint

So?

There's no time like the present!!

B vagens is generally considered the most affordable member of this genus. They are also black or dark brown with a bright red abdomen, very impressive indeed!!

An added bonus is that they are also among the fastest growing members of this group & they have an excellent feeding response, great feeding videos.

There are plenty of tips on this website for their care.

Lasiodora species and Acanthoscurria species are also fast growing and easy to keep, but grow much larger. They can be a little more defensive unless you give them a nice large hide. You'll also need a larger enclosure for adults.

L parahybana is also a very affordable choice, but you really can't go wrong with any brachy species.

These are medium sized tarantulas. Lasiodora & Acanthoscurria species get much bigger.

 

[GermanGamer7]

Are there big cute floofy ones I can get?

 

[Whitelightning777]

Yes.

B albopilosum, aka the curly hair, should fit that description nicely. The hairs almost make it look like a very small mammal on my opinion.

Full disclosure: I don't yet have that species, but I've researched them. Their appearance is rather unique and varies slightly between color forms. All of them have an interesting appearance. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

They have basically no negatives and are a great affordable beginner species. In most cases, the personally is very calm and they can be handled (this should be minimized) or gently prodded out of the way if the cage needs to be maintained.

If you must handle, do it over a very soft surface as close to the ground as humanely possible & have a container of corn starch plus a Q-tip available in case a fall or other type of injury with bleeding occurs.

If you're just looking for an easy first tarantula that just gets pretty big in a fairly short time, consider any Lasiodora species or Acanthoscurria species.

These are not suited to handling in terms of personality, but that's ok because unnecessary handling of ANY tarantula is always a bad idea, no matter how laid back it may appear. A paintbrush, catch cup & a lid that fits said catch cup are your best friends.

The urticating hairs are quite a bit harsher, but are definitely "floofy" !!

L parahybana and A geniculata respectively are the most common & most affordable species respectively, especially if you get an unsexed sling.

I'd go for about 1.5" to 2" DLS unsexed sling if it's your first tarantula in size.