Buying a female vs buying a sling….

[ryanm7277]

Is it worth it? A sling is so much cheaper, but we all know the chance of it being male and dying . Don’t get the reward of growing out the sling. I need Pepe’s and cons here. Why would you and why wouldn’t you?

 

[DustyD]

Well if you definitely want a female then get one.

As for slings, for me my G. rosea, pulchra, pulchripes are more active and more fun. The roseas are quite the excavators digging huge underground vaults, while my 3/4” pulchras race around their enclosures chasing and tackling crickets.

 

[m0lsx]

Is it worth it? A sling is so much cheaper, but we all know the chance of it being male and dying . Don’t get the reward of growing out the sling. I need Pepe’s and cons here. Why would you and why wouldn’t you?

I get both. Sometimes I buy AF's, sometimes I buy slings. But I nearly always buy at least 2 slings, like that I increase my chances of getting a female & with some species like Theraphosa blondi, get yourself more slings, as it feels like a bigger number of slings are males.

What I do not normally buy are juvi's. Past experience has shown them to be a poor buy, as too many turn out to be male. If it looks male then it's probably going to be sold as unsexed, as like that it's easier to sell.

With slings be warned some species take an awful long time to grow. For example, my Johnnycashi has been a tiny sling for at least 2 years.

 

[ryanm7277]

Yeah I have 2 Homoeomma Peruvianum, be years before I get them to juvie

 

[Konstantin]

Is it worth it? A sling is so much cheaper, but we all know the chance of it being male and dying . Don’t get the reward of growing out the sling. I need Pepe’s and cons here. Why would you and why wouldn’t you?

Hi
Its very rewarding to grow a sling but you must consider your personal circumstances. Slings,especially the tyni ones need more attention(checking up on them every day or two)and sometimes even if you do everything right you may have some losses.
Space availability its important as its very easy to go overboard with slings.I usually go for 5 of each species to give myself a better chance of having a female. They all take little space in their tiny enclosures but will eventually grow and need to be housed in sth bigger. Believe it or not 32slings are in the 4 modified cricket tubs on pic below.

Always have in mind how much space you need to house your spider as an adult even if you buy only sling as some species grow fast.My Pamphobeteus sp Costa went from 1.2 inch sling to 6.5 inch beast in 3-4 moults
On the other side some grow very slow and if you want to have a large tarantula to admire it will take quite a while.I personally go for Juvenile females of the slowest growing species and always buy them from reputable sources as I am very limited on space.
Hope that helps.
Regards Konstantin

 

[New2T’s]

I get both. Sometimes I buy AF's, sometimes I buy slings. But I nearly always buy at least 2 slings, like that I increase my chances of getting a female & with some species like Theraphosa blondi, get yourself more slings, as it feels like a bigger number of slings are males.

What I do not normally buy are juvi's. Past experience has shown them to be a poor buy, as too many turn out to be male. If it looks male then it's probably going to be sold as unsexed, as like that it's easier to sell.

With slings be warned some species take an awful long time to grow. For example, my Johnnycashi has been a tiny sling for at least 2 years.

Yes, my Johnnycashi is still tiny as well. Aphonopelma are the slowest growers.

 

[Not Savsonite]

If you go the spiderling route is definitely more rewarding. If you've never had a spiderling before I'd recommend a slow grower paired with a fast grower that are easier to care for.
Lasiodora parahybana are cheap, and incredibly enjoyable watching them grow. I received two LP about 1/2-3/4" in January, they're now close to 3".
I received a Brachypelma smithi in the same order closer to 1/2", now it's a solid inch

As stated before me, the majority of unsexed juveniles you see will be males, though if you keep an eye out you can find moderately priced juvenile females.

 

[Jeef]

I never wanted a sling. I didn't even know how to take care of one when I got one as a freebie with my first tarantula. It was a T. albo.

I am beyond grateful for that because I wouldn't have a) gotten a sling and b) gotten a T. albo otherwise. Raising it up from something smaller than my pinkie nail to the size it is now has been pretty neat to watch.

That said, I'm too old to be buying any Brachypelma or Aphonopelma slings. I get bigger ones when it comes to those guys.

If I see something that grows relatively quickly as a sling, I grab them. Or I should say, I've started grabbing them.

When I started, I thought I was just going to get Brachypalmas. I am proud to report that has completely fallen apart because of the things I learned. Get what you want, but don't be surprised if your attitude changes when you start learning more.

 

[meridannight]

I prefer spiderlings AND males. I prefer to grow mine up from as small as I can get them. They're cheaper, and it's much more fun seeing them grow up, and I get to see how they develop personality-wise. If some of my spiderlings eventually turn out to be females I sell them. Not interested in breeding them, nor in a 20-year commitment.

 

[Lawrence b]

I prefer to buy adult females if I have the money, but never can be sure of age or health. Slings are good choice also if you buy a few then sell your surplus if have some for next project .

 

[Tarino Palma]

I prefer spiderlings AND males. I prefer to grow mine up from as small as I can get them. They're cheaper, and it's much more fun seeing them grow up, and I get to see how they develop personality-wise. If some of my spiderlings eventually turn out to be females I sell them. Not interested in breeding them, nor in a 20-year commitment.

That’s interesting because I went from only wanting only females until I went to order a Psalmopeous irminia. Then my whole focus changed, and I stopped dwelling on male vs female. I think I already have a few specimens that will outlive me, so a part of me prefers males as well.

 

[SullivanC]

I would get confirmed female so I dont have to buy so many slings to make sure I get at least 1 female but if I want to do breeding then I probably would just get them all as slings that way I would have male and female but if I am not into breeding then I would just get confirmed female