there is a new keeper on the loose

[theghost]

Hello all my name is Justin but I go by ghost. It was given to me as a nickname a long time ago because I am very quiet and sneaky without trying to be. I have been interested in keeping tarantulas since I was about 10 years of age but I never was allowed to keep them because my mother is absolutely terrified of spiders in all forms (yes even deceased ones). When I got older and got kicked out of my house I never wanted to keep a tarantula until I had a stable house/environment for it to be comfortable, happy, and healthy. I started traveling the US at the age of 15 when I got tossed out of my house and have just recently (3 years ago) settled down and got a house in which I plan to stay long term. Over the past 6 months I have been doing a TON of research about which tarantula should be my first one and what sort of enclosure to purchase/build as well as what substrate to use and what kind of feeder bugs I should use/raise for said tarantula. Finally I am ready to purchase one and get my collection going!

I have befriended and kept snakes, cats, dogs, ferrets, rats, fish, and many other "animals" over the years, but I am finally ready to make my move into tarantula keeping. I have not decided which breeder I will order from online or if I will go to my local "pet" store and purchase one there. I want one that is as young as possible but I am not sure that I am ready to raise a sling as it seems a bit more difficult than a tarantula that is a bit older. I want one that is not quite sexually mature but not too young either. I also have no decided on which tarantula to get yet. I have narrowed the list to the following ones: Grammostola rosea, Brachypelma smithi, Avicularia avicularia, Grammostola pulchra, Aviculara versicolor, or the Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. The Brachypelma boehmei came in close but I decided against it. I am not really sure why, as it is a absolutely beautiful specimen, but I just prefer one of the other mentioned breeds. Therefore I am going to be hosting a poll so you can help me decide! I really value the opinion of the keepers on this board (this forum comes highly recommended by a few keepers that I trust implecitly so I have made the poll results invisible until you vote. Please do not vote just to see the results as I will be posting the results in this thread after I close the poll in on 15 June 2020.


Well I am not sure what else to write about myself that is actually relevant to this forum or tarantula keeping in general so I will stop before I start rambling, which I have a tendency to do. I hope that you all have a massively amazing week and that all your tarantula friends are happy, healthy, comfortable, and keep you in good company!



Yours,
Ghost

 

[Konstantin]

Welcome to the forum

 

[James1975]

Hello all my name is Justin but I go by ghost. It was given to me as a nickname a long time ago because I am very quiet and sneaky without trying to be. I have been interested in keeping tarantulas since I was about 10 years of age but I never was allowed to keep them because my mother is absolutely terrified of spiders in all forms (yes even deceased ones). When I got older and got kicked out of my house I never wanted to keep a tarantula until I had a stable house/environment for it to be comfortable, happy, and healthy. I started traveling the US at the age of 15 when I got tossed out of my house and have just recently (3 years ago) settled down and got a house in which I plan to stay long term. Over the past 6 months I have been doing a TON of research about which tarantula should be my first one and what sort of enclosure to purchase/build as well as what substrate to use and what kind of feeder bugs I should use/raise for said tarantula. Finally I am ready to purchase one and get my collection going!

I have befriended and kept snakes, cats, dogs, ferrets, rats, fish, and many other "animals" over the years, but I am finally ready to make my move into tarantula keeping. I have not decided which breeder I will order from online or if I will go to my local "pet" store and purchase one there. I want one that is as young as possible but I am not sure that I am ready to raise a sling as it seems a bit more difficult than a tarantula that is a bit older. I want one that is not quite sexually mature but not too young either. I also have no decided on which tarantula to get yet. I have narrowed the list to the following ones: Grammostola rosea, Brachypelma smithi, Avicularia avicularia, Grammostola pulchra, Aviculara versicolor, or the Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. The Brachypelma boehmei came in close but I decided against it. I am not really sure why, as it is a absolutely beautiful specimen, but I just prefer one of the other mentioned breeds. Therefore I am going to be hosting a poll so you can help me decide! I really value the opinion of the keepers on this board (this forum comes highly recommended by a few keepers that I trust implecitly so I have made the poll results invisible until you vote. Please do not vote just to see the results as I will be posting the results in this thread after I close the poll in on 15 June 2020.


Well I am not sure what else to write about myself that is actually relevant to this forum or tarantula keeping in general so I will stop before I start rambling, which I have a tendency to do. I hope that you all have a massively amazing week and that all your tarantula friends are happy, healthy, comfortable, and keep you in good company!



Yours,
Ghost

Hello and welcome to the forum,there are a good bunch on here and always willing to help,so dont hesitate to ask any questions.

 

[Enn49]

Hello Justin, Welcome

 

[m0lsx]

Hello & welcome.

Until 2017 Brachypelma Smithi was called Brachypelma Hamorii. So take care if buying a smithi, as if it's more than a few years old, it may not be what you think it is.

 

[octanejunkie]

Welcome

 

[Casey K.]

Welcome Justin! Nice to meet you! I'm sure you will find yourself comfortable in this forum as you get settled in. I voted for the pulchra, myself because it is a classic and is absolutely beautiful! It is very docile and makes an excellent display tarantula because it is always "out and about". It also reaches an impressive size at around 7 inches! Whatever you choose out of your list, I am certain you will end up getting more. Have a wonderful time here on the forum and if you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Happy tarantula shopping!

 

[Phil]

Hi Justin, welcome to the family.

Clearly done some research for that shortlist. Can't wait to see your long list when you start adding. ha ha

I voted G pulchra although was a toss up between that and G rosea. I have always been a life long Brachypelma fan but as they tend to flick hairs a lot more than the Grammastola, I went for that as your first choice, and as @Casey K. says, they are a classic beauty.

Another factor to consider is that Chile have banned exporting tarantulas and although wild caught specimens in the hobby are low, it does drive up the prices for spiders from that region/country so G rosea prices are only going one way atm....up!

so if you do decide on rosea, get one as soon as you can.

As a first T I would also advise you get a juvenile to adult size rather than a baby (spiderling).

Hope that helps

Enjoy tracking your first T down.

 

[Rs50matt]

Voted g pulchra cos pulchripes isn’t on the list.

 

[PanzoN88]

Welcome to the forum and eventually the hobby.

 

[octanejunkie]

My experience with GBB was very beginner friendly. It's a fairly fast-growing and interesting sling that grows up to be a very attractive first tarantula

I also did research before jumping in with a purchase, so I hope this effort equals success for you, too

 

[menavodi]

Welcome to TF. All you need, right here! LOL

 

[testdasi]

GBB (C. cyanyopubescens) would be my choice on the list. Colourful, web a ton and simple care. Less prone to hair kickng than Brachypelmas. More active than Gramostola rosea. Simpler care than Avicularia / Caribena. Cheaper than G. pulchra.

An out of the box suggestion for you is Acanthoscurria geniculata / Lasiodora parahybana. These are fast growing and grow to very large. You will build quite a connection raising one from sling.

Personally I think Pokies are great beginner species. They are interesting, visible with relatively simpler care. They are capable of fast burst of movement but no where close to OBT teleport ability and it's in burst so you have plenty of time to catch up. Yes the venom is considered one of the worst if not the worst among T's but then if you respect the T, the chance of getting tagged is the same as any NW specie. Of course, I'm a Pokies fanatic so take that with a lot of salt. haha

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!