What do you think of tarantula youtubers?

[ExMember]

I would love to hear what everyone thinks of tarantula youtubers? Or general animal/husbandry channels.

Love them then great! Hate em then great too! Let's hear everyones opinion!

Who do you watch? General thoughts? Just keep it clean lol. This is a very polarizing subject and controversial to boot.

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

 

[ExMember]

I think overall it's a good thing. The more people that get into the hobby the more legitimacy we get.

The good thing is that there are some brilliant channels for information. The bad this is there are some horrible channels for information too!

My favorite channels for husbandry of all kinds:

Tom Moran , snake discovery (top on my list for reptiles!), Leopard Gecko, the tarantula collective, @The Sweet Escape (great channel) , Basin79 (for non mygale arachnids)

For entertainment:

Dark Den , @Robbiestalkingts (awesome channel and really different with some cool music to boot!) Exotic's lair (put down the phone @#$#$@#) Tarantula Kat ( sometimes).

Some will want to crucify me for sure but I find it interesting that people put these folks down for husbandry errors. Some of them are pretty bad but you can learn from their mistakes.

 

[Jess S]

I second Tom Moran + Basin79, The Sweet Escape.

Check out Arachnotube (brilliant), The Spiderman, both long term keepers who know their stuff.

Valleys Tarantulas, Gav's Tarantulas really entertaining channels and lovely guys too that deserve lots more subs.

Exotics Lair needs to stop pandering to the kids that follow him and poking his tarantulas. Not that I breed, but his breeding methods leave much to be desired. He always ends up with just 10 slings in with mum. Leaves them in too long, they are escaping through the vents and eating each other. Right now Ive moaned, let's off set with a positive. He always has water dishes in his enclosures and has a huge, very charismatic personality.

 

[ExMember]

I second Tom Moran + Basin79, The Sweet Escape.

Check out Arachnotube (brilliant), The Spiderman, both long term keepers who know their stuff.

Valleys Tarantulas, Gav's Tarantulas really entertaining channels and lovely guys too that deserve lots more subs.

Exotics Lair needs to stop pandering to the kids that follow him and poking his tarantulas. Not that I breed, but his breeding methods leave much to be desired. He always ends up with just 10 slings in with mum. Leaves them in too long, they are escaping through the vents and eating each other. Right now Ive moaned, let's off set with a positive. He always has water dishes in his enclosures and has a huge, very charismatic personality.

Haven't even heard of half those channels? Is that even possible considering my reccomended videos list is clogged with spider vids! Will def check em out!

Tarantuladan somehow got left off my list by accident so did jon3800. Oops!

 

[Jess S]

Haven't even heard of half those channels? Is that even possible considering my reccomended videos list is clogged with spider vids! Will def check em out!

Tarantuladan somehow got left off my list by accident so did jon3800. Oops!

I've subscribed to tarantuladan for the last couple of years (though his channel is years old and he had one before that under his proper name) but don't watch many of his videos now, cos it's mainly talking. Seems to be changing to a vlog atm

 

[PanzoN88]

While I don't necessarily dislike tarantula YouTube channels, as I actually do follow most of them on social media and somehow vice versa, but I can't really watch tarantula videos for entertainment purposes, other than feeding videos without cringing a little bit. A couple of the names mentioned above, I have actually communicated with a few times, and I'd do it again. As far as relatively recent (2015 or newer) channels I may watch more regularly than others they are:

Tom Moran

Eeriearachnids (how this guy doesn't have more subscribers is a real shame, as many of his videos are quite informative)

There are a few others that are newer that I can't think of right off the bat.

I was fortunate enough to enter the hobby at a time when tarantula tube wasn't exactly as popular as it is now (2014). Back then the popular channels were:

Jon3800 (he gets criticized a lot nowadays, but I respect the guy, as it was his videos that led me to the hobby, the T. albopilosus, and ab, which is where I ordered my first tarantula. If it weren't for jon, I probably would not have discovered the hobby, which also means PanzoN88 would not be here on tarantula forum writing this post right now.)

Tarantulaguy1976 (he doesn't put on a persona for the camera, what you see is what you get, and that is a good thing)

There was another Youtuber that was fairly popular back then, but I can't remember his channel name, I think it was something along the lines of Sturmy76 or something like that. He is from Germany if I'm not mistaken, he was active on the other forums as well. I think he may have gotten out of the hobby now.

I'm more inclined to follow these three, even though they aren't as popular anymore.

The reason I follow all the T-tubers mainstream or not is simply because we all have this relatively small hobby in common. The only problem I have with mainstream tarantula YouTube channels is the potential for the hobby itself to become mainstream, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

 

[JayManges]

I like Richard from the Tarantula Collective. His videos are well produced and the guy is quite entertaining.

 

[ExMember]

I've subscribed to tarantuladan for the last couple of years (though his channel is years old and he had one before that under his proper name) but don't watch many of his videos now, cos it's mainly talking. Seems to be changing to a vlog atm

People are doing vlogs more now as they are easier to film and take less time to edit. In the last 5 years YouTube has been playing fast and loose with peoples revenue and demonitizing/banning channels for little to no reason. If it takes you a week to write/shoot/edit vids and youtube is just making up the rules you aren't getting a good roi for your time. At one point I was gonna start a channel for guitar and recording education but with all the effort not being compensated in a reasonable manner I deep sixed that idea. Going from $50 bucks an hour down to begging money off of people on patreon doesn't work for me lol.

While I don't necessarily dislike tarantula YouTube channels, as I actually do follow most of them on social media and somehow vice versa, but I can't really watch tarantula videos for entertainment purposes, other than feeding videos without cringing a little bit. A couple of the names mentioned above, I have actually communicated with a few times, and I'd do it again. As far as relatively recent (2015 or newer) channels I may watch more regularly than others they are:

Tom Moran

Eeriearachnids (how this guy doesn't have more subscribers is a real shame, as many of his videos are quite informative)

There are a few others that are newer that I can't think of right off the bat.

I was fortunate enough to enter the hobby at a time when tarantula tube wasn't exactly as popular as it is now (2014). Back then the popular channels were:

Jon3800 (he gets criticized a lot nowadays, but I respect the guy, as it was his videos that led me to the hobby, the T. albopilosus, and ab, which is where I ordered my first tarantula. If it weren't for jon, I probably would not have discovered the hobby, which also means PanzoN88 would not be here on tarantula forum writing this post right now.)

Tarantulaguy1976 (he doesn't put on a persona for the camera, what you see is what you get, and that is a good thing)

There was another Youtuber that was fairly popular back then, but I can't remember his channel name, I think it was something along the lines of Sturmy76 or something like that. He is from Germany if I'm not mistaken, he was active on the other forums as well. I think he may have gotten out of the hobby now.

I'm more inclined to follow these three, even though they aren't as popular anymore.

The reason I follow all the T-tubers mainstream or not is simply because we all have this relatively small hobby in common. The only problem I have with mainstream tarantula YouTube channels is the potential for the hobby itself to become mainstream, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

Great insight as usual @PanzoN88 ! Can you elaborate on the mainstream comment a bit? I'm very interested in your take!

 

[regalis]

I like the dark den and

I would love to hear what everyone thinks of tarantula youtubers? Or general animal/husbandry channels.

Love them then great! Hate em then great too! Let's hear everyones opinion!

Who do you watch? General thoughts? Just keep it clean lol. This is a very polarizing subject and controversial to boot.

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

Now this is a good topic. Bravo!

 

[regalis]

I watch some of dark den and I watch all tarantula collective. Richard..... that accent..... but the way he pronounces substrate.... really good informative channel.

I dont care for the others but I will look like a really judgemental snob if I say what I think. I was taught if you dont have anything nice to say.... say nothing!

I'm not gonna start ww3! Hahaha

 

[Arachnoclown]

I've got 500+ spiders and breeding projects....ain't got no time to watch.

 

[ExMember]

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[PanzoN88]

Great insight as usual @PanzoN88 ! Can you elaborate on the mainstream comment a bit? I'm very interested in your take!

Mainstream tarantula YouTube channels, as in those that focus on entertainment, which also happen to be the channels that are the most likely to explode in popularity. As for the comment itself, a potential new keeper may come across one of these tarantula videos that are focused on entertainment, and that video may entice the new keeper to think "hey, so and so is doing this with their tarantulas, if they can do it then everybody else must surely do it too" which, depending on what that thing is, may lead to disaster and the hobby will be in the spotlight because someone was bitten because they attempted something that they saw someone do on YouTube.

 

[ExMember]

Mainstream tarantula YouTube channels, as in those that focus on entertainment, which also happen to be the channels that are the most likely to explode in popularity. As for the comment itself, a potential new keeper may come across one of these tarantula videos that are focused on entertainment, and that video may entice the new keeper to think "hey, so and so is doing this with their tarantulas, if they can do it then everybody else must surely do it too" which, depending on what that thing is, may lead to disaster and the hobby will be in the spotlight because someone was bitten because they attempted something that they saw someone do on YouTube.

I would hope people would do their research before getting a pet. Sad thing is what you described about a bite could definitely happen. And be bad for us all.

I do think there's more danger with the non "pro" youtube channels. EL or DD (KT etc) are way better keepers than the guy that handles his obt. Or the little girl that bought the avicularia to scare her friends etc. I may not agree with everything that they do but they are better role models than the guy I saw hand transfer his cobalt into a new enclosure and wound up with the spider hanging out on his neck!

I haven't been keeping exotics as long as a lot of you folks but I know to do my research and encounter a lot of like minded individuals on forums like this. I have been around exotics for most of my life though. And seen some stupid sh1t most definitely!
Thanks for the clarification @PanzoN88 . Definitely an informed opinion.

 

[JayManges]

I watch some of dark den and I watch all tarantula collective. Richard..... that accent..... but the way he pronounces substrate.... really good informative channel.

Maybe it is the Okie in me but I didn't notice Richard had an accent. Does he?

 

[regalis]

Maybe it is the Okie in me but I didn't notice Richard had an accent. Does he?

Not so much accent but the tone and how calm he always sounds. He could tell me the world would end in ten minutes and I would just be chill haha

 

[JayManges]

Not so much accent but the tone and how calm he always sounds. He could tell me the world would end in ten minutes and I would just be chill haha

Because you mentioned it, now I am going to have to listen more closely to him. Last Saturday, he did a live YouTube broadcast and he was kind enough to answer one of my questions.

 

[regalis]

I know... I was listening to him.... jk.
(Well it wasnt a jk. I was listening and watching).

 

[JayManges]

You might not want to admit it but it appears you are also a fan. Don't worry. I won't tell.

 

[Arachnoclown]

When I started in 1981...
0 research
0 books in the hobby
0 youtubers
0 online sites
0 forums
0 help what so ever
It's all common sense...people make it much harder then it really is.

This is little Shelly... shes about 10 years older then youtube.