What got you into tarantulas?

[MassExodus]

How old do jumping spiders get

Around a year or two, I believe.

 

[InternetSwag]

Around a year or two, I believe.

aww so short

 

[Tnoob]

I was in first grade when a teacher brought one into the class for show and tell. I refused to hold it because I didn't want to hurt it. Such elegance can not be measured.

 

[Jess S]

I was in first grade when a teacher brought one into the class for show and tell. I refused to hold it because I didn't want to hurt it. Such elegance can not be measured.

Hi there. Interesting that a school visit provoked fascination in you and now you're in the hobby. Shows the value of bringing T's into schools. Shame it doesn't happen worldwide! If my school had done this, it might have helped me to start getting over my fear at an earlier age.

 

[Tnoob]

That's a valid point, but don't forget to respect your emotions either.

 

[Knitten]

Another arachnaphone here. To the point of jumping on the couch, crying my eyes out and screaming like a pig.
Then I met another arachnaphobe who tried to control her fear by learning as much about spiders as she could.
I started seeing them in a differently and start taking macro shots of them. And talking to them, and putting spiders out of harms way. (Like, I actively let a spider climb on my hand now to put it somewhere safe). Still not comfy with anything that's super big, so that's gonna be fun when I get a T. Lol.
Then one day, like, 3 to 6 months ago, I found Exotics Lair on youtube and I started watching his vids.
And now... I'm researching, and really want to get a Dwarf T to get started. I'm a relatively tiny person, so big T's are still way to impressive haha.
Thinking about a T bigger than the size of my hand... yeah, not comfy with that at all.
But we'll see, really looking forward to when I feel like I've researched enough and will actually buy one...

 

[Tschorm]

Was always keeping spiders in my room as a child even when my mother hated it, but we lived in a small village with a couple farms around, so we had a little flie problem, she used toxic tape on the windows, but I didnt like it because it was cruel to watch a flie/bee whatever die over minutes. Thats why I catched spiders from outside the window and released them inside my room, and let they do there thing xD Worked perfect, the webbing has not bothered me and i didnt had to listen flies die or killing them myself.
Now that I´m 28 wanted some kind off pet, but with working in shifts there is no way to keep a Dog, was thinking about a aquarium but thats a lot off work and then I saw a couple Youtube vids and well now I´m back were we startet with (at the moment) two Brachypelma´s Auratum/Vagans I love them, my mom still hates them, like it has always been^^

Sry for mistakes but english is not my native language, hope it is bearable =/

Tschorm

 

[Jess S]

And now... I'm researching, and really want to get a Dwarf T to get started. I'm a relatively tiny person, so big T's are still way to impressive haha.
Thinking about a T bigger than the size of my hand... yeah, not comfy with that at all.
But we'll see, really looking forward to when I feel like I've researched enough and will actually buy one...

T

May I recommend a Homoeomna Chilensis. They are adorable and don't get much bigger than approx 3".
People recommend them as great for beginners and arachnophobes, as they generally do not kick hairs or bite (though there can be exceptions). They are slow moving too.
The only downside to them is, they can go on long fasts of not eating. Which if you're a beginner, can be worrying, so be prepared.
There are people on this forum who own them + can tell you how great they are. I'm hoping to get a sling next week, so I can experience them first hand myself!

 

[Jess S]

Was always keeping spiders in my room as a child even when my mother hated it, but we lived in a small village with a couple farms around, so we had a little flie problem, she used toxic tape on the windows, but I didnt like it because it was cruel to watch a flie/bee whatever die over minutes. Thats why I catched spiders from outside the window and released them inside my room, and let they do there thing xD Worked perfect, the webbing has not bothered me and i didnt had to listen flies die or killing them myself.
Now that I´m 28 wanted some kind off pet, but with working in shifts there is no way to keep a Dog, was thinking about a aquarium but thats a lot off work and then I saw a couple Youtube vids and well now I´m back were we startet with (at the moment) two Brachypelma´s Auratum/Vagans I love them, my mom still hates them, like it has always been^^

Sry for mistakes but english is not my native language, hope it is bearable =/

Tschorm

I love Brachys too. I

 

[nedaK]

T

May I recommend a Homoeomna Chilensis. They are adorable and don't get much bigger than approx 3".
People recommend them as great for beginners and arachnophobes, as they generally do not kick hairs or bite (though there can be exceptions). They are slow moving too.
The only downside to them is, they can go on long fasts of not eating. Which if you're a beginner, can be worrying, so be prepared.
There are people on this forum who own them + can tell you how great they are. I'm hoping to get a sling next week, so I can experience them first hand myself!

They are extremely slow growing, slings are tiny, and they are very very very very hard to find.

 

[Rosawrath]

Thankfully i dont have a fear spiders but I have had quite a spider trying to scare at the last place I lived I would be watching tv or be playing a video game and they would some how end up in my blind spot just hanging there waiting for me to see it and panick the slowly climb back up his little web thread and it did it to me... but every tarantula I had has been dropped of on me by a family member or a family friend it's only happened two times so far but I did and do enjoy there company gives is weird that I will stand there and talk to ?

 

[Whitelightning777]

I noticed myself getting excessively nervous around the wolf spiders at my job site. I refuse to be mattered by emotional reactions.

Still, many years ago, I had a very positive experience with a PZB that was being displayed by over of the petshops. It say on my hand forever and was super chilled, light as a feather.

This kid and her mom wanted to buy it so I agreed that they would do so. Ironically enough, they live so long and grow so slow that I might still have it if I had purchased it.

So, I went out into my parents basement, captured a few wild wolf spiders & tested a few ideas that I had for modifying cages in ways that aren't typical to more closely copy their native areas and busy growth rates.

They were rewarded with mealworms for their trouble and released into the best possible location in the county with more bugs then anywhere else.

Then, I got a H spinifer scorpion, 23 surprise scorplings, a C versicolor somewhere in there, a L klugi {who is still probably my favorite & not a sling anymore) my first OW a M balfouri, then my first P striata.......

You get the idea.

Next one I've ordered, E olivacea, which is available from Jamie's for $90. This is an OW species with a similar attitude to the OBT. Probably NOT the best first one to get but still awesome.

 

[Jess S]

That's awesome. And now you're delving even further into Old World's! You probably started with the best introduction, M balfouri. I'd probably do the same further down the line. Don't think I'll be getting a pokie though. I totally see why people love them, but there's other T's I'd rather have.
You seem to get a lot of enjoyment in enclosure design. Maybe you could make it into a business venture one day!

 

[DwarfTsRcute]

I was more then petrified of any spider half a year ago and would run a mile. But after watching some people on YouTube I decided to get a sling tarantula only a dwarf species but now I have 17 different species not all dwarf but most are still sling.

 

[Avicularia Kael]

I have always liked bugs. I caught a lot of spiders and some ant queens to try to raise in the summer. I have kept some wolf spiders and stuff. I also love Ceratogyrus spp. so my third T was C. darlingi.

 

[Hemolymph]

My cousin @Arachnoclown got me into spiders. He use to catch spiders by the bucket loads when we were kids and dump them on my head. I can say thanks to him I have zero fear with creepy crawlies to this day.

 

[Whitelightning777]

That's awesome. And now you're delving even further into Old World's! You probably started with the best introduction, M balfouri. I'd probably do the same further down the line. Don't think I'll be getting a pokie though. I totally see why people love them, but there's other T's I'd rather have.
You seem to get a lot of enjoyment in enclosure design. Maybe you could make it into a business venture one day!

There are already breeders and vendors that all sell great enclosures. I think it's fun to use what they have as a starting point and modify them as needed.

Jamie's and fear not tarantulas have some for under $20. The ones I did set up are nice and do what I want them to do but aren't cheap to build. My juvenile T stirmi cage cost me well over $100& that's not even her forever home. (Which will probably come out in the $200 range when I'm done with it)

 

[Jess S]

I was more then petrified of any spider half a year ago and would run a mile. But after watching some people on YouTube I decided to get a sling tarantula only a dwarf species but now I have 17 different species not all dwarf but most are still sling.

Cool. Which are your favourites at the moment?

 

[Jess S]

I have always liked bugs. I caught a lot of spiders and some ant queens to try to raise in the summer. I have kept some wolf spiders and stuff. I also love Ceratogyrus spp. so my third T was C. darlingi.

I was the exact opposite lol

 

[Jess S]

My cousin @Arachnoclown got me into spiders. He use to catch spiders by the bucket loads when we were kids and dump them on my head. I can say thanks to him I have zero fear with creepy crawlies to this day.

That's some sort of hardcore aversion therapy!