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What species would be good for me?

Tbeginner

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Hi, I'm completely new to tarantulas, but I've always liked them and in a few months I will have right conditions to get one.
I'd like to ask what species would be good for me. This is what my ideal tarantula should be in order of importance :
Calm- low probability of running away when I open the tank.
Easy to care for, no special humidity or other conditions, but occasional missing would be OK
I've read on one blog that some species need 20 gallon (70 litre) tank. That's too large for me. 10 gallons would be enough in my conditions.
It should not hide too much, I'd like to see it.
Interesting appearance

I know that this is ideal that does not exist in reality. Each species has pros and cons. But I'd like to know what species meet most of these criteria.
Thank you :)
 

Enn49

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Are you looking at getting a sling or a juvenile? I ask because many slings will burrow to begin with but surface more and more as they grow.
My 2 Brachypelma smithi (Mexican Redknee) have never burrowed even as tiny slings but my Brachypelma albopilosums (Honduran Curlyhair Tarantula) burrowed constantly although I could watch them scurrying around underground. Once the Brachypelma albopilosums reached 1-1.5" dls they began to spend most of their time in the open. Both these species are great feeders and relatively placid.
 

Tbeginner

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Are you looking at getting a sling or a juvenile? I ask because many slings will burrow to begin with but surface more and more as they grow.
My 2 Brachypelma smithi (Mexican Redknee) have never burrowed even as tiny slings but my Brachypelma albopilosums (Honduran Curlyhair Tarantula) burrowed constantly although I could watch them scurrying around underground. Once the Brachypelma albopilosums reached 1-1.5" dls they began to spend most of their time in the open. Both these species are great feeders and relatively placid.
Thank you Enn.
I don't know, is it difficult to take care of slings? Are they very fragile for beginners (could beginners harm them more than juveniles) or are they better because they get used to you from their 'childhood'?
Im sorry for such a stupid question but as I said, I've got no experience and I want to make a responsible decision.
 

Will

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My G. rosea (sling) is very calm and always out in the open. Still fast when it wants to be though (as they all are). The only thing is it has only done a tiny bit of webbing, which is a shame because I love to watch them web and I think it makes the enclosure look more spooky. But that may not be a problem for you.
 

Enn49

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@Tbeginner I'd recommend slings 0.5" upwards, the very tiny ones can be a little scary for a beginner but from 0.5" upwards they are a bit more manageable. Slings are on the whole just as easy to rear as larger Ts and you get to see them develop their adult colours. They will never really get used to you but some species tolerate our presence more than others but you need to remember they are still wild creatures and can have bad moods just like humans. The one advantage of starting with slings is that you learn their ways without having a chunky T to deal with.
 

Tbeginner

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Thanks for your suggestions. I'll spend some more time reading both here and on other pages before I make a decision. If anyone has any advice for me, I'll be grateful.
 

MassExodus

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There's a few good videos on YouTube that describe "beginner tarantulas", one by Jon3800 that goes into a little detail on behavior and such. Basically the spiders he describes meet most or all of your criteria. Hope this helps.
 

Therasoid

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Thank you Enn.
I don't know, is it difficult to take care of slings? Are they very fragile for beginners (could beginners harm them more than juveniles) or are they better because they get used to you from their 'childhood'?
Im sorry for such a stupid question but as I said, I've got no experience and I want to make a responsible decision.
If I may, slings aren't difficult to raise, just require more care than older specimens.
I will advocate that beginners start with a juvenile, since they have developed their wax like cuticle. NW terrestrial slings require slightly moist substrate, along with a water dish, to keep from dehydrating. Plus many need to be fed more often, mine twice weekly, to accelerate growth.
Brachypelma, Aphonopelma and Grammostola genus are good to start with. If you are the impatient type, avoid Grammostola, slowest growers, but longest lived. Brachypelma have some of the best coloration, some are expensive, long lived, good eaters and make fine display animals. Aphonopelma are, for the most part, medium growth rate, hardy, good eaters and out in the open.
When you can visit Mikes Basic Care website and read some of his care sheets. IMO, the best basic care website available for beginners and intermediate keepers.
Best of luck in you decision-making and welcome to the "addiction".
 

kormath

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Personally, i'd go with the GBB. That was our first sling and is a great eater, typically calm but can be skittish, and the colors are gorgeous as it grows. Ours has never burrowed or used a hide, it's always out in the open.
 

Tbeginner

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If I may, slings aren't difficult to raise, just require more care than older specimens.
I will advocate that beginners start with a juvenile, since they have developed their wax like cuticle. NW terrestrial slings require slightly moist substrate, along with a water dish, to keep from dehydrating. Plus many need to be fed more often, mine twice weekly, to accelerate growth.
Brachypelma, Aphonopelma and Grammostola genus are good to start with. If you are the impatient type, avoid Grammostola, slowest growers, but longest lived. Brachypelma have some of the best coloration, some are expensive, long lived, good eaters and make fine display animals. Aphonopelma are, for the most part, medium growth rate, hardy, good eaters and out in the open.
When you can visit Mikes Basic Care website and read some of his care sheets. IMO, the best basic care website available for beginners and intermediate keepers.
Best of luck in you decision-making and welcome to the "addiction".

Thanks, I'll check that out.
Just one question, how do I distinguish a sling from juvenile? Is it a matter of size? Do you agree with Enn49's advice of 0.5 inch, that should be slightly over 1 cm if I'm good at conversion.
 

MassExodus

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I would call a juvie a two inch spider, depending on the species of course, but generally, yeah, 2 inches is juvie, 4 inches sub adult, 6 inches adult, except for monster spiders, or dwarfs, which is why I said generally speaking. I would also recommend buying at least 1" slings..sometimes babies die for no visible reason at smaller sizes, the tiny ones, and if it's at an inch you can figure it at least has a chance. That's just my opinion though.
 

kormath

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I would call a juvie a two inch spider, depending on the species of course, but generally, yeah, 2 inches is juvie, 4 inches sub adult, 6 inches adult, except for monster spiders, or dwarfs, which is why I said generally speaking. I would also recommend buying at least 1" slings..sometimes babies die for no visible reason at smaller sizes, the tiny ones, and if it's at an inch you can figure it at least has a chance. That's just my opinion though.
easier to feed also, or rather there's more of a selection they can eat starting at that size. My small slings at 1/4" are picky as hell on their food. Even the LP. He'll ride a ****roach his size as he sinks in his fangs but won't touch a chopped up mealworm smaller than him. Must be an adrenaline junky needing the thrill of riding a racer lol.
 

Therasoid

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Thanks, I'll check that out.
Just one question, how do I distinguish a sling from juvenile? Is it a matter of size? Do you agree with Enn49's advice of 0.5 inch, that should be slightly over 1 cm if I'm good at conversion.
Personally I break the size into 3 stages.
1) spiderling 2) juvenile 3) adult, some keepers will include the sub-adult catagory.
Use as example the G. rosea (typical adult near 6").
Spiderling from EWL to 2"
Juvenile 2"+ to 4"
Adult 4"+ to 6"
As stated by others the size and life stage is dependent on the species.
I still suggest a juvenile since beginners haven't the basic husbandry skill set. I don't want another "My sling is in a death curl." or "Help! I think my baby is near death!" thread to be posted.
However, if you really want to start with a sling, get A. seemanni. Reasons: very low cost ($8-$10), high availability, NW terrestrial, hardy, excellent eaters, moderate webbers/growth rate and once older are a good display type. I currently have 4, both "hobby" and "blue" forms and enjoy watching them take down their prey.
 

Tbeginner

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Personally I break the size into 3 stages.
1) spiderling 2) juvenile 3) adult, some keepers will include the sub-adult catagory.
Use as example the G. rosea (typical adult near 6").
Spiderling from EWL to 2"
Juvenile 2"+ to 4"
Adult 4"+ to 6"
As stated by others the size and life stage is dependent on the species.
I still suggest a juvenile since beginners haven't the basic husbandry skill set. I don't want another "My sling is in a death curl." or "Help! I think my baby is near death!" thread to be posted.
However, if you really want to start with a sling, get A. seemanni. Reasons: very low cost ($8-$10), high availability, NW terrestrial, hardy, excellent eaters, moderate webbers/growth rate and once older are a good display type. I currently have 4, both "hobby" and "blue" forms and enjoy watching them take down their prey.
Thank you that was informative :)
 

Tbeginner

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There's a few good videos on YouTube that describe "beginner tarantulas", one by Jon3800 that goes into a little detail on behavior and such. Basically the spiders he describes meet most or all of your criteria. Hope this helps.
I watched that video and he recommends Tarantula Keeper's Guide by Schultz. I've bought kindle version and started reading it. So far, I really like it.
 

micheldied

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There's a few good videos on YouTube that describe "beginner tarantulas", one by Jon3800 that goes into a little detail on behavior and such. Basically the spiders he describes meet most or all of your criteria. Hope this helps.

This ^. The species he goes through are all pretty good for beginners, as they're all pretty slow (though not all are always calm). Plenty of Ts are ideal for your description.

Slings are generally harder to care for because they are more susceptible to dessication (drying out) and require more feeding (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) since they're growing. However, it isn't much more difficult. Anyone capable of putting in the time for a dog or reptile, for example, will be fine with slings. Ts aren't very difficult animals to keep alive. Slings of those species are very hardy anyway.

What can kill a T, apart from completely ignoring them, is worrying about them too much. AKA constantly giving them water (and basically drowning the enclosure unnecessarily), or bothering them during a molt because you're so worried.

Read up as much as you can. Generally all the info out there will be similar, just try to find articles with more detail. The best articles will explain WHY you should do things a certain way, and not just tell you what you should do. The Tarantula Keeper's Guide is amazing as well.
 

Tbeginner

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Another question. So T's are nocturnal animals. I would keep it in my bedroom. To what degree are they noisy? Could I sleep?
I'm asking because I used to have two rats and they were playing all night chasing each other, jumping (they had a large cage with many "floors") etc. It was impossible to have them in my room at night.
I suppose T's are not like that but I just want to make sure.
 

Phil

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Another question. So T's are nocturnal animals. I would keep it in my bedroom. To what degree are they noisy? Could I sleep?
I'm asking because I used to have two rats and they were playing all night chasing each other, jumping (they had a large cage with many "floors") etc. It was impossible to have them in my room at night.
I suppose T's are not like that but I just want to make sure.
I have 15 in my bedroom. The Ts make no noise....only crickets if they have not been eaten but you should also get into the habit of removing crickets if they are not taken - all good books would recommend that. If that fails, I find red wine helps with sleeping....lol

On the subject of best T to start with I would concur with all the suggestions already posted. I started wiith adults basically as it gave that initial wow factor and did not want to chance spiderlings at the start but have no worries with them now and it is very cool how some are completely different as slings.

So from my personal experience of owning each of the 3 most commonly mentioned in this thread.
1. B. Smithi - great display T, nice pattern, usually remains outside any hides but depending on the individual can flick hairs
2. Grammastola - usually very placid, slow growing and if you talk to any pet store they would recommend - although I would always say take advice from forums like this rather than from some snot nosed teenager employed at a minimum wage - no offense to teenagers out there it is more to illustrate the point that the shops are only interested in profit!
3. GBB (Green Bottle Blue). Stunning spider, one of the best colours out there and one of my favourites. Web a lot so the tank will also look interesting when it has decorated. Can be a little skittish but generally they are OK.

In summary, work out what you want more out of the spider and then check out the for sale ads from members here would be my recommendation. Be warned.....It is an addictive hobby. I only wanted one. Made a resolution this year that I would have no more than 11 and broke that resolution within 3 weeks. Now have 15. Although selling 3 of them. Guys on here have hundreds more than me to so I am not even in the large collection category....ha ha
 

Phil

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Another question. So T's are nocturnal animals. I would keep it in my bedroom. To what degree are they noisy? Could I sleep?
I'm asking because I used to have two rats and they were playing all night chasing each other, jumping (they had a large cage with many "floors") etc. It was impossible to have them in my room at night.
I suppose T's are not like that but I just want to make sure.
Forgot to mention.....if not done so already, use the introductions link to tell us all a little about yourself, there are loads of members here who are all friendly and will freely offer their advice....as you have seen already :). And when you get your new addition, you can share your pics on the gallery too. We all like looking at Ts so please send pics. Best wishes.
 

RedCapTrio

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Slings for me are those that does not show their adult colors as yet. Then we have juvies when after the molt, their adult colors starts showing. Adults then are when they reach their expected average sizes. :)
 

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