What To Do…

[QuinnStarr]

Hi all!

I’ve been on the struggle bus with my depression recently and my fiancé has given me the green light to buy another tarantula. I’m not sure if I’m going to because I don’t know if the happiness of buying it will outweigh the added item to my list of stressors right now. (Yes, I know tarantulas are pretty easy animals to keep but depression does weird things to your brain and makes mountains out of molehills.)

Right now I have seven. All slings or small juveniles and they are…
B. hamorii (2” DLS - just started showing it’s adult colors after last molt)
T. apophysis (2” DLS)
N. chromatus (Sold as 1/8” DLS but it looks bigger than that, imo, and hasn’t molted yet)
X. sp. white (1.5” DLS)
C. cyaneopubescens (no clue how big this one is, it molted on Saturday and hasn’t come out of its hide yet)
A. avicularia (3-3.5” DLS)

I’m considering a Birupes but have no experience at all with OW’s so that’s an iffy one.

That said, tell me what bright and colorful tarantulas you would buy if you were in my shoes. I am 100% not ready for a pokie, though. As beautiful as they are, it’s not something I’m prepared to take on.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Psalmopoeus irminia Venezuelan suntiger. A must have for any collection.

 

[QuinnStarr]

Psalmopoeus irminia Venezuelan suntiger. A must have for any collection. View attachment 61178

omg I’m in love

 

[WolfSpider]

I concur. They are easily as fast as a Pokie, but have only modest venom. A great gateway spider to OWs.

 

[QuinnStarr]

I concur. They are easily as fast as a Pokie, but have only modest venom. A great gateway spider to OWs.

I didn’t know these would be an OW gateway. Whaaaaat.

That said, regarding gateway/beginner OW’s, I would legitimately faint if they started offering up CB Eucratoscelus pachypus.
Just. Straight up hit the ground. That’s the OW I want to start with, and it’s adorable to boot, but I think I read that they never bred them because the people getting them from the wild didn’t realize the males were the same species or something?

 

[Itsy Bitsy]

I concur. They are easily as fast as a Pokie, but have only modest venom. A great gateway spider to OWs.

Suntigers are also voracious eaters makes for some cool feeding moments. Harpactira pulchripes are pretty gorgeous tarantulas can’t go wrong with them.

I have birupes slings right now and there just fast…. I haven’t found to much husbandry information but they do look stunning.

 

[octanejunkie]

I vote for any one of these, for you
H pulchripes
M balfouri
P irminia
P regalis

As long as you are respectful of their speed and husbandry needs, you should be good given the list of what's you're already keeping.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Here's a really old video of a juvenile irminia feeding

 

[QuinnStarr]

Suntigers are also voracious eaters makes for some cool feeding moments. Harpactira pulchripes are pretty gorgeous tarantulas can’t go wrong with them.

I have birupes slings right now and there just fast…. I haven’t found to much husbandry information but they do look stunning.

Tom Moran has a short husbandry video on Birupes, I think? I binge his channel pretty often and I think I saw one come up about those

 

[Itsy Bitsy]

Tom Moran has a short husbandry video on Birupes, I think? I binge his channel pretty often and I think I saw one come up about those

Yup! It’s thanks to that video my slings are still alive haha. Im always looking for more resources and information on these species. They look great and I can really see them being even more popular in the hobby once the price calms down.

 

[QuinnStarr]

Yup! It’s thanks to that video my slings are still alive haha. Im always looking for more resources and information on these species. They look great and I can really see them being even more popular in the hobby once the price calms down.

I almost bought one last week but bought an Xenesthis sp. white instead older kiddo talked me into that one

 

[Itsy Bitsy]

I almost bought one last week but bought an Xenesthis sp. white instead older kiddo talked me into that one

Definitely the better buy of the two. I have a bias towards Xenesthis since they are a lot more leggy and have a lot more interesting carapace patterns.

Let us know what you decide on ᄽ(◕""◕)ᄿ

 

[QuinnStarr]

Definitely the better buy of the two. I have a bias towards Xenesthis since they are a lot more leggy and have a lot more interesting carapace patterns.

Let us know what you decide on ᄽ(◕""◕)ᄿ

I’m a sucker for a blue spider. Couldn’t tell you why. But blue and orange are my go-to’s.

I yolo’d a bunch of slings from another board, actually. Most are mysteries but there’s at least one T. albo and a Orphnaecus philippinus, at minimum.

 

[Lawrence b]

I agree with Arachnoclown Psalmopoeus make a good gateway to Pokies . But I think I actually got P. Ornate first before P.pulcher . If you want a terrestrial I would agree with Octanejunkie M.Balfouri . I also like the look of Heterothele gabonensis .

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[QuinnStarr]

I agree with Arachnoclown Psalmopoeus make a good gateway to Pokies . But I think I actually got P. Ornate first before P.pulcher . If you want a terrestrial I would agree with Octanejunkie M.Balfouri . I also like the look of Heterothele gabonensis .View attachment 61206

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If I’m ever going to buy an M. balfori, it’s going in a communal which, sadly, I don’t have the room for. But the idea of keeping spiders together fascinates me. I’m a little scared of what happens if i wind up with males and females and they make babies though. I haven’t researched enough

 

[DustyD]

Are you just looking for bright colors?
If not, G. pulchra the Brazilian Black Tarantula is a beautiful docile species. Some have nicknamed them the Black Labs of tarantulas. Like many tarantulas they are skittish when younger but I have been told they Mello with age.

 

[Itsy Bitsy]

Are you just looking for bright colors?
If not, G. pulchra the Brazilian Black Tarantula is a beautiful docile species. Some have nicknamed them the Black Labs of tarantulas. Like many tarantulas they are skittish when younger but I have been told they Mello with age.

The deep dark velvet black on the Pulchras are pretty cool as well. Definitely worth looking into.

I feel the phrase “Everything looks better in black” fits well for Pulchras.

 

[DustyD]

The deep dark velvet black on the Pulchras are pretty cool as well. Definitely worth looking into.

I feel the phrase “Everything looks better in black” fits well for Pulchras.

Exactly! Well said. Freshly molted G. pulchra Lady Polgara from a few weeks ago. (I got her from Casey K awhile back)

 

[WolfSpider]

The deep dark velvet black on the Pulchras are pretty cool as well. Definitely worth looking into.

I feel the phrase “Everything looks better in black” fits well for Pulchr

Personally. I prefer the P. arboricola.(OW) Classified as an arboreal, they behave like a terrestrial.

 

[ilovebrachys]

I didn’t know these would be an OW gateway. Whaaaaat.

That said, regarding gateway/beginner OW’s, I would legitimately faint if they started offering up CB Eucratoscelus pachypus.
Just. Straight up hit the ground. That’s the OW I want to start with, and it’s adorable to boot, but I think I read that they never bred them because the people getting them from the wild didn’t realize the males were the same species or something?

I agree with @Arachnoclown about the Irimina.. They are a must have in a collection.

You mention the E. Patchypus? The males are an extreme rarity but they are out there.. Once they come up for sale they are instantly sold (often from Europe to the US) for thousands of dollars so someone is trying to breed them stateside. If they do become available they will be very pricey but first eggsacs will be held back by breeders.