when are you ready for a OW? pokie

[jrh3]

ok guys, i know i havent been in hobby long. I starting to see that its easier to learn as you go with Tarantulas. I have a long background with inverts just not T's. the more i look at the pokies, P. metallica to be exact. how back can a sling be. I respect them when feeding and going in cage so i think thats what makes the difference in responsible owners. ibalways have a backup catch cup if needed. now my question is when do you know your ready? is there ready that much difference in a NW Arboreal than a OW? i just dont think they are waiting to jump out and bite everytime you open the cage like most people say. maybe i wrong though.

 

[Enn49]

My son got a juvenile P. vittata as his first T (he was in his 30s) and my second T was a P. metallica. Neither have given us a threat pose, both are more likely to hide than attack but we always treat them with respect knowing what they are capable of. As a sling my P. met was amazingly calm but is more jumpy now as she's getting bigger.

Only you really know if you're ready for a Pokie but as long as you use tongs/tweezers for maintenance and keep one eye on the T I don't see a problem, remember they are very fast.

 

[jrh3]

faster than avic? i think im gonna start looking for one. i see some for 125 bucks for a 1.5 in sling. is this high?

 

[jrh3]

after research ifound 125 is NOT a good price lol. i found me 2 for sale im hoping to order tonight,

 

[Enn49]

I paid £33 (about $48) for mine at about 0.75" dls.

 

[kormath]

faster than avic? i think im gonna start looking for one. i see some for 125 bucks for a 1.5 in sling. is this high?

2 or 3 times faster than an Avic. my P. cambridgei is faster than my avics and almost more than i can handle as a 3/4" sling. I know i'm not ready for an OW yet He's gonna be fun as he gets larger. Gonna have to devise some type of hamster tunnel thing for rehousing lol.

 

[jrh3]

lol, i been reading and lots use the coke bottle method, cutting off the bottom, letting the T crawl into it. im sure i can figure something out. i heard pokies are like teleporters, haha. only thing i would fear would be it escaping where i couldnt find it.

 

[kormath]

yep they are from what i've read. the Pcam is like that also. you blink and he's half way across the desk, or rather the bed in my son's case when it escaped.

 

[jrh3]

wow thats fast. mine will be 1 inch slings, which will be fast also, but i think the best way for me to learn would be getting small and growing with them.

 

[Zurchiboy]

Like Enn said. Only you know when your ready. Make sure you do your research before getting one. and you always have this forum to turn to if something unexpected happens

 

[Meludox]

I've read that Pokies are twice as fast as the most from the Psalmopoeus genus and from what I've seen from my P. irminia and P. pulcher; that is not something I want to deal with. Good luck though, and as long as you are very careful it should go smoothly.

I myself though and probably other people on the forum would recommend that you use the ladder system. Not everyone does and they don't have issues but it just may prepare you more for a Pokie's speed/possible negative temperament.

 

[Scoolman]

When you are prepared for a bite, have researched symtpoms of the species venom, have a med kit ready, have written instructions of what to do if you have a severe reaction and cannot speak, you are ready for any tarantula.

 

[jrh3]

I've read that Pokies are twice as fast as the most from the Psalmopoeus genus and from what I've seen from my P. irminia and P. pulcher; that is not something I want to deal with. Good luck though, and as long as you are very careful it should go smoothly.

I myself though and probably other people on the forum would recommend that you use the ladder system. Not everyone does and they don't have issues but it just may prepare you more for a Pokie's speed/possible negative temperament.

what is the ladder system? you mean working your way up to them?

 

[Will]

My P metallica is crazy fast. It's only a 1.5" dls sling at the moment but it basically teleports. It's extremely nervous and sensitive to the slightest vibrations or lights.

Having said that, as long as you're sensible and diligent in your preparations there's no reason it should be an issue. They're not aggressive, they're nervous. They don't want to bite you, sitting there waiting for their opportunity. Think about easy methods for feeding, such as having some kind of hatch you can lift on the lid to toss a cricket in, rather than removing the whole lid every time. It's just about minimizing risks.

This is what I do with deli cups:

 

[Kymura]

My P metallica is crazy fast. It's only a 1.5" dls sling at the moment but it basically teleports. It's extremely nervous and sensitive to the slightest vibrations or lights.

Having said that, as long as you're sensible and diligent in your preparations there's no reason it should be an issue. They're not aggressive, they're nervous. They don't want to bite you, sitting there waiting for their opportunity. Think about easy methods for feeding, such as having some kind of hatch you can lift on the lid to toss a cricket in, rather than removing the whole lid every time. It's just about minimizing risks.

This is what I do with deli cups:
View attachment 15112

I really think this is a good idea for many of the faster T's, for their safety more then ours, wonder if a small sink stopper would work on drilled acrylic....??

 

[jrh3]

i talked myself out of the pokies. its best for now, so now im gonna stick with some NW species, now i have to figure out what i wanna get next with the pokie money i had lol.

 

[kormath]

i talked myself out of the pokies. its best for now, so now im gonna stick with some NW species, now i have to figure out what i wanna get next with the pokie money i had lol.

GBB, Brachy's, Psalmopoeus, Phormictopus, Grammostola, Aconthoscurria, the giant Theraphosa's. The list goes on and on for NW

 

[jrh3]

lol i know, im really into arboreal, but im starting to take a liking to the deep black colors of some terrestrials. even saw the Pterinopelma sazimai, and all i can say is WOW.

 

[RedCapTrio]

First OW after 13 NWs is a Pmet. And it is a 1inch sling so it poses no threat at the moment. It has molted once already and it does not bolt when I feed. It mostly stay hidden, it only comes out when it is still and dark.