secure tanks

[michael mcmahon]

hi im new to the forum and keeping ts,,i bought an exo terra glass tank with front opening glass doors and a wire mesh top its one designed for aboreal spiders as the guy sold me a starburst baboon and said they are mainly aboreal,,ive heard horror stories trhat they can bite through the metal wire,,now my girlfriends goin mad saying get it out if it can escape,,can anyone help ease her mind or can they really bite through it,,any help will be greatly appreciated,,thanks

[Stewart Macgregor]

I've heard plenty of accounts of T's biting through wire mesh. That said, I still keep a few of mine in tanks where there's a portion of mesh at the back. For arboreals, I tend to keep them in big jars with a secure screw top lid drilled with plenty of holes for ventilation. You can also get special glass tanks for arboreals, these are made by a company called Custom Aquaria, who have a table at the BTS show each May. They don't do mail order as far as I'm aware, but are based near Northampton so collection would be possible if you live close by.

To be honest I wouldn't worry too much about keeping a spider in one of those Exo Terra tanks. I've never had one myself, but I know someone who has and they've not had a problem to my knowledge.

Welcome to the hobby, and enjoy your new tarantula!

[michael mcmahon]

thanks alot mate im already addicted to it and want to buy more but before i do im goin to buy a load of books and read up a lot

[Stewart Macgregor]

Some of the books out there are much better than others. There are two that I would urge any new keeper to get, they helped me a lot when I started:

"The Tarantula Keeper's Guide"

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Stanley-Schultz/dp/0764100769/sr=8-1/qid=1159110401/ref=sr_1_1/202-2250491-2642238?ie=UTF8&s=books"]The Tarantula Keeper's Guide: Stanley A. Schultz, Marguerite J. Schultz: Amazon.co.uk: Books[/ame]

This is the bible for T keeping! It's got loads of info in it, and is a must buy for anyone who keeps them in my opinion.

"Tarantulas And Other Arachnids"

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tarantulas-Arachnids-Barrons-Complete-Manuals/dp/0764114638/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/202-2250491-2642238?ie=UTF8"]Tarantulas and Other Arachnids (Complete Pet Owner's Manual): Samuel D. Marshall: Amazon.co.uk: Books[/ame]

Another fantastic book. This one has great photos, and more helpful information. It's also pretty up to date, which is important. Tarantula keeping has changed a lot over the years, and is still changing, so many older books which are still for sale are giving outdated info.

[michael mcmahon]

i really like the salmon pink bird eaters but the shop near me wants £130 for it which seems expensive

[Simon Batten]

for my aboreal I just have a normal fish tank stood on its end cheap and effective

[Stewart Macgregor]

£130!!!! I got one 5 and half inches legspan for a fiver from the BTS show lol If your local petshop is selling for crazy prices then I wouldn't bother. Check out the bulletin boards on this site, also have a look at www.thespidershop.co.uk

Lasiodora parahybana (salmon pink birdeater) is a great tarantula, one of my favourite species. It was the second tarantula I bought, and now I've got 4 of this species. They're a very cheap spider to buy so don't pay over the odds for them. It might be worth getting a juvenile one a couple of inches legspan, as they are very fast growing (can reach adult in 2 years)

Some pet shops are massively overpriced when it comes to spiders. You can get far better deals from hobbyists and specialist invert dealers.

[Adam Smith]

It is much easier if u have internet to buy online

[mary walters]

Yes Stewart, Whopper was a good buy lol

If you can wait a few weeks, hopefully I will have some Lasidora klugi slings for sale, these are similar to parahybana but much redder, a nicer spider I think, even though I have 2 parahybana's. You missed a bargain, last week I sold a 5" parahybana and a 3" vagans for £10.

[Dave Gunter]

Keep me in mind as well please mary when you have T's for sale, i'm only just down the road from you