Still really want one!

[kirsty smith]

I had really hoped to have my tarantula by now,it seems every time ive just about got the money together,another bill comes in or my daughter has ripped the a**e out another pair of school trousers,on saturday i excitedly went through to the only seller of arachnids close by......to find the shop shut! im gutted! i was so so so looking forward to ordering spider,set-up,crickets ect. Ive been looking on arachnophiles and this forum,& seen so many gorgeous tarantulas!,there seems alot of really crackin people too,that its given me the boost of confidence to want to get 2 or 3 to start with!!! Can anybody let me know of a place in scotland (i stay in fife) that they consider reputable?

[Andrew Murdoch]

Glasgow Andy

Hi Kirsty,
I really hope you get what your lookin for. I just got a Mex Red knee and like yourself I am new to all of this too. Got the viv and the jiminy crickets too, I am really gettin into all of this and like yourself i have gathered lots of info from the more experienced people who are on this forum. I got my T. from a pet shop which is near by. I had to wait for it but I got one. They have a Chile Rose in the shop the now, and as far as I can see it really looks the part. But then again I am new to this and 'looks the part' might not be the part. I just hope to build up more experience. Hoe you get what you need. Soon soon

[Colin D Wilson]

Kirsty, you could always try one of the online spider retailers
the spider shop, tarantula shop and tarantula barn to name but three.
have a look at what they have in stock and order online for postage out to you.
One of the ways of starting in the hobby is to get a spiderling and rear it, that way you get the benefits of lots of moults and watch as its "personallity" and "habits" change as it grows and matures.
Spiderlings can be bought for as little as £2.00 or there abouts for a L paharybana (salmon pink birdeater for a common name) or 3 - 4 pounds for a G rosea (chilli rose) add about £6.00 for postage.
with having a spiderling you dont have to buy an expensive setup straight away and you can utalise any tub or pot that suits the size of the spider, a film tub will accommodate a spiderling for quite a while, then you can move onto clear tupperware tubs and rehouse it when it outgrows its home.
it's an option you can comtemplate.

Colin

[Peter Lacey]

First of all, if you purchase a T from a shop you'll most likely pay a higher price than if you purchase one from an individual. Its also worth noting the shop is less likely to know the history eg. exact age whereas an individual might have all the molts.
Its worth setting up your enclosure before purchasing your Tarantula. This gives you time to arrange the furnishings, and rearrange until you're happy. More importantly it gives you time to test the temperature and humidity in various parts of the enclosure. You should also do some homework as to which T is most suitable for you.
As an example, I purchase an exo-terra 12x12x12 with substrate , cork, heatmat, Thermometer and Hydrometer. The substrate was a mixture of coco fibre/vermiculite/peat but to use the coco fibre it needs to be soaked in water, therefore its rather moist which wouldn't suite certain species straight away. I set up the enclosure and tested the T & H readings in the morning, late afternoon and night and recorded the readings. I moved these from the warmest to the coolest part of the tank to make sure there was a heat gradient which allows the Tarantula to move away or towards heat if needed. I rearranged the enclosure to aid water changes and increased the size of the burrow. Once I was happy I ordered my Tarantula and read as much as possible about the species so that when it arrived everything was set-up to the species requirements and now there's no need for me to rearrange her enclosure and stress her.
So, my suggestion would be to do the same, before you purchase your Tarantula and therefore split the cost of the original set-up and the spider.
You should consider whether you want a terrestrial (ground living) or arboreal (tree living), whether you want a display Tarantula or one that webs/burrows, one that's generally speaking fast or slow moving, moist or dry conditions, spiderling, juvenile or adult.
There's plenty of advice already written on the net about choosing your first Tarantula and whilst its not imperative you stick to the suggestions its important you understand the information.
I'm sure others, more experienced than myself, will provide helpful information.
GL & HF

[kirsty smith]

Thanks folks!
Hi to andy from one(soon to be!) newbie to another!,ive quite got my heart set on keeping terrestrial t"s to start with b.smithi (mexican red leg?), b.albopilosum (curly hair?) and the essential g.rosea (chilli rose). The way im looking at it is if i have 1 spider i still have to buy a whole tub of crickets - & would waste them,so if i get 2 or 3 t"s means not so much waste! Im not sure about spiderlings,arent they a bit fast? what if 1 escapes?,i was thinking more along the linrs of a juvinile or sub-adult?,at least till ive got through the first 2-3 moults safely,then i will seriously consider spiderlings and/or aboreals.
By the way,whats the difference between spiderlings & pokies (if any?) thankyou all so much for the help

[Oli Dodds]

By the way,whats the difference between spiderlings & pokies (if any?) thankyou all so much for the help

Hi Kirsty, welcome to the forums.
As you have not yet had any experiance with tarantulas I would not reccomend for you to even think about getting a pokie. A pokie is just a common name in the hobby for the species of tarantula "poecilotheria".
These spiders are extreamly fast, aggressive/defensive aboreals with pretty much the worst bite you will encounter. If one of these got loose in your house, you really couldnt afford to go to sleep until it was contained, lets put it that way .
Also, about the crickets, I strongly suggest that you dont go out and get 3 Ts right away without any experiance with them. Just get an old ice cream tub, put some holes, a water dish and some food in and your crickets should be fine .
Alternatively, why not breed some cockroachs such as the blaberus species? Excellent feeders and fast breeders with minimal care required!
Take care,
Oli

[Peter Lacey]

Kirsty, the three you suggest make excellent starter T's and of these the Smithi will most likely be the most striking colourwise. However you may find Smithi is the most likely to kick urticating bristles, I'm told this is a result of the ban on importation resulting in a more aggressive strain, at least in the South East.

I currently have a large T and a 1" G. Rosea spiderling. She's(?) active and fascinating to watch plus requires little attention. The more I read about
G. Rose the more unpredictable it seems this breed is which can only add to the joy for the owner.

PS: I was recently in contact with a collector in Fife. I'll try to contact him again and see if he can help with info, specimens and recommended suppliers.

[Phil Rea]

I'm told this is a result of the ban on importation resulting in a more aggressive strain, at least in the South East.

Interesting. Where did you come across this information, Peter?

[Peter Lacey]

Interesting. Where did you come across this information, Peter?

From an exotic pet shop owner, Paul at Cold Blooded, Rainham, Essex. He's often very clued up about his species & always keen to provide information.
His opinion, and I'm not aware whether its shared or not, is that over the last 20 years his experience is that the B. Smithi is becoming more prone to use urticating bristles. That due to the laws on exportation from Mexico the B. Smithi are suffering from the lack of wild caught specimens. Taking his advice I decided against buying the adult in his possession and it should be noted he didn't try to steer me in another direction, so I made no purchase on that day. Since then I've read plenty of posts that seem to support that theory however it could also be merely a matter of people more likely to report aggressive tendancies than normal behaviour.
I'm curious to know if others feel the same, if this issue is confined to the South East or throughout the UK and perhaps Europe? Its worth noting however, that the Ts we hold in captivity show signs that might not be displayed in the wild and perhaps those changes are revealed in their temperament.

I'm no aficionado on these matters so please don't take my word for it, I'm merely expressing the experiences of another, but I'll always suggest to find out as much as you can about your potential purchase.

[kirsty smith]

Hi Oli!,
I wasnt even thinking of getting a pokie,i just wanted to know what they are! as i find it confusing sometimes on forums people talking about pokies,slings(?) because i just thought they were "wee" spiders!!! lol!

[Nicola Dolby]

Hi everyone, just reading through the thread and noticed about Poecilotheria. If anything I have said on this site has given the impression that these beautiful creatures are aggressive I apologise. Poecilotheria are very shy and photophobic, and will defend themselves without hesitation, but they are not agressive and I hope nothing I have said indicates this. They are an incredible genera with strange, almost playful behaviour and yes they do have strong venom compared to most tarantulas but the biggest problem with keeping them is their phenomenal speed. If you want to start with a Poecilotheria can I recommend a spiderling (baby) and as he or she grows your experience will grow with it; rather than going out and buying an adult straight away. I do agree with others though who say Brachypelmas are a better bet to start with. Have a look online at the spider shop, there's a few there.

[James Box]

i suppose it all comes down to the argument about what makes a good "beginner" spider. everyone says avoid the defensive ones as a beginner, but i started with Ceratogyrus darlingi! defensive and feisty as anything i've had.
...one even escaped for a couple days!!! but i was never bitten.
still, i suppose for an absolute beginner (i had P imperators before the C darlingi, feisty blighters themselves!), it makes sense to start with something really calm.

Aphonopelma chalcodes (sold as Mexican or desert blonde) is an ideal beginner, and an under-rated beauty, as is Brachypelma albopilosum (curly hair).
after the C. darlingi's, i "progressed" lol to two Grammastola rosea's (Chile rose), and they are still two of my favourites. mine are calm and docile. they don't even mind my interference in the tank, unlike the former two i mentioned, who are only calm if they are alone or on my hand.
but others have had different experiences!
all spiders are to be respected, even the calmest can have a strop at you, or lunge, thinking you're food.
if you start with a sling [s(pider)ling, in case that wasn't clear or explained already] of pretty much any species, though, you'll have time to get used to its moods. they can bite as slings, but they're not that likely. i've had nearly all of my slings on my hand at one time or other. some are too fast to safely handle (safely for them), but even they were far less likely to bite than adults in my limited experience.

[Louise~Nichols]

I think I'll add Grammostola Aureostriata to that list...these grow nice and big...and mine are exceedingly docile, as are my G.Pulchra.
None of my younger specimens are particularly fast moving...the only negative would be in the eye of the beholder...are you looking for an *instant gratification* specimen ie: large from day one?

Also consider the hair kickers and your environment...does your child or anyone in your house have asthma? If so try and keep the environment around the spideys tubs wiped down regularly.
I have a B.Klaasi and a B.Emilia who both kick like demons if you look at them, and *hey presto* loads of irritating hair is suddenly flying around! But that isn't to say that any two specimens behave the same, just merely that the more docile a specimen you start with the easier a time you should have.

Good luck with finding your perfect eight legged mates!

[kirsty smith]

Hi louise!,
Thanks for the input!,im lucky that neither of my 2 kids have asthma,but after a lot of thinking, g.rosea & b.apolisium are my first choices,b.smithi can wait till ive more money!!. Im not fussy if tarantulas i get grow big quick,i just want to learn and observe them,to give them a worthwhile life!

[Louise~Nichols]

You're welcome! It's always good to find new spidey-souls, and I'm sure you'll have a grand time getting to grips with it all.
I think those are two nice choices there on your *shopping list*...the B.Smithi as babies can be purchased for about £4 to £5...see TheSpiderShop under the heading *slings*.