Glasgow Andrew Has A Question

[Andrew Murdoch]

Hi you guys,
thanks for the replies to my last post. I need to get up to speed with all of you with regard to the 'latin type names' of the tarantulas. I realise that what it says in the pet shop might not be totally correct. I actually come over to my neighbours house and use her PC as I am not on line! I need to get a PC too, HAHA.
I love the various links and sights I have been looking at, wow, some Ts are totally amazing, such variety.
There was a T that I saw that was totally out of this world, electric blue legs with spots of yellow, wow, that was amazing.
Anyways here goes: i have been looking at the sights that are mentioned around here that you can buy Ts from, how on earth do they get them to you, I am up here in Glasgow and assume the dealer is down south, is it not dangerous sending things by Royal Mail! Is there not a danger of Ts being bashed around, how does it work and is it worthwhile getting mail sent Ts?
Also my T, which is a Mex Red Knee lives in a viv (12x12x12) It has burrowed down into the strate, when I introduced it to the viv there was a half pipe of cork bark which I used to induce burrowing and my T went for it. I can see her through the glass underground. An the bark enterence I noticed very slight webbing. The enterence is not covered up, far from it, but am I right in saying this could indicate a molt starting, or am I jumping the gun. Is this just normal behaviour?
Also I have a pre adult, or a largish juvinile Chile Rose, how often should I feed her, i could feed her every day as she appears to eat everything that moves, do Ts stop eating when they are full up, is it pure instinct just to eat?
I have become a bit obsessed with all this and I only have two types, I like the very 'plain' types too, I saw a 'black velvet' type, I think it was one of the Thailand ones, it looked magnificent, they all do. I seem to be drawn to the terrestrial ones at the moment, but the tree dwellers are really cool too. I also realise that I could keep Ts in quite smallish compartments but I have gone for the vivarium housing, both are 12x12x12. Would a 12x12x12 viv be big enough for a Salmon Pink Birdeater?
One more thing, I must be mad as I have a fear of spiders, I remember there would be uproar when i was a child and there was a spider in the bath!!!!! But I am very much drawn to them, fortunatley I am totally hands off and let them do their own thing, so I am lucky in that department, plus I view them as totally wild creatures. well folks i am gonna brouse various sights for Ts, soon soon.

[James Box]

oh no Andrew! it's all started for you, hasn't it???
one wasn't enough, then two weren't enough...now you've got the scent of a load of other amazing T's! hehe
well it's really hard to stop, i can tell you from personal experience! and there's almost no limit to the number of beautiful T's out there...even some you don't fancy now you may come to want later on!
hehe

as for packing, any dealer worth his or her salt will know how to pack the T safely. they do it in small containers with a fair amount of paper towel to cushion any blows, and often some sort of heat pack during this cold weather.
for example i had 10 baby scorps shipped to me successfully through Royal Mail.
some are reluctant to send during the winter months due to cold, but it can be done fairly safely.
there are probably dealers further up north if you don't want to worry about it, though...
many guarantee live arrival, but naturally as a T lover it's more the sake of the animal that's important, so you may want to hold off til it warms up if you feel it's too risky.
be careful who you order from. there are some great dealers but unfortunately there are also some unscrupulous ones.
www.thespidershop.co.uk and others linked to from this board are good ones to start with.
i found more through going to spider shows.
the Thai blackvelvet, i think Haplopelma minax, is a gorgeous T! will probably get one one day, though i've got a Grammastola pulchra (related to your G rosea Chile rose), who is very black and velvety, and kinda docile at times...

[Clinton Hogben]

L Para

"Would a 12x12x12 viv be big enough for a Salmon Pink Birdeater?"

Hi Andrew
My Lasiodora Parahybana (Salmon Pink Birdeater) is in a viv about 11 wide x 16 long and she is fine, I went for the slightly bigger size to allow for growth she is only about 6 - 7 inches at the moment and growing rapidly so a 12 x 12 should be fine until your spider reaches full size at about 10 inch span then
he / she would only be able to spin round in circles (grin)

Clinton

[Robert Farmer]

hi Andrew,

Glad to see another Scot on the boards!

Word of advice, I like you got bitten by the T bug and ended up with a rather large collection fairly quickly after being in the hobby for a matter of months (30+, not helped by cheap availability from a local mate with a larger collection also), which may not be the best route to traverse.

Just saying it's maybe not a good idea to get involved too quickly, as I to be honest had some rather nervous moments (irate p. Murinus during transfer, l. parahybana up my sleeve, c. schioedti trying to have a go during a routine escape to name but a few) which I beleive I could of handled a lot better with a better understanding of the fundamental basics of T husbandry which no amount of books can teach, only solid hands on experience.

Not trying to put you off but sometimes it's a good idea to slow things down before you end up surrounded by sometimes rather difficult alien creatures!

By all means give me a shout if you're looking for any advice, or a 2nd opinion on a specimen.

Cheers,

Rab.

[Andrew Murdoch]

Hey Rab thanks for your experience

I was up the Barras (the pet shop I go to) today and was looking at vivariums and more tarantula stuff. At the moment the things I was looking at are running into a good few pounds ( larger viv £95, lighting and other things £95. I was quoter up to £95-£150 for a pre adult Lasiodora parahybana (Brazilian Salmon Tarantula) At the moment this is a bit expensive after the Christmas and stuff, but down the line I am willing to spend a bit of cash on a good viv, I was also looking at the Theraphosa blondi (£95). I guess I will get there in time and slowly build things up. The guy in the shop also had a Brazilian White Leg, I was looking in my Tarantula book and dont see that type, I am not sure if there is one called that (is there?) It has markings like a Mex Red Knee, except they are white, he says it grows to a large size, it is a beautiful specimen.
I am telling myself I will stop at three, cos the set ups I have take up a bit of room. i am sort of going for the natural habitat thing!
Anyways i will keep plugging away.

[Colin D Wilson]

Andrew have a look at the theraphosid gallery on here and look at Acanthoscurria geniculata also have a look at the Nhandu genus, see if any of these look like the "Brazilian white knee/leg" you saw in the shop.

[James Box]

Also, Andrew, if you want to save money, consider going to your local pound shop and buying large sealable plastic storage containers...
Woolworths and even some DIY shops carry them.
they aren't the most attractive of containers, but they're usually under a fiver! in some cases you don't even have to make holes.
heating can be done with ambient central heating, and the lid from a jar makes a grand water dish for an adult. bottle caps work for younger spiders, too.
i've even cut make-shift hides out of the bottom of a mince pie tray from Sainsbury's!
loads of ways you can save money.

as for T's themselves...maybe i'd suggest buying online if at all possible...i realise that's hard if you don't have an internet connection yourself, but it's worth it, when you consider paying sometimes less than half the price a store charges. also, you end up supporting independent traders and breeders who are quite ethical, like Lee from the Spidershop and many more.
if you can wait, and you don't mind a bit of travel (to be honest, probably only a few hours by train), come to the BTS show in (i believe) Wolverhampton in May, or the earlier one in Kettering.
these shows and others like them are hands-down the cheapest way to buy, and fantastic social events as well.
if you take my advice on your T housing, you'll easily save enough money for the trip!
the last show i went to, i literally travelled all day, but in the end it was one of the best days in recent memory, as i got to meet loads of BTS people, hang out for ages, and buy loads of great animals.
granted, it takes a bit of patience waiting for the shows to happen, but it's also a good way to stave off the addiction (though i keep ordering more animals even now)

[Robert Farmer]

I'd agree with James on the whole online thing, although it is nice to see the spid you're getting prior to purchase.

In favour of online sales however my local pet shop wanted £60 for a2.5" b Auratum with a missing leg on the grounds that "more expensive because it's still got to grow" after informing him that generally T's become more expensive as they get larger and older.

£60 for a b Auratum? With a leg missing? At such a small size AND unsexed!!!

Also was £60 for p Murinus sub adult! Deal considering they threw in the mal-sized neglected enclosure it was residing in...

[James Box]

that's mental! £60 for a sling in bad shape, because it "still has to grow" yeesh

my local pet shop is selling a P murinus for i think £90...with a tiny enclosure, i assume.
i bought my P murinus slings at a show. the guy gave me three for £2.
yes, you read that correctly.
even the adults are ridiculously cheap at shows or online!
the obvious benefit of the show is you see what you're getting, but there are alot of good traders and breeders that will check and send only the best they can.

[Clinton Hogben]

I was quoter up to £95-£150 for a pre adult Lasiodora parahybana (Brazilian Salmon Tarantula)

thats daylight robbery

I paid about £35.00 for mine (about 12 months old then) from Cambridge reptiles and exotics

http://www.cambridgereptiles.org/index.php

Although not a specialist in spiders they normally have a good selection with slings from about a fiver
I know thats no help to you in Glasgow but I would certainly look around a bit before laying out a ton on one

All the best

Clinton

[James Box]

think i paid at most a fiver for my two L para's...they are now about 3 inches in diameter, and i got them at about 1 inch... so easy to care for!

[Clinton Hogben]

think i paid at most a fiver for my two L para's...they are now about 3 inches in diameter, and i got them at about 1 inch... so easy to care for!

And dont they just grow and eat and grow and eat more ?
mine was about 4-5 inches when i brought her in sept and now two moults later she is prob about 7 inches
I can see a new viv on the horizons at this rate

Clint

[Robert Farmer]

I got mine at about 3" for a tenner if I recall correctly, now 2 moults on and pushing 6" easy, very inquisitive spider also was rather nervous until last moult.

[Peter Roach]

I bought 20 X 1cm para slings for £1-25 ea a few months ago and they are now about 1 1/2 in on average ....you can almost watch them grow.
For £150 It had better have a leg span of AT LEAST 18 INCHES MINIMUM before I would even consider paying that sort of money .... just thought about it ..... NAH.
I'll grow my own thank you very much !!!