Ordered my first slings!

[Kurt Baird]

I ordered my first slings today! We've been keeping T's now for around 7 or 8 months now, and whilst they have been mainly my Dad's hobby, I have become more and more interested in keeping my own tarantulas.

As I work in a shop that sells T's I have had more exposure to them, and we are ordering in some more, so I asked for some slings to try and raise up.

I've ordered a Brachypelma ruhnaui, a Ceratogyrus brachycephalus, a Cyclosternum fasciatum, a Euthalus vulpinus, a Grammostola pulchra, a Grammostola rosea and a Nhandu chromatus.

Now what I'm going to do is obviously give them their own little pots with some coco-foir substrate, and then place all these into an Exo Terra faurnarium which will be heated by a heat mat which will be controlled by a thermostat set for 80F. I'm also going to put a layer of vermiculite at the bottom of the faurnarium to help with the humidity.

I'm gonna keep the humidity up by using a pipette to drop a few drops of water to avoid dehydrating the sling, but also to avoid drowning it.

Does that sound alright to you guys, and does anyone have any further suggestions? And what do you think of my sling choices?

[lynn mawdesley]

Nice collection to start you off Kurt...enjoy

[Emily Nicholls]

I think they are great choices! I would like some of those species myself. The ruhnaui is now known as albiceps, just to let you know! I have a sling myself and I love it, but it grows so slowly haha!

I was just wondering if the temperature might be a little high at 80F for some of them, I have heard that Euathlus species like it cooler in particular, but I'm sure someone more experienced will say for sure.

[Kurt Baird]

Yeah, I may alter the thermostat to mid/late 70's although the Spider Shop says they like it up to 82F.

I decided for a mix of fast growers and slow growers so I can move them onto bigger tanks at different times.I think the G. pulchra can take something like 10 years to grow completely? I just hope they all turn out to be females! Other wise, keep an eye out for some males popping up for breeding!

I also wanted a mix of docile spiders and spiders with a lot of attitude! The shop I work at has a B. emilia sling too, contemplating adding one of them to my collection too.

And thanks for the heads up on the name change!

[Emily Nicholls]

Yeah, I may alter the thermostat to mid/late 70's although the Spider Shop says they like it up to 82F.

I decided for a mix of fast growers and slow growers so I can move them onto bigger tanks at different times.I think the G. pulchra can take something like 10 years to grow completely? I just hope they all turn out to be females! Other wise, keep an eye out for some males popping up for breeding!

I also wanted a mix of docile spiders and spiders with a lot of attitude! The shop I work at has a B. emilia sling too, contemplating adding one of them to my collection too.

And thanks for the heads up on the name change!

Sounds good, I have all of mine at room temperature and they all seem to be fine.

Haha you definately have some slow growers there! I just read the bit on the spider shop about the vulpinus, it sounds really interesting! If I had some money I would definately buy I lot of the Euathlus species, I think they are all great, and so colourful!

Ah emilia... my sling has been supposedly been in premoult for about 8 months haha, it stopped eating, darkened in colour, and blocked off the entrance to the burrow, the other day it appeared on the surface, I gave it a cricket, and now it's blocked up it's burrow again, I hope it hurries up and moults soon, annoying little thing!

[Kurt Baird]

Ah emilia... my sling has been supposedly been in premoult for about 8 months haha, it stopped eating, darkened in colour, and blocked off the entrance to the burrow, the other day it appeared on the surface, I gave it a cricket, and now it's blocked up it's burrow again, I hope it hurries up and moults soon, annoying little thing!

Sounds like a naughty T! My adult Nhandu is a bit like that. We haven't seen it since September time (blocked up its burrow etc) and it popped out last night for a cockroach and now it's sealed it's burrow up again!

The Euthalus are very interesting, and the vulpinis certainly sounds like a right character! Hopefully my sling will live up to it!

[James Box]

nice start mate...i've been keeping Euathlas slings for a number of months now, and i found they like it pretty dry and cool. i had a few die before i sussed that. they are slow growers, as well. they eat well enough when not in pre-moult though.
they were a little counterintuitively not the easiest slings i've kept! i kept wanting to water them, and they seem to need very little.
i don't know if anyone else has more experience that contradicts my relatively short time with them, but that's what happened with mine, anyway.
i find the Chilean ones a bit stressful when you're just getting used to them, they like things taken slowly, like feeding and watering, whereas some of the others you've got will appreciate more moisture and eat alot more, and consequently grow faster.
i am sure your dad and you will suss things as you go, and you'll have a great time with them!
i'd recommend a couple books if you don't have them already: Stan and Margeurite Schultz' rather amazingly comprehensive book The Tarantula Keepers Guide, and Tarantulas and Other Arachnids by Sam Marshall, which was my first book, and still a favourite!
Russ Gurley also has a good one out that you can get from the Spider Shop. think it's called Tarantulas and Scorpions.
besides that, there's alot of knowledge on this board and people willing to help!
welcome to the fun world of keeping your own T's and more specifically growing your own slings!

[Kurt Baird]

On the books, I think we have the first one you recommended, we stockpiled a load of different books when we first got into T's. I gave them a read on the weekend whilst I was exposing my Bearded Dragon to natural sunlight!

Thanks for the heads up on the Euthalus care. Unfortunately with slings it can be a trial and error process, so all the knowledge I can get before it arrives the better! The humidity requirements that are up on The Spidershop would certainly suggest it likes it on the dryer side.

I have decided to add a B.emilia to the collection too, as we only have one left in work and I want it before someone else takes it!

[Kurt Baird]

They're here. No B.albiceps though, so got an A.purpea instead!

Keep up-to-date on The Spiderling Project!

[Ed Pope]

Nice blog! I'm going to enjoy following your exploits