Hi all

[Andrew Braid]

Hi everyone, my name is Andrew and I am on the verge of getting my first spider!

Im very excited and have swotted up as much as possible but still have a few questions remaining.

A lot of literature advises to heat half the faunarium so the spider can have a cool side and warm sode to regulate its temperature as required. Should the hide be on the warm or cool side?

Also I am not so keen on the generic starter spiders such as Grammostola rosea and found I have taken a liking to spiders with any sort of green/blue colouration. Does anyone know of any South American species with this sort of colouration? Or am I best just following advice?

Many thanks,
Andrew

[Christopher Smallman]

Welcome to the BTS.

Green, blue and from South America = Avicularia

Also recommended as a 1st spider by some.

Note they dont live on the ground they have pipe-cleaner legs and shoot poop at those they dislike lol.

But they are so cute that even people who hate spiders will and do lose their hearts to these spiders.

The only other commonly seen spider with any blue is.............

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens Green Bottle Blue.



But because of the speedy nature of them Im not sure it would make a good 1st time T.

I dont use a heat mat so cant give you any advice on that part of your question but a spider will always find where its warmest so I would plump for the warm side.

Chris.

[R Thomas]

Hi Andrew,

The subject of whether to heat or not heat your enclosure will depend on how warm the room is that you are going to keep it in - pretty obvious really. If you feel that there is a need for heating then it is normal to place a heat mat or strip on the rear of the enclosure to heat just a small section of the enclosure (and here I am assuming the enclosure has glass or acrylic sides and not wood). The heat mat should not go to far below the substrate either as tarantulas can be dumb and tend to burrrow to escape heat and so if the mat is on the floor they can overheat. It is my experience that most tarantulas will gravitate towards the warm side for their hide or burrow so place the hide on that side. As for a green/blue South American tarantula then there is the obvious Greenbottle Blue Tarantula (Chromatopelma cyaneopubscens). The trouble is very few people would recommend this as a first tarantula and the G. rosea is a lot of fun really to keep and I do not know why people say they are boring! I would start off with perhaps a G. rosea (perhaps in the RCF - red colour form if you want something less dull). If you get bitten by the tarantula keeping bug then you can add blue specimens to your collection later.

In reality keeping a tarantula is a lot easier than most other exotic pets and if you start with a juvenile or sub-adult specimen then most of the hardwork in raising a spiderling has already been carried out.

Remember that kept tarantulas should be considered to be a living picture and not a hands on pet. If you 'feel' the need to have to handle then definately do not go for a known aggressive species and remember that no tarantula should be considered harmless.

If in doubt just ask and the answers will come

Best of Luck

Richard

[Peter Lacey]

Hi
Welcome to the BTS forums and the world of giant spiders.
In general terms we consider New World (the Americas) to be the docile species (but they do have urticating [itchy] hairs) and the Old World (Africas, India, S. East Asia) to be more defensive/aggressive and with a much stronger venom. For the purpose of the beginner then, I'll exclude the OW tarantula.
G. rosea/Chile Rose is a firm favourite because they're cheap, readily available, hardy and there's plenty of information and experience to hand. Infact they're so easy to look after people get concerned they're not eating enough etc.
B. smithi/Mexican Red Knee is another firm favourite which bags more colour but similar requirements to many NW tarantula. You might also consider B. boehmei/Mexican Red Leg or others from the Brachypelma genus.
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens/Green Bottle Blue (GBB) is a stunner, they prefer things dry and love to web but they are a bit skittish. I don't see this as an issue to the beginner as a common sense approach is usually enough to deal with them, but perhaps you might consider this as your 2nd spider.
Grammostola pulchripes/ Chaco Gold Knee, A. seemani/Costa Rica Zebra and A. geniculata/Brazilian White Knee are all worthy contenders although they grow large.
I'd suggest you seek out a juvenile or adult rather than opt for a sling. Once you've done your homework you'll be well equipped with many of the worries beginners can face but the best advice is often given face to face. Perhaps seek out a local club, show or someone nearby willing to show you some of their collection.
You'll find many species available in the various classified areas of forums but sometimes its worth paying a little more from your local exotics shop.

Keep asking questions and we'll try to keep answering

[Andrew Braid]

Wow thanks for your responses guys, thats all really helpful and definitely food for thought. I'm raring to go!

I've done quite a bit of homework but I believe experience is the best way to properly learn and I think I'm ready to look after my first T. Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens certainly looks the business but I will heed your advice and start with the basics, I have had a good look at whats available and have decided to go for Aphonopelma bicoloratum/Mexican Bloodleg. Certainly have some good colour to them! Do you have any thoughts on Euathlus sp. "Blue"/Pichidangui Blue Beauty??

I guess my only remaining question is lighting. Being nocturnal, I'm a little worried I will never see them! I read in the Tarantula Keeper's Guide that red light isnt visible to them, so could I light the tank periodically with a red light just to see her at work? Or is it not a good idea to light the tank at all?

Thanks again,
Andrew

[Stanley A. Schultz]

Hi everyone, my name is Andrew and I am on the verge of getting my first spider! ...

First, "Welcome to the hobby!"

And, "Welcome to these forums!"

First, you need to read Stan's Rant at http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html. Be especially certain to read the four books that are mentioned. Note that you needn't go out and buy them. Your friendly, neighborhood, public library probably has one or two already on its shelves, and they can get the others for you through the Interlibrary Loan System. It's a lot of reading, but you can space them out over the next few months.

... Im very excited and have swotted up as much as possible but still have a few questions remaining.

A lot of literature advises to heat half the faunarium so the spider can have a cool side and warm sode to regulate its temperature as required. Should the hide be on the warm or cool side? ...

The subject of heating and temperatures has been known to cause flame wars that rival the 100 Years War! After all the dust and adrenaline settles, these are the facts:

Tarantulas are poikilotherms (aka, cold blooded). As such, they come from the factory with the ability to operate successfully in a truly remarkable range of temperatures.

HOWEVER, humans are homeotherms (aka, warm blooded). That leads us to two human qualities:

1) We can't tolerate anywhere near such a wide range of body temperatures. If our body temperature varies from 37 C by more than a very few degrees we get very sick, even die. As such, we're extremely sensitive to surrounding temperatures. As soon it gets a little cool we light a fire, dress in a heavy parka, etc. If the temperature goes a little higher than nominal room temperature we immediately start shedding clothes and reaching for the air conditioner.

2) We tend to project our frailties onto all the pets we keep, especially tarantulas, whether it's justified or not.

Thus, you'll see all sorts of temperature recommendations on the 'Net. But, nearly all of them are fallacies. The basic rule of thumb is that the tarantula of your dreams will survive and even thrive in just about any temperature that you're comfortable in, assuming you don't normally live in the aforementioned parka, or have antifreeze for blood.

If tarantulas are kept "coolish" they eat less, grow more slowly, and probably live longer, in some cases much longer. If they're kept warmer they want/need more food, grow faster, the males (at least) often mature sooner, and they probably don't live so long.

Thus, you can consider the matter of temperature to be a variable that you can manipulate to your best interests. The one thing for certain is that the inference that temperature as a critical, life threatening parameter that must be rigidly controlled is completely bogus.


Lastly, has anyone told you of the tarantula enthusiast's lament?

LIKE THOSE POTATO CHIPS, YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST ONE!

You've been warned!

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... I guess my only remaining question is lighting. Being nocturnal, I'm a little worried I will never see them! I read in the Tarantula Keeper's Guide that red light isnt visible to them, so could I light the tank periodically with a red light just to see her at work? Or is it not a good idea to light the tank at all? ...

And, if you reread the section on light, especially "A Matter of Intensity" on page 158 you will notice that "bright" light is stressed. Normal room lighting, even daylight (but definitely NOT sunlight!) are acceptable, especially if you give the tarantula a retreat or "hide."

Remember, tarantulas have been on this planet for much longer than a hundred million years. During that time, I guarantee you, they've seen bright light. They've even evolved in it! As such, you don't need any bizarre lighting scheme as long as you don't put a bright light (e.g., aquarium light, spot light, etc.) directly on the cage.

Tarantulas shun bright lights for two basic reasons:

1) Bright light automatically means heat. Tarantulas control their body temperature within some very broad limits by behavior. Move into sunlight when you're cold, move into shade (or the burrow) when you're too warm. They avoid intense, bright light because the heat is largely uncontrollable.

2) Being predators, they fully appreciate the fact that in bright light they're visible to every other predator within a "country mile." It's much better to eat than be eaten. Stay alive! Avoid bright lights!

Now that you have the background, and to answer your question directly, don't sweat a little light. A desk lamp nearby or even normal room lighting is all you need.

Lastly, thanks for the plug.

[Andrew Braid]

Thanks a lot for all the tips Stanley and congrats on the creation of such a renowned publication! I've certainly found it extremely useful.

My setup is arriving tomorrow and once I'm all happy and feel ready, then I can order my first T! Very excited. I will let you all know how it goes and I'm sure there will be a lot more questons.

Thanks again for the welcome and all the advice.

Andrew