Newbie needs help!

[ruffryder85]

hey all!
i am new to the arachnid world, and after reading about them for the last few months i have decided to buy a T!
However before i jump myself into buying one....i thought i better get some advice from "experts" or ppl who already own them.

After reading about which begginer T is suitable i narrowed it down to these:
1)Chilean Rose Tarantula - dont really like the colour....comes highly reccomended by other though.
2)Curlyhair Tarantula - Again a rather universal colour...seems
3)Aphonopelma bicoloratum AKA Mexican Bloodleg - LOVE the colour, heard it is rear on the market though.
4)Brachypelma smithi - again love it...and is available readily...right?
5)Brachypelma boehmei - jus looks so damn cool! heard it's skittish?
6)Brachypelma emilia - love this too

i was wondering which T would you lot reccomend? taking into consideration of availabilty, looks, price (as it is my 1st, dont want to over do it) and generally how easy it is to look after.
Hey also, do T's urinate and how do you clean up the substrate if it does. Also what type of texture is it's faeces? can you just pick it up or have to scoop it and clean the whole cage?
From my knowledge you feed it insects...i plan to give it crickets...how do you store them? and what quantity do you buy them..? im from the UK - midlands, any shops recommended? or T's/cages/food and stuff....

I will appreciate all feeds!

[Guy Tansley]

From your list I would recommend Brachypelma smithi if you're not too impressed with the others. They're an ideal first spider and in recent years have become more readily available (so shouldn't be too expensive either). Quite simple to look after once you get their set-up sorted.

Tarantulas do urinate (along with their feaces) and most do this into the substrate wher it is absorbs and breaks down quite naturally so no real need to clean up after them. Arboreal species are a different matter but as you're not after an arboreal, no need to complicate things.

Crickets are an ideal staple diet for tarantulas and you won't ned many for a single spider. They're realy easy to look after:

1. Transfer them from the usual cricket tubs straight away (this is important, especially ones bought from pet shops as they may have been in the tub for several days already - one good reason to buy online).
2. Use a large container with very good ventilation (a tall, wide container is best as you won't even need a lid). Add some egg boxes for the crickets to hide/climb/moult on.
3. Feed dry food as the main diet (bran, cereal, dog biscuit etc).
4. Provide water in the following ways: Micro crickets - freshly cut slices of potato changed daily; 1st instar upwards - a shallow dish filed with tissue or cotton wool that is kept moist at all times.

Lastly, try and buy through mail order (check out the links page of the main site).

Hope this helps.

[Yinnon Dolev]

As Guy said, If of your list you like the B. smithi then go for it. I presonaly think that B. albopilosum (curlu hair) is better. They are both easy to rear and take care of, but from my expirance the smithi will kick hair's more readly.
Also in my opinion the albopilosum is better looking !!!

Good luck,
Yinnon.

[ruffryder85]

hmmmm

i prob go with smithi, boehmei or emilia. just because of the colours.

which one is better, male or female? i know females last longer, so more desirable. but in nature (personality) any differences? i.e females more aggressive etc...?

this type of info is hard to find on the net....your tellin me i dont have to clean spider faeces or urine? but just let it settle in the substrate?

Oh and on average how many crickets will one eat? thus how many should the 1st order contain. oh and what temp should the crickets be kept at? cuz i might just put em in my garage...if thas not 2 cruel

and any recomendations on thermometer or hydrometer makes or particular models?

thanx ppl! gr8 help

[Eleanor]

You can leave crickets in cricket tubs - I've raised really small ones to adults in them without them dying on me, so if you are just feeding one spider that would be ok. It works as long as you keep the tub bone dry and give them plenty of food. I give them some orange for moisture, or moist tissue in a bottle top (remove any orange after a couple of days before it has a chance to go mouldy), fish food (the flakey kind), and porridge oats, and they grow big and fat on that. Brown ones do well in cricket tubs, but black ones only do if you give them LOADS of fish food - if you don't then they eat each other.