My First Tarantula - Any Advice Please?

[Tess Edwards]

Hi, I've just joined and I'm planning to get my first tarantula imminently. I've researched fairly thoroughly but would like some advice please, I'm thinking of getting either a Brazilian Black, Chaco Golden Knee or Curlyhair female. I've got plenty of room for her so it doesn't matter if she gets big (ie Chaco), and I'd really love to be able to handle her. Does anyone have any advice on which would be a better species to get? Thanks

[Mark Shingleton]

not to shure bout the brazilean black, i dont own one and never have. both the others are good t's to have, if your looking for handling i would go with the gold knee, very impresive tarantula in size n colour n pretty docile. this maybe just personal opinion but my curly hair will not let me touch her. whereas my gold knee is very calm, never run, flicked hairs or threatend, shes just very laid back.
oh, and welcome to the forum

[Tess Edwards]

Ah ok thanks i'm leaning towards a golden knee too, i prefer them to curlyhair and brazilian blacks seem quite hard to find and expensive.
and thanks

[martin hudson]

Hey Tess,its good to see someone new to the hobby, if you are to grow in the hobby then you will kneed to try to ues
the latin names of the 'Ts' that you have-or are getting! please dont take this comment the wrong way,as the common names could refure to anything(as you will soon find as you progress)
So just to start you of this is the latin names for the 'Ts' you are thinking of getting,(if you order them by the latin names you will get what you have orderd)Brazilian,Black-Grammostola,pulchra. Chaco golden knee,Grammostola,pulchripes,
& Curlyhair, would be-Brachypelma,Albopilosa,.
As i said at the start of this reply please dont take it as anything but a helping hand from a fellow hobbyist
Good luck with your new 'Ts', hope this has helped you in some small way.

[Lee Furness]

Hi Tess, I'm also fairly new to the hobby but already have a few T's.
If you decide that you'd maybe like to start out with something in a smaller size then I can certainly recommend the Euathlus sp 'Red Chile Flame'.
Very easy going, super docile and laid back, for want of a better word "cute". You mentioned handling, which is a heated subject when it comes to T's (and not advocated by the BTS), but the Euathlus is certainly one that you'd struggle to find any problems with when it comes to handling, mine is the only T I have that I do handle when it climbs out when changing water/routine maintenance etc.

[Tess Edwards]

Hi Martin,
Thanks for the advice, I can see exactly what you mean, I don't want to end up with a more difficult species to look after by mistake! I shall bear that in mind

[Tess Edwards]

Hi Lee,
Thanks for your suggestion. You mentioned you're fairly new as well, just wondering what was your first spider?

[Lee Furness]

Hey Tess,
I started out with a couple of spiderlings, Avicularia versicolor and Grammostola sp 'concepcion', the avic died but I couldn't find any reason why after having them for nearly a month. Then I picked up a couple of Euathlus and a Brachypelma albopilosa (the curly hair) - the two Euathlus (truculentus and sp.'red chile flame') I have are out the majority of the time, whereas the curly hair dug itself a cave and is only seen when I check on it every now and then.

I've got an Avicularia metallica coming tomorrow and also I picked up some other slings a few weeks back - Avicularia sp 'Rio Madre' and a Brachypelma bohemi. I really like all the Avicularia's as spiderlings they just look great and web quite a bit.

[martin hudson]

Hi Lee, Avic's of all types are very prone to 'drop of the pertch' so to speek.
One of the main things that you will need to do is make shore that there is plenty of cross ventilation
this is one of the bigest reasons that Avic slings dont make it to any age! always have some wholes at
ground level, just above the substrate, &then more as you go up the pot, realy you wont over do the
ventilation mate, a gorse lid is a good bet aswell & then just sprey lightly once a week or when the substrate looks to be dry.
After all that is said, they are a very 'fragile' sp to grow on, but very rewarding when got right
Hope this will be of some help to you?

[Lee Furness]

Hi Martin, thanks for that, all advice is more than welcome anytime mate, well aware that I have a lot to learn - been keeping tropical fish for nearly 30yrs and still have things crop up that I can't fathom out, so being as new to T's I appreciate the pointers people give
Seems my ventilation might be an issue, I've added holes at the top out of instinct but hadn't considered them lower down, quick bit of modification to do there, ta.

[martin hudson]

No prob's Lee, my plesure mate

[Tess Edwards]

Hey Lee,
Ok thanks, have you always got slings to start with, or do you also buy older spiders? Just wondering which would be better to start with, I have quite a lot to learn

[Lee Furness]

I started out with slings on the first order, but got a couple of juveniles and a sub-adult a few weeks later. I picked the juveniles thinking more along the lines of them being around longer if they turn out to be males, but also size wise they seemed a bit easier to manage as a slightly nervous newb. Really down to personal choice, but keep in mind that slings are really small and not much to look at in most cases, plus you'll be in for quite a wait for them to reach a reasonable size.

[John chambers]

Hi Tess, I'm also fairly new to the hobby but already have a few T's.
If you decide that you'd maybe like to start out with something in a smaller size then I can certainly recommend the Euathlus sp 'Red Chile Flame'.
Very easy going, super docile and laid back, for want of a better word "cute". You mentioned handling, which is a heated subject when it comes to T's (and not advocated by the BTS), but the Euathlus is certainly one that you'd struggle to find any problems with when it comes to handling, mine is the only T I have that I do handle when it climbs out when chan
ging water/routine maintenance etc.

I totally agree this sp is so friendly .. I have a red and a blue and both are out standing and this make the Euathlus sp a must have for any beginner.. Sp reds go for £25 and less .. blues £34 ... as for Chaco I had one that thought it was a OBT!! and it attacked my brush twice .. size was just 2.5"!.. G.pulchra are nice but again not every T is what it is meant to be like... But E sp red is the only one I've yet to see on a bite report.

[Emma Mallett]

My red sp is so friendly, I certainly recommend them as your first T