So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

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When I bought the H Maculata the guy was trying to flog me a 2" T Blondi. I remember reading that these have the worst urticating hairs of all the new world spiders and that was the main reason I passed on it.

It had nothing to do with the thing needing it's own room when fully grown. The again my L Parahybana will be a fair old size.

BTW one of the guys I work with got his first T (G Rosea) about 3 months ago and he's coming to the BTS show intent on getting a H Lividum. I've tried talking him out of it but he won't listen.

Any Cobalt blue owners out there who could suggest something to tell him that may put him off as I really don't think he realises just how downright mean these things can be.

Cheers.
 
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If he's thinking it'll be a pretty spider which will be on show the whole time, he's wrong. H. lividum is a burrowing species and needs to be housed in a big tub of mud with a burrow down one side. He will never see the thing, because it will be down its burrow all of the time. If he tries to keep it as a terrestrial it will just sit hunched in the corner. Haplo enthusiasts are mocked for keeping tubs of pet mud :D Many people buy them because they're pretty, thinking that they'll look awesome and will be nice to show off to their mates, when the truth is that you never see them.

It's really not a show species at all. If he's looking for awesome colour, I'd advise he got a C. cyanopubescens (Greenbottle Blue)

I'll leave Leon to explain how nasty haplos can be.... but if your mate thinks he can ever hold her or get her out for people to see, he better think again.
 
Haplopelma lividum, along with Haplopelma sp."Vietnam" is the worst choice of Haplopelma for a beginner. They are extremely unpredictable, fast moving and very defensive.
They also struggle to adapt and thrive in captivity unless given a tall tank with deep substrate (MINIMUM 8 inches for an adult)
Their nocturnal burrowing nature means they are seldom seen (once a week at 3am if you're lucky) and in all honesty it's tricky to even get them to come out for pictures - similarly my Haplopelma minax has not been seen in over a month.

A better choice for the beginner wanting a Haplopelma schmidti because they are slower moving and less nervous - though still more than capable of "flipping out" and delivering a hefty bite. Don't buy a wild caught adult though unless you are experienced as they often fail to adapt to captivity properly.
 
Originally posted by azrael357
I've sent him your posts so hopefully he'll see sense.

Cheers
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Nice one :)

If he's insistent, tell him to take £10 or £15 and buy a small juvenile from somebody like Vinmann. It will give him a chance to get used to it's actions as it grows up.

Everyone looking forward to the show? I just spent £50 on glass through one phonecall to Matt at Custom Aquaria, and it could have easily been treble that! The only problem with keeping all burrowers is that they need special deep tanks to live in which costs a bomb once they get to the 6-8 inch mark!
 
Hi guys just been reading this entire thread over 2 days lol,never thought id like spider's but iv'e decided to go ahead and get 1.

The local pet shop has chili roses for 20 including a tank,or they have pinktoes for 25 with tank plus 12 for a heat mat,do these sound like good prices.

thanks in advance

random
 
Originally posted by azrael357
I've never been to the show before. Will they sell tanks there?
I'm hoping to get a P Regalis and wouldn't mind getting a decent tank for it.
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Azrael, yes Custom Aquaria will have plenty of tanks to choose from but GO TO THEIR STAND FIRST! If you leave it until the afternoon, they will be totally cleaned out. That's why I preordered my 15x8x5 tanks yesterday :)

Random, glad you enjoyed the thread. Whilst G.rosea is probably one of the best starter spiders, you might find it a bit boring after a very short time. Avicularia avicularia (Pinktoes) are no harder to look after, plus they are good looking and make interesting tube webs up in trees. What size is the A.avic? If it's a subadult or adult then £25 isn't bad for pet shop prices. Just bear in mind it MAY be a sub-adult male (short lifespan but you will get to send it on a breeding loan and possibly get 50% of any resulting egg sac) and it may also be Wild Caught (higher risk of parasitic infection.
If it's a spiderling, forget it, that's overpriced - tank or not. £12 for a heat mat is about the going rate, it's sometimes worth getting a bigger one as they generate more heat.

I actually had 7 Avicularia arrive today - 3xA.bicegoi and 4xA.purpurea (1 for me, 3 for Kate)
Avicularia are one of the few New World genus' I actually like :)
 
I'll do that.

I've just been reading up on Maculata bites and I didn't realise how potent the venom is.

My own fault for impulse buying a T with looking into them first like I did with my other 2.

More caution around the Maculata methinks.
 
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Cheers for the reply lopez i could'nt resist,just got back from picking myself up a lovely chili rose about 3-4 inches.

2 days ago i would never had thought about t's let alone keeping 1 reading this thread has changed my mind,no sign of a nasty streak yet although ive not done much apart from open the lid.

will try and get some pics up later only got a web cam though so might be a bit rubbish

regards

by the way was told i picked out the only female fingers crossed.
 
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Originally posted by azrael357
I'll do that.

I've just been reading up on Maculata bites and I didn't realise how potent the venom is.

My own fault for impulse buying a T with looking into them first like I did with my other 2.

More caution around the Maculata methinks.
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Fast, nervous, and they hate the light. As long as you don't go poking it and waving your hands about in the tank (and it has somewhere to hide) you won't have any bother with it. :)
 
Hairy bananas are indeed fast growers.

Talking of fast growers, 5" sub-adult male Poecilotheria ornata:

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I'm gutted :( Moved my curly hair into a new home this afternoon, just checked on him a few minutes ago and even though i made loads of efford to make his hew home safe the daft bugger was squashed up right in the corner with one of his legs stuck. Ended up moving the bark so he could free himself but he seems to be what i can only describe as limping :( He's using the leg just not that much. I'm hoping it's not bleeding inside because he'd probably die :(

I've just left the tank in the state it now is and he's decided to find somewhere to sit in. Just hope he makes it ok :(
 
Originally posted by Lostkat
Is the leg bleeding on the outside at all??? Go in and have a close look.
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Nope, he's livened up now, seems to be ok. He's just pacing backwards and forwards around this tank along the same route and climbing the walls :( Wondering if he's stressed.
 
I've just this minute moved him back to his tub. He was pacing loads and the little bugger managed to get up one side of the tank and then fall enough distance to worry me :(

The idea was that i'd make the 14"x8"x8" tank small enough with bits of bark etc to get rid of the space. However my first efford has failed, so for the time being he's back to his original tub which is about half of the size. He's 3-4" in legspan now.

Just going to have to wait i suppose. Any of you guys got any ideas?
 
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