So, you want to keep a pet tarantula?

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Lopéz, peat is a good substrate, although you have to make sure is sterilised. You can buy it from quite a few pet shops already sterilised, but I always pop mine in the microwave for a couple of minutes, just to make sure. Peat seems to help keep the humidity high and looks much better in a tank along with silk plants and half a plant pot. I try to make my set ups resemble the area the spider would be found in...........well almost. I have a coulpe of crock skulls in two of the tanks. Nothing like watching them crawl in and out of the eye sockets :eek:

I am also tempted to go for a Cobalt Blue, the problem is that in order to see the colours shown in that rather nice pic you posted, the lighting would need to be just right. Most of the time, in normal light they look black.
 
Originally posted by Yan816
I am also tempted to go for a Cobalt Blue, the problem is that in order to see the colours shown in that rather nice pic you posted, the lighting would need to be just right. Most of the time, in normal light they look black.
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I've noticed that. :(
They also command a ridiculous premium at some specialist places - most appear to be wild caught adults which I refuse to buy.

I'm after something witha bit more attitude than my Chile Rose - I tried force feeding her last night as she's not taken any crickets for a few weeks and despite me prodding about for a good ten minutes the worst thing she did was turn away and feebly attempt a brief hair-kick.

Maybe an Orange Usumbara would be good, but I hear they spend a lot of time in hiding.
 
My Chile Rose is the same when it comes to feeding, it just doesn’t seem to eat much. The Indian Ornamental is not a very active spider and again needs the right light to show its colours off, otherwise it appears dull looking. When it comes to purchasing spiders I get mine online, and usually just buy spiderlings, The Goliath only cost £10.00, and it appears to be doing well. You noticed the bald patch in one of the photo's, I think this type of spider is always going to have that feature do to its angry nature, I cant wait to hear its first hiss. It’s got a voracious appetite in one of the pic's its eating a pinkie and its only 3 - 4 months old.:eek:
 
Wow, just had an amazing lunch time spent in my local reptile shop. It's the first time I've been in there (I needed some vermiculite) and the guy who owns the place was friendly and knows his stuff.
He stocks a pretty wide range of spiders, so here was my chance to finally see how "aggressive" some of these tarantulas are first hand.

First up, a Cobalt Blue. Dull brown/black spider - until you shine bright light on it and then you can see the blue colouring. He said it was very fast so he didn't bother provoking it.

Next, a Mombassa Golden Starburst - an African Baboon spider. Gorgeous creature! As soon as he pulled the lid off the tank it was up on it's rear legs, certainly had a temper!

We moved on to a Thai black next. Now this is what you call mean. As soon as he touched the tank it launched itself at the glass, audiably hissing. As soon as the tank was opened it was up on its hind legs, waving it's fangs. A prod withh the forceps and it flipped onto it's back and started to convulse and go totally beserk. It was like nothing I have ever seen - most spectacular.

The last spider was a Haitian Brown - a docile looking spider, much like a Curly-hair. Couldn't be more different in temperament!
It was using half a plant pot as a burrow - the instant he prodded the spider with forceps it lashed down onto the pot over and over and over - you could hear the fangs striking the ceramic, like the noise it makes when you tap a coin on a shop counter.

It's all very well reading how "aggressive" a spider is, but until you see it first hand you really can't understand how mean these things are. It was a most interesting visit.

I would not recommend ANY of the above spiders to anyone as a pet unless you know what you are doing. Stick to a Red-Rump, Chile Rose or Curly Hair, for your own sake. :)
 
Right... I get the fact that you want to keep the little critters. But now your looking for meaner one's? :eek: :eek:

WTF? lol

My snake's really agessive :( It's only in a 'I want to be handled' mood once in a blue moon. However, after a few strikes at me, it then often accepts the fact that it can't kill me and just lets me handle it.

It's a little oik when it gets a good bite on you though, because it simply refuses to let go. So I often have to squeeze the back of it's neck gently to get him to let go.

Still very pretty though :) And I have to agree, theres nothing cooler than when it comes out of a skull :)
 
www.bugsdirectuk.com have some interesting offers on...

Surprise box of 6 Tarantulas (Small) - Assortment of our choice £20.00

Surprise box of 6 Tarantulas (Medium) - Assortment of our choice £30.00

Surprise box of 6 Scorpions (Medium/Large) - Assortment of our choice £30.00

Hmmmm....do I chance it with an assortment? Or am I going to get lumbered with 3 Curly-Hair and 3 Chile Rose that I don't want?
Time for an email I think.
 
Originally posted by MiggyMan
It's normaly a baby rat or mouse.. no hair, hence pinky :D
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Yikes, they are sweet :( Couldn't feed one of those to anything. Does it take a Tarantula long to eat one of those? And does it eat the whole thing or are you left to clean the entrails up after it's finished?

Have to get one that eats locusts I think.
 
Originally posted by Kendo
Yikes, they are sweet :( Couldn't feed one of those to anything. Does it take a Tarantula long to eat one of those? And does it eat the whole thing or are you left to clean the entrails up after it's finished?

Have to get one that eats locusts I think.
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Dunno with spiders im a reptile man meself :D
 
Absolutely brilliant thread. Leon sent me a text about this last night, saying which one he was interested in when I was out with my mate, and when I told her that I might be getting a tarantula her eyes nearly popped out :)

I've just got to decide where I'd put her and if I can afford it. I'm at uni and not sure if it'd be fair to keep her in my room because of my housemates. However, being a zoologist it's what I do... so maybe they'll be alright with it :)

Not made a decision yet but I like the Mexican Red Rump (Brachypelma vagans). Beautiful black spider with a dark red abdomen. Need to do some research though

redrump.jpg
 
For anyone actually thinking about buying a tarantula as a pet, I thought you might appreciate an idea of the costs involved. :)


Tank - Any small/medium plastic tank with a tight fitting ventilated lid, £5 upwards. Arboreal (tree dwelling) species will appreciate a tall tank. You can keep a fully grown large spider in something as small as 20x15x15 cm, but personally I prefer a larger tank - 30x30x30 at least. Plastic/glass, doesn't matter as long as it's escape proof.

Spider - Anywhere from £3 for a spiderling, up to £120+ for a fully grown Goliath Bird Eater. Personally I'd go for a juvenile as these are easier to care for than babies. Avoid adults as they may be old, or wild caught.

Heat Mat - Put it under the floor of the tank if it's a ground dwelling or arboreal spider, or tape it to the outside of the back of the tank if it's a burrower (burrowers dig to escape heat)
They cost about £12 for a small one, £25 for a huge one. Mines lasted 20 years and needs replacing now really.

Crickets - £2.50 a box. Lob a slice of potato in the box for them to eat and my crickets last around a month a box, sometimes more!

Substrate - Vermiculite is fine for the majority of tarantulas, at about £3 a bag (enough for a big tank at least) Burrowers will appreciate some peat as vermiculite is too soft to dig in. I go through a bag of vermiculite every 6 months if that!

Water Dish - I just use a shallow ceramic dish topped up daily - infact something like a fish food container lid or similar will do!

So as you can see, hardly and expensive pet. :)
 
How do you maintain humidity ?

Edit : Great thread by the way, one of the only long threads where I've read all the replies and still been interested :D
 
Originally posted by Wallace
How do you maintain humidity ?

Edit : Great thread by the way, one of the only long threads where I've read all the replies and still been interested :D
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There are a few ways. Some spiders like it really wet - soak the peat or vermiculite, even go to the lengths of pouring water down the side of the tank.
Other spiders like the Chile Rose like a reasonably dry floor.
I tend to mist the tank once or twice a week with a water sprayer.


EDIT

I think I just convinced myself into ordering two sub-adult Baboon spiders....:o :eek:
 
So its nothing precise then (at least not in your setup)..

Just when you were quoting figures for the spiders in your first post of "around 80%" etc I thought you might have some fancy gadget in your tank :)

Think I'll either get a spider or a snake when im working full time :)
 
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