Tarantula question

I'm trying to convince my boyfriend to let me get a tarantula. What is a good one for a beginner? I can do all the reasearch I just want to ask someone with experience with them. My mom has always kept Mexican Red Legs but I want to try something different.

rose hairs are good, but get boring quick its kinda like having a pet rock, it really depends on if you plan on handling it ever, if not go for something like a green bottle blue or a cobalt blue or maybe even a brazillian salmon pink bird eater.

I know everyone has different opinions, on holding tarantulas, i personally dont handle mine, they are just cool to have and watch, but if you choose to, know what you are getting into, dont get something too fast, jumpy or defensive, and thats a rose hair, but like i said its kind of like watching a bump on a log.

the green bottle blue is a little more active, makes some webs and is nice to look at, they can be handled, but i would not recommend it ( or any other tarantula)

cobalt blue is a little faster doest web too much, but they can be really fast

The salmon pink bird eaters are cool, they can be handleable, but they get huge....(3rd largest in the world) up to 11" leg span, they aren't too quick, they aren't really climbers either, they need a fair amount of floor room.

Other than that most ornamentals are super fast, and almost all baboons are super aggressive. there are tons out there for beginners these are just a few.

T's that are not for beginners...
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=39058
Good starter tarantula's...
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=40814
More beginners...
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=37211
More starter T's...
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=36848
Good first aboreal...
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=40872

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Originally Posted by nonrandomhero

rose hairs are good, but get boring quick its kinda like having a pet rock, it really depends on if you plan on handling it ever, if not go for something like a green bottle blue or a cobalt blue or maybe even a brazillian salmon pink bird eater.

I know everyone has different opinions, on holding tarantulas, i personally dont handle mine, they are just cool to have and watch, but if you choose to, know what you are getting into, dont get something too fast, jumpy or defensive, and thats a rose hair, but like i said its kind of like watching a bump on a log.

the green bottle blue is a little more active, makes some webs and is nice to look at, they can be handled, but i would not recommend it ( or any other tarantula)

cobalt blue is a little faster doest web too much, but they can be really fast

The salmon pink bird eaters are cool, they can be handleable, but they get huge....(3rd largest in the world) up to 11" leg span, they aren't too quick, they aren't really climbers either, they need a fair amount of floor room.

Other than that most ornamentals are super fast, and almost all baboons are super aggressive. there are tons out there for beginners these are just a few.

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I've always wanted a cobalt blue but I know they're fast and aggressive. I want to have one I can handle. Bird eaters are cool too but I want something that doesn't need as much floor space. I'll look into rose hairs a little more.

I picked up a Chaco Golden Knee at the last show I was at. They are really cool and I handle him as much as I can.

Thanks for the links. I really like the Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. Greenbottle blue. Any opinions would be great!

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Thanks for the links. I really like the Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. Greenbottle blue. Any opinions would be great!

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GBB's are very pretty and very cool. They make awesome webs but are skiddish IMO. My favorite tarantula is the Grammostola pulchra (Brazilian Black Beauty). They are a beautiful jet black color but grow very slowly which some people do not like. I am also an Avic fan. I like all the poop shooter's - lol

I have a Lasiodora Parahybana right now (my first T) and I'm really liking it. Got it as a 1/2 sling, now its about the size of a half dollar. It is very calm, although I don't try to handle it, it is not flighty or fast at all. I actually want more now :D

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

GBB's are very pretty and very cool. They make awesome webs but are skiddish IMO. My favorite tarantula is the Grammostola pulchra (Brazilian Black Beauty). They are a beautiful jet black color but grow very slowly which some people do not like. I am also an Avic fan. I like all the poop shooter's - lol

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We had a pink toe pop out an egg sac at work and had like 70 slings hatch out! They're so big out of the sac! I really like avics too, I'm thinkin about maybe a versicolor as my next T.

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Originally Posted by Hulihzack

We had a pink toe pop out an egg sac at work and had like 70 slings hatch out! They're so big out of the sac! I really like avics too, I'm thinkin about maybe a versicolor as my next T.

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Versicolor's are great!!! Here is a little female munching on a cricket :D
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...2/DSCF0401.jpg

Cool! I like the Brazilian Black Beauty too! This is going to be a hard choice... How easy are they to care for?

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Cool! I like the Brazilian Black Beauty too! This is going to be a hard choice... How easy are they to care for?

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Very easy to care for imo. Basically just like a rose hair to care for but pulchra's grow waaaay slower. The info in this post on them is far better then any caresheet you will find online:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/show...a+pulchra+care

Ok Thanks. And what about the greenbottle blues? How easy are they to care for and handle?

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Ok Thanks. And what about the greenbottle blues? How easy are they to care for and handle?

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GBB are also easy to take care of imo. I have never personally handled any of the ones I owned on purpose. They have run out of the tank and I have picked them up to put them back in but they are very fast and skiddish. The couple I have had would attack the tongs durring maintenance and such. They always gave me an uneasy feeling so I did not handle them on purpose if you know what I mean. They eat a lot so they grow fast and go through different color changes which is really cool.
A few GBB threads:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/show...en+bottle+blue
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/show...en+bottle+blue
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/show...en+bottle+blue

Ok. I'll check out those links in a minute. My other question is how tall are the cages you use for your GBBs? I've been reading alot of different care sheets and I have some mixed messages on how much substrate they want. My understanding is that they want 3-4 inches to burrow in but they also want to climb and build webs? Correct me if i'm wrong.

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

GBB's are very pretty and very cool. They make awesome webs but are skiddish IMO. My favorite tarantula is the Grammostola pulchra (Brazilian Black Beauty). They are a beautiful jet black color but grow very slowly which some people do not like. I am also an Avic fan. I like all the poop shooter's - lol

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Just got me a new pulchra! :gj:

Lol@ poop shooter! Been there more times than I can count!

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Originally Posted by Rockstar Reptiles

Just got me a new pulchra! :gj:

Lol@ poop shooter! Been there more times than I can count!

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Is it your first Pulchra? How do you like it?

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Ok. I'll check out those links in a minute. My other question is how tall are the cages you use for your GBBs? I've been reading alot of different care sheets and I have some mixed messages on how much substrate they want. My understanding is that they want 3-4 inches to burrow in but they also want to climb and build webs? Correct me if i'm wrong.

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Ooops, sorry I did not respond faster!!! Okay, when they were not quite huge adults I had them in 5 gallon tanks and they did great for me. I did give them enough substrate to burrow in if they were feeling sassy but never once seen mine burrow as adults. As slings I did see them make cool burrows. I have seen people use taller aquariums (where the doors open in the front), 5 gallon, 10 gallon, 20 gallon if you are breeding two and want to give them space and give the male a better chance at survival.

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Originally Posted by Rockstar Reptiles

Just got me a new pulchra! :gj:

Lol@ poop shooter! Been there more times than I can count!

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Congrats on the new G. pulchra!!! They really are great!!! Out of around 10 or so that I owned I only had one that was a grump. It was a male and he would throw up a threat pose over everything. He must not have got the memo that he was a G. pulchra and not an OBT :rolleye2: Post some pics for us to see of yours when you get a chance!!!!

Ok. I've read that Critter Keepers work good too. If I use that I should get a tall one then? What substrate do you use?

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Ok. I've read that Critter Keepers work good too. If I use that I should get a tall one then? What substrate do you use?

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I use bed-a-beast or eco earth (both are coconut fiber). And if you are going to use KK (I used/use them also) just go though the sizes as he/she grows. If you start off with a sling then even the smallest KK will be too big. They are semi aboreal so you would not stand a KK on it's end like you would do with an Avic.

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

I use bed-a-beast or eco earth (both are coconut fiber). And if you are going to use KK (I used/use them also) just go though the sizes as he/she grows. If you start off with a sling then even the smallest KK will be too big. They are semi aboreal so you would not stand a KK on it's end like you would do with an Avic.

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Ok. Yea I wouldn't put it in the KK right away.. The one I'm probably getting is already 1.5 inches. So probably start him in a deli cup?

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Ok. Yea I wouldn't put it in the KK right away.. The one I'm probably getting is already 1.5 inches. So probably start him in a deli cup?

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Deli cups work great :gj:

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

Ooops, sorry I did not respond faster!!! Okay, when they were not quite huge adults I had them in 5 gallon tanks and they did great for me. I did give them enough substrate to burrow in if they were feeling sassy but never once seen mine burrow as adults. As slings I did see them make cool burrows. I have seen people use taller aquariums (where the doors open in the front), 5 gallon, 10 gallon, 20 gallon if you are breeding two and want to give them space and give the male a better chance at survival.


Congrats on the new G. pulchra!!! They really are great!!! Out of around 10 or so that I owned I only had one that was a grump. It was a male and he would throw up a threat pose over everything. He must not have got the memo that he was a G. pulchra and not an OBT :rolleye2: Post some pics for us to see of yours when you get a chance!!!!

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Ya, will do. I just have mine in a deli cup in my snake room right now, good temps for power feeding :D

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Is it your first Pulchra? How do you like it?

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First one personally, kept them for a while at the shop. It's still very young, maybe 1.5" or so. Wish they didn't grow so dang slow!

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

Deli cups work great :gj:

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Alright. Thanks for answering all my questions! That's all I have for now.. I think I've got it. I'll let you know if I have anymore.

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Originally Posted by reptile_lover07

Alright. Thanks for answering all my questions! That's all I have for now.. I think I've got it. I'll let you know if I have anymore.

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Your very welcome!!! Any more questions feel free to ask!! I am always around and will do the best I can to help you out if you need it :-)