Ok...You people and your Ts are killing me!

I'm not sure what the deal is, but it seems that when one achieves ball python ownership than one must progress to big arse (I think I can say that...admin?!) spiders. I'm not sure if its a natural progression or some terrible malady. In short- I have caught the T fever.

My questions to you all:

(1)Where/who do you suggest getting your Ts from?
(2)Where do you prefer to get your supplies (substrate, enclosure, etcetera)?
(3)What Ts do you suggest for a first timer? I want something that is hardy. It can be a mean SOB just as long as it is tough. I have recently held a grumpy Haplopelma lividum. I loved her! Would they be good? Help:P

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?
:spid0r::D:spid0r:

i dunno but my bp started it all as well.after her i ended up with two emperor scorpions,a ton of bark scorpions and two tarantulas.i loved em all since i was a kid and i guess my ball opened the door like a gateway drug to inverts.

1.a local specialty store would be a good start if you dont like the shipping of your animals or the wait.online stores i have no clue but Simple Man among others got their ts from that vendor thats had really good reviews.i dont know the name of the site you can look up that post of the unboxing again.

2.substrate you can get at your local specialty shop or petsmart or petco.eco earth is good,dunno if they have peat moss.but eco earth seems to be the top contender.
enclosure depending on what your getting can be as simple as a normal tank with locking lid placed horizontally or vertically.special lids look awesome like the acrylic ones.
theres a couple websites that sell awesome t enclosures.
http://www.tarantulahomes.com/
http://tarantulacages.com/
http://jamiestarantulas.webs.com/ this one has those spiffy lids for a top fin glass tank
if you get a spiderling a well ventilated appropriately sized deli cup will suffice til its big enough for it to move into well uh a bigger home.food i get crickets and mealworms from the closest store to me,petsmart.
3. a number of people have posted the same question"good starter t"in the invert part of this forum.im a noob to ts so i cant suggest from experience or remember everything the OGs have stated.but i could vouch for Pterinochilus Murinus aka the OBT.its a hardy species with an attitude.buut you dont wanna get bit by it.heh heh heh oh and that cobalt blue the lividum has some huge fangs.beautiful specimen.i think you could get that if you were really interested in that one.just do a ton of research and ask any questions you may have and exercise caution and precautions.

hope someone gets in on this post soon as im new.

heres a link http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...d-Beginner-T-s

Thanks for the links mark and marley :)

Has anyone worked with Jamie from http://www.jamiestarantulas.com/?
Her special this month is the exact spider that I was looking for:weirdface

I get my substrate from the same place I get my feeder rats, Scales and Tails. I don't get the brick, too messy, I get the loose stuff in a bag.

You can order from Ken the buggy guy online. Think he ships Monday thru Wednesdays. But won't if the temp is over 90°.

A good starter T would be a G Pulchripes. They get big, but they are hardy. Our you can get a A Rosea. (rose hair)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

Thanks for the links mark and marley :)

Has anyone worked with Jamie from http://www.jamiestarantulas.com/?
Her special this month is the exact spider that I was looking for:weirdface

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I am not a big poster on the weekends as I usually do not have much time now. But real quick Jaime is a cool chick and you should have no problems at all working with her!!! If I get free time tomorrow I will put my two cents in on your questions and if not tomorrow I will definitely PM you on Monday :gj:

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

I am not a big poster on the weekends as I usually do not have much time now. But real quick Jaime is a cool chick and you should have no problems at all working with her!!! If I get free time tomorrow I will put my two cents in on your questions and if not tomorrow I will definitely PM you on Monday :gj:

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Thanks. I really appreciate it. Especially since you are the one who started all the madness:D

he did!!!!
its all his fault!!
i was inspired by that inspirer of tarantulas as well!
:salute::gj:

I got my substrate at Petsmart and Ace Hardware. The Coconut Fiber was $8 for a gigantic bag and is resistant to bacteria and mold which is a big deal. I bought the vermiculite from Ace. I went with a 1:1 mix of Coconut Fiber and Vermiculite because of the water retention and ability to stay together for burrowing. I am using 4" deli cups you would get potato salad in and they will work until the slings are 1-1.5" according to what I've read. I can't help with specific species because I'm not that familiar with them yet. There are some great stickies on Arachnoboards though and Jeff and Alexa can lend some guidance if you get the time. I'm excited to check them out whenever I'm in the room! My big Seemani has made a few burrows which is amazing to see him in and out of. They are all eating great so far too. I'm totally glad I got these little guys :)

Regards,

B

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Originally Posted by Simple Man

I got my substrate at Petsmart and Ace Hardware. The Coconut Fiber was $8 for a gigantic bag and is resistant to bacteria and mold which is a big deal. I bought the vermiculite from Ace. I went with a 1:1 mix of Coconut Fiber and Vermiculite because of the water retention and ability to stay together for burrowing. I am using 4" deli cups you would get potato salad in and they will work until the slings are 1-1.5" according to what I've read. I can't help with specific species because I'm not that familiar with them yet. There are some great stickies on Arachnoboards though and Jeff and Alexa can lend some guidance if you get the time. I'm excited to check them out whenever I'm in the room! My big Seemani has made a few burrows which is amazing to see him in and out of. They are all eating great so far too. I'm totally glad I got these little guys :)

Regards,

B

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With the coconut and vermiculite being 1:1 what is the water ratio you use? How much air flow do you have for the deli cups?

I used 1 cup the same size for water too. No noticeable standing water but if you squeeze the mixture it has water drop from it. Basically it was 1:1:1. I use 8 pokes in each deli cup. Condensation is visible on all sides and the top. My room temps are 80-82 and they are on my QT rack spare chunk of heat tape for now. I've heard that 90's will make them eat more and grow faster because their metabolism is higher. The two smaller ones are eating microcrickets and the 1" Seemani is eating small crickets in succession. If your Versicolor is 1" you might need some small crickets! I'm not sure how big those FFF are but if I remember correctly from when I used to raise tree frogs they are pretty tiny.

Regards,

B

That mix sounds just right. I can get crickets here, I just wanted to try out the FFFs (more outta curiosity). It doesn't hurt to have them either since I can't buy them out here. How are you measuring your temp and humidity?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

I'm not sure what the deal is, but it seems that when one achieves ball python ownership than one must progress to big arse (I think I can say that...admin?!) spiders. I'm not sure if its a natural progression or some terrible malady. In short- I have caught the T fever.

My questions to you all:

(1)Where/who do you suggest getting your Ts from?
I think you found what you wanted but if you need more info PM me :gj:
(2)Where do you prefer to get your supplies (substrate, enclosure, etcetera)?
Substrate - pet smart (straight eco earth in a bag NOT the brick. When you add water to the brick it takes forever for it to dry out to be usuabale and is a pain! I tried mixing vermiculite a couple times and it just sticks to the T's some times and never worked out well for me. I always switched back to straight coco fiber.
Enclosure - pet smart, the container store, walmart, michaels.
(3)What Ts do you suggest for a first timer? I want something that is hardy. It can be a mean SOB just as long as it is tough. Think you picked your T out already? I have recently held a grumpy Haplopelma lividum. I am HIGHLY surprised it let you hold her!!!! I loved her! Would they be good? No. they have strong venom, like to hide (pet hole) and are generally VERY mean and defensive. But oh so pretty :D Help:P

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?
:spid0r::D:spid0r:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

That mix sounds just right. I can get crickets here, I just wanted to try out the FFFs (more outta curiosity). What is a FFF? It doesn't hurt to have them either since I can't buy them out here. How are you measuring your temp and humidity? I measure all my temps and humidity the same way I measure it for my snakes.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by mark and marley

he did!!!!
its all his fault!!
i was inspired by that inspirer of tarantulas as well!
:salute::gj:

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Thanks :salute: :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

Thanks. I really appreciate it. Especially since you are the one who started all the madness:D

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Thanks :salute: :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

With the coconut and vermiculite being 1:1 what is the water ratio you use? How much air flow do you have for the deli cups?

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I would buy a starter kit from Jamie. It is very nice and will have everything you need already done. If your getting a versicolor they need more height then floor space so a deli cup is not really good to use.

I have no idea what these FFFs you're speaking of are, but aside from that, since you got a versicolor, it's going to need more height than a deli cup can offer, as Jeff said. I've personally never dealt with Jamie (simply because I'm from the great white North lol) but I've heard nothing but good things about her. Her starter kit looks very cool, so you can give that a shot or go to your local petshop, get a tall Kritter Keeper type enclosure (on a side note - the tall 1 gallon jugs you can find at Wal-Mart, with coco fiber at the bottom and a piece of cork bark leaned agains the side works very nicely for arboreals. Just drill or melt holes in the side for ventilation). Whatever you do, the versicolors like a lot of humidity and need a lot of ventilation too.

That being said, since it's arboreal and won't be spending much time on the substrate, you can afford to add vermiculite to hold the humidity better. A lot of tarantulas don't like walking on vermiculite because it sticks to them (like Jeff said), but if it's arboreal, then it's no biggie :)

My snake room is monitored temp wise and so is my heat tape so that's how I get the ambient temps. I have an IR temp gun for substrate temps. Humidity is by just knowing that condensation is forming so that means I'm 70% plus in my area :) I'm not sticking a AccuRite into a deli cup :D :D :D

Regards,

B

I held the Haplopelma lividum very very briefly. It lunged forward at my hubby and made him squeak like a little girl, but from what I understand she is pretty mellow for a cobalt. I didn't know they had strong venom though :weirdface Glad she was ticked at someone else and not me!

The FFFs are the flightless fruit fly cultures. I don't have anything other than a petsmart and petco close.

I ordered a arboreal kit from Jamie and a 1 inch Avicularia versicolor. I know it wasn't the best choice for a first T but like I told Brain (simpleman) I intend to hover over it like an overprotective mother. Jamie was really patent with me and answered all my million plus questions.

Boanerges - do you put your digital thermometer/hydrometer inside on the side or on the bottom of the enclosure? So I should bypass the deli cup and go right to the enclosure? That would make things easier.

Alexandra V- Good to know about the vermiculite. I did order that book. Hopefully I will be here soon.

Thanks every one! You've all been a great help:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simple Man

My snake room is monitored temp wise and so is my heat tape so that's how I get the ambient temps. I have an IR temp gun for substrate temps. Humidity is by just knowing that condensation is forming so that means I'm 70% plus in my area :) I'm not sticking a AccuRite into a deli cup :D :D :D

Regards,

B

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Yeah, He/she will be in my snake room (my bedroom) too. It stays warm with all the heat tape I have going on plus its upstairs. Never goes below 74. I'll set the little one up by the CEH on my boa's enclosure and watch the humidity closely. That should keep it at about 80 degrees.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

I held the Haplopelma lividum very very briefly. It lunged forward at my hubby and made him squeak like a little girl, but from what I understand she is pretty mellow for a cobalt. I didn't know they had strong venom though :weirdface Glad she was ticked at someone else and not me!

The FFFs are the flightless fruit fly cultures. I don't have anything other than a petsmart and petco close.

I ordered a arboreal kit from Jamie and a 1 inch Avicularia versicolor. I know it wasn't the best choice for a first T but like I told Brain (simpleman) I intend to hover over it like an overprotective mother. Jamie was really patent with me and answered all my million plus questions.

Boanerges - do you put your digital thermometer/hydrometer inside on the side or on the bottom of the enclosure? It depends on what temps or whatever I am trying to get. I have been doing this for so long that I have a good idea of where everything is based off of the room temp and humidity. The more touchier T's I pay a lot closer attention to though. I have more of an issue with my natural humidity being too high. For instance the room humidty where the T's and snakes are right at this second is around 75%-78% (I have three humidty guages in that room, not counting in the tanks spread out to just give me an idea of the natural humidty in the room) but it's currently raining. I need to be aware of how often I mist or wet the substrate, and air flow because mold becomes an issue. You pretty much just want to keep an eye on the air temps and humidity. You are not checking a hot spot (unless for some reason you are putting a heat mat on the side of the tank or something). With the air temps in the enclosure you can check it by putting a probe inside the tank for awhile or the thermometer it's self for a quick check. You can also leave it in there if you are more worried about it. So I should bypass the deli cup and go right to the enclosure? That would make things easier. YES :gj:

Alexandra V- Good to know about the vermiculite. I did order that book. Hopefully I will be here soon.

Thanks every one! You've all been a great help:D

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These are the humidity guages in the room currently:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...2/73924870.jpg

Awesome. I'll do a little online shopping and snag a few things, then I should be good to go. If I forget something and panic I'll bombard you with more questions:D

are you excited?
i know your gonna love your lil t.they are so cute when theyre behbehs.i have a close to 2'' p.murinus and a close to 1'' a.brocklehursi.i caught the murinus at the bottlecap of water.it made me smile.i dunno why and when i catch the lil brockle out wandering.awwwww.
versicolors are so pretty, i want one of those as well.i think youll do a good job coming from the snakies.your educating yourself by reading and asking questions.:gj:

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Originally Posted by mark and marley

are you excited?
i know your gonna love your lil t.they are so cute when theyre behbehs.i have a close to 2'' p.murinus and a close to 1'' a.brocklehursi.i caught the murinus at the bottlecap of water.it made me smile.i dunno why and when i catch the lil brockle out wandering.awwwww.
versicolors are so pretty, i want one of those as well.i think youll do a good job coming from the snakies.your educating yourself by reading and asking questions.:gj:

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I'm really excited. I have the shipment delayed until the 7th so I can drive two states down to see my folks. I didn't want to leave my baby alone for the week it'll take. Now I have to twiddle my thumbs and wait. The plus side is on the way back home I'm picking up my new pastel lesser BP:D

I'd like to get an A.Brocklehursi eventually, but I'm not adding to the Versicolor until I feel confident. I have a list of ones that fascinate me that I would like to see if I could handle.

Psalmopoeus irminia
brachypelma smithi
Avicularia Purpurea
eupalaestrus campestratus
Brachypelma boehmei

And maybe someday Lampropelma violaceopes and Haplopelma lividum, but there are so many amazing Ts that the list changes daily:rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

I'm really excited. I have the shipment delayed until the 7th so I can drive two states down to see my folks. I didn't want to leave my baby alone for the week it'll take. Now I have to twiddle my thumbs and wait. The plus side is on the way back home I'm picking up my new pastel lesser BP:D

I'd like to get an A.Brocklehursi eventually, but I'm not adding to the Versicolor until I feel confident. I have a list of ones that fascinate me that I would like to see if I could handle.

Psalmopoeus irminia
brachypelma smithi
Avicularia Purpurea
eupalaestrus campestratus
Brachypelma boehmei

And maybe someday Lampropelma violaceopes and Haplopelma lividum, but there are so many amazing Ts that the list changes daily:rolleyes:

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Those are all excellent choices!!! I really like the Lampropelma violaceopes and don't have one of them yet myself.

Do you man handle as in take care of or handle with your hands? I still can't believe a lividum allowed you to hold it :O You should of got pics of that - lol!!!!!

I should be picking up (as in buying - lol) a lividum next week (along with an H. mac female and a big female burgandy goliath bird eater and a pokie sling as a freebie probably :banana:).

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

Those are all excellent choices!!! I really like the Lampropelma violaceopes and don't have one of them yet myself.

Do you man handle as in take care of or handle with your hands? I still can't believe a lividum allowed you to hold it :O You should of got pics of that - lol!!!!!

I should be picking up (as in buying - lol) a lividum next week (along with an H. mac female and a big female burgandy goliath bird eater and a pokie sling as a freebie probably :banana:).

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I was actually just letting her sit on the palm of my hand. It was cleaning day and I was standing around admiring more than helping. I asked if I could hold one of the Ts while he was busy and snagged her. She was jerky and hesitant in movement but didn't show the normal hostility displays. My friend came back over and his eye kinda got big. He told me I should probably put her back and hold a different one. I couldn't move her because she was holding on to my sleve and I'm still hesitant to just reach over and grab them. Adrian (her owner) tried to pick her up and she went instantly from just sitting to being in that I-will-tear-out-your-eyes-and-decorte-with-them posture. I had to dump her back in her inclosure because no one could get near and I was kinda sweating with panic. She wasn't hurt but she was spitting mad.

I learned later that I was stupid and should have asked which one to hold. Still- she was fine when I first got her. Walked right on to me. I won't be trying again though!

I hope to have a lividum and a violaceopes some day. I don't know why but I love the snarly attitudes. I wouldn't mind a H. mac either. They kick butt! Good luck with the new additions:)

I'm backwards T's got me into bp's lol.
Kenthebugguy.com
swiftinverts.com has some good deals
reptistexotics.com he's a real nice guy. nice prices if you get a american T
My first T was a G.rosea (rose hair)- try to avoid rose hairs they tend to be pet rocks and they can be bipolar.
For a first time owner I would look for a Chaco golden knee (Grammostola pulchripes) or a Pink Zebra Beauty (Eupalaestrus campestratus)
If you want a mean hardy T look into Usambara Baboon O.B.T. there pretty cheep!
I use eco earth for my sub $5 for a brick at pet co/smart i dont mix it with anything
for a hid if there young they will borrow at around one inch ill use a pater towel roll cut up.
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...a/8938a927.jpg
for my bigger one i like to use 1/2 logs i get from pet co/smart so i ca see them when they close off there hides for a molt
if you get a sling you can go to a deli or your local grocery store and get a plastic deli cup to keep it in
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...a/75984eba.jpg
or use empty jars around your house
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...a/052f785a.jpg
or you can go to a craft store and get a acrylic box
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...a/9dcf35ee.jpg
I like to see my T's so i use 5.5 gallon Tanks for my 5-6" and 10 gallon for bigger
they dont need a lot of room!

Nice pics and info Thom! Thanks :)

Regards,

B