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u/MeiTaka · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

Hmm well I'll see what I can answer since I actually have an A. avic. As for as getting one, if you can't find one at a pet store you can order online. Avics are more common so you shouldn't have any trouble. The list in sidebar, under Popular Threads, of Tarantula Suppliers is still good. If you still feel ill at ease about any of the suppliers listed go check out their facebook pages. Many of them do have them and update them regularly. See most suppliers didn't get into selling Ts for money. You aren't going to make much. They sell them because they just love tarantulas so you don't run across many bad stories about suppliers. Not saying they aren't out they just I don't see or hear anything really other than good things about them.

Now the question is should you get an Avic. Rose Hairs are more common for a reason. They are the beginner's beginner tarantula. They are easier to keep and handle if you're going to do that. Avics while not super hard to care for are harder and they can be flighty. I don't know how you plan to have your students interact with it but that's a big point to consider especially considering whatever level of experience you have with tarantulas.

As for webbing, that's up to the tarantula. If they're in a good environment I think they are more likely to web. Mine was perviously owned and never webbed for them. She was in a set up for a terrestrial enclosure though. It wasn't long after she was in a proper arboreal set up she webbed a lot. Stress also can affect them so you'll have to make sure the kids know what they can and cannot do. They are partly responsible for the life of another living creature and it's their job to give it them best possible life. As as far as interesting to watch, sure my girl moves but only at certain times during the day. The rest of the day she's dead still. That's still more than a Rose Hair but just wanted to let you know it's not going to be moving all the time or anything. The most interest is when their fed.

Now, in the mean time I recommend getting the Tarantula Keeper's Guide. It's considered pretty much the tarantula bible by enthusiasts. Read it and teach your kids about it before you make the step to actually get a Tarantula. There's nothing like seeing and learning about something in person but it will help greatly when you do make that step. Maybe even make a few lessons about them from information in the book. Or games. That way your future T will be that much happier and healthier for it and your kids will get the most out of it too. I hope that helps! I do hope you are able to get one and love that your even willing to do this. I'm sure this entire subreddit, myself included, would be willing to answer any more questions you may have or just help in whatever way we can with teaching your kids more about our favorite arachnids :)

P.S. you should also consider how long any T you want to get will live. Females will naturally live many years long than males. 10 years or more is not an uncommon lifespan for a female tarantula. Just something to keep in mind since it's longterm care will ultimately fall on you.



u/Underclock · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

Kritter keepers aren't ideal, but they also aren't bad, 5 of my Ts are in them. They won't kill your T, but there are better options.

The three I always recommend are the A. avicularia, the G. rosea, and the B. smithi. All three have great characteristics. The price point is good, they're fairly docile, and they're fairly hardy.

The avic is more finicky about its environment, the smithi is prone to kicking hairs, and some rosies can be temperament, but that's really each one's only flaw. All three look great, are readily available, and are pretty easy to care for. I have all three, they're still some of my favorite Ts.

I also always recommend picking up the tarantula keepers guide. Read through it, is super interesting and has everything you'll need to know to care for your new spider friend

u/yentlequible · 4 pointsr/tarantulas

-There are many great beginner species. Most popular and the cheapest is a Grammostola rosea, or chilean rose hair. Brachypelma species are some of my favorites, and Brachypelma smithi are one of the most well known. They are your iconic Mexican red knee that you think of when someone brings up tarantulas. With this being your first T, you I'd recommend either of those, and you'd be just fine.

-You can check local pet stores and that would be fastest, but stay away from big chain stores such as petsmart or petco since they usually don't care for their animals properly. Try to find the smaller unique shops that really specialize in their exotic section.

-Bedding and housing is very simple. Both of the species I listed above are very hardy and don't need much. A proper amount of substrate (coconut fiber would work great for you), a good water dish, and a hide i s all they need to be happy. The rest of the setup is up to you for aesthetics, as long as you keep their home safe for the T. Check out the links on the sidebar for more information

They are very easy pets to maintain, and you won't regret buying them. They are fascinating to watch them grow as you learn more about them. A great source of knowledge that can answer just about any question you have is The Tarantula Keeper's Guide. This is a must have for any hobbyist, beginner or experienced, and I highly recommend picking up a copy. If you have the time and patience, buy it before you get a spider and read through it all the way. You'll learn so many things to help you in the future. Good luck!

u/nyxin · 1 pointr/tarantulas

OK. So...first the basics.

You don't need a heating pad. A heating pad/light isn't necessary and could even be harmful to your tarantula. Just get rid of it. They will do just fine in anything from 60 degrees F to almost 100 degrees F. Warmer is generally better than cooler, but anything in the 70 - 80 range should be fine.

Don't worry about humidity with these guys. If it has a full water dish (which should be about the same size as the tarantulas leg span, AND NO SPONGE, adding a rock that overhangs the water level isn't a bad idea either), it's fine on humidity.

Tarantulas are the "Ron Popeil Set and Forget It Oven" of pets practically. All you need to do is set it up with some substrate (I prefer cocofiber, but vermiculite or untreated potting soil is also OK), put something for a hide in there, a water dish, and check up on it every once in awhile to feed it and see what weird "spider things" its doing, and they're fine.

Here is some information for a beginner and more specifically on G. Roseas. From one of the best sources you can find.


Stan's Newbie Introduction

Stan's Rant

Care And Husbandry of the Chilean Rose Tarantula

Also, as an added bonus (In true Ron Popeil fashion) HERE is a great book to get you up to speed (authored by the person that authored all of those links I just sent).

One thing I'll add about the book however, is that it is a few years old, and therefor, some of the information in it is a bit out of date. Tarantula keeping is still pretty much in its infancy and we're all still learning/debating on what the "best" ways to keep these guys are. Take EVERYTHING you read, learn, hear, believe with a grain of salt. Always ask questions, and take the experiences of others to heart, but always be skeptical.

One thing I always like to mention because as new keepers, we get anxious over the little things:

If your tarantula is doing something "weird" and doesn't seem to be hurting itself, just take a deep breath and repeat "The spider knows how to be a spider better than I do" over and over.

Good luck, and welcome to the club! =P

u/DanMorgan405 · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

I would get a sling, but with that species it doesn't matter as much just my preference. I like seeing them grow and I get much more attached. If you do get a sling, don't use a critter keeper as small spiders can fit through the grading. I think B. emilia is a great first choice, great small spider (only about 3.75 " if I remember correctly) and very quirky and they live FOREVER (also means that it will grow very slow). Stan Shultz (author of The Tarantula Keepers Guide) had a female that passed that was at least 34 years old (he thinks it was probably close to 40!). Please buy that book as well, it is sooooooo helpful.

You do not need a heat pad or light for your tarantula so don't worry about that. As a sling I would wet down one corner for humidity and gradually move to a bowl over time, but no need to mist. They also are burrowers especially as slings, so make sure it can dig if it wants. Good luck, you will enjoy your little sling!

u/baconwrappedpikachu · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

You haven't messed it all up! It's a learning process, and this isn't the worst setup ever, but it could definitely use some tweaking and adjustments. :)

It's a great start!

​

Don't feel bad, there is a ton of misinformation out there and it probably feels overwhelmign right now, but the correct way to keep tarantulas is MUCH easier than the incorrect way. Most of the stuff they tell you to do is totally unnecessary, but this forum and arachnoboards and Tom's Big Spiders are all fantastic resources.

The enclosure itself isn't ideal for a pink toe, mostly because they like a lot of cross-ventilation and this doesn't provide any of that. This is what I keep my Avicularia (pink toe) in -- there is top ventilation as well as ventilation beneath the front-opening door, so you get the necessary cross-ventilation for the species. The other issue is that they stay up high so if you only are able to get in through the top, you might end up messing up their webbing and stuff... but primarily the issue is the lack of cross-ventilation.

You can get rid of the humidity/temp gauge; it's unnecessary. Tarantula will be fine at room temp -- the general rule is if you're comfortable in a regular shirt, your tarantula will be comfortable too. Chasing humidity is a waste of time and could even be totally counterproductive -- one of the worst things for your Avicularia is an overly stuffy, moist and stagnant enclosure.

If there is a heat pad or anything they told you to use, get rid of that too. If you cant get it off just unplug it :P but she doesn't need it, it could actually harm her.

Avicularia are totally arboreal, like, I've never ever seen mine even touch the substrate in its enclosure. So you'll want to move the foliage up to the top half of the enclosure (suction cups/command hooks?) and you can simply flip her little 'log hide' so that it's standing vertically, though she may never actually go inside it.

In the meantime, in that enclosure, I would suggest keeping the substrate dry (keep everything dry) with clean water in her dish available always. You could spray some water droplets on the side of the glass maybe once a week but since this doesn't have cross-ventilation, you're going to want to limit the amount of moisture in the enclosure in order to avoid that stagnant moisture issue.

I don't have any photos handy but I'll take a couple of my Avicularia setups when I get home if you want!

​

TL;DR -- Switch to an enclosure with cross ventilation, move the foliage up top, flip her hideout so that it is vertical, no need to measure humidity/temps as long as she's in a room that stays in the 70s you're fine. And don't feel bad for learning; we all start somewhere!

u/ellipsoptera · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

It depends! Have you thought about which species?

You'll need an appropriately-sized container, some substrate, a water dish, and some kind of hide, probably.

You can use repurposed plastic containers or buy something special, but an enclosure should be secure enough to keep your spider safe (nothing it can get caught in, holes small enough to prevent escape, but allow adequate ventilation) and it may be taller for arboreal or burrowing tarantulas or shorter for your standard terrestrial beginner Ts. If you're going with an adult, Kritter Keepers work pretty well, but for a spiderling or juvenile, you'll want to start out small and move it into something larger later.

Arboreals don't generally need much in terms of substrate, but terrestrials will require enough to prevent injury from a fall. I use either cocofiber (sold as Eco Earth in expandable bricks or loose) or 100% peat (sold in any Lowe's/Home Depot/garden supply store), or a mix of the two. You don't want anything with any additives (e.g., soil with fertilizers or pesticides), so be sure to read the labels before you buy. Some people also just use regular dirt from outdoors (this seems to be more of a European thing), but the risk of it being contaminated with pesticides makes that impractical for some keepers.

A water dish can be a fancy rock-like thing or a repurposed drink lid or anything else that'll hold water and allow the spider access. I use plastic petri dishes for most of my tarantulas.

A hide can be simple/cheap or fancier too. I generally use cork bark, which seems to resist mold and other nastiness and gives a natural look to things. Pet stores generally have a variety of stuff to choose from in the reptile section. Other people make their own, from PVC pipes or other plastics. The important thing is that it shouldn't have any particularly sharp edges or spiky bits that could cause a spider harm.

Burrowing species (and many terrestrial juveniles) may not need or use hides, and may just require a little "starter hole" to begin a burrow. Arboreals may not need a hide either, but they'll need some structure to attach their webbing to--plastic vines near the top of the container work pretty well.

Don't worry about extra heating, lighting, or humidity at this point. Relatively few species require more care than can be given in normal room-temperature conditions.

I'd highly recommend a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide, by Stan and Marguerite Schultz. It'll get you up to speed on the basics, and while it isn't perfect, it's an excellent resource, especially for beginners. I'd also recommend looking through posts both on here and on Arachnoboards to get ideas and a feel for what's in store.

u/I_Have_Just_ · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

First of all:

Check out the Tarantula Keepers Guide. It will give you the basic / advanced information you will need. Things like what to expect from a molting tarantula.

Please take the time to read it, as keeping a tarantula healthy and happy is very different from that of more traditional pets.

Now:

What are you concerned about? Your post is pretty vague.

>when I came home she looked like that

the photo shows a tarantula, nice colors, but nothing out of the ordinary?

>there was a patch of hair on the bottom of the molt

When tarantulas molt, the exuvia (cast off outer shell) has hair bristles on it, just like the tarantula did. They grow new bristles under their exo before they molt. The abdomen is the only part which is not "hardened" so that as they eat they can have their abdomen grow larger. The exuvia is literally their hard outer shell, so it makes sense that the old abdomen will be skin-like. Think about a balloon when you blow it up with air. The balloon "skin" expands to make room for the new stuff inside (air) much like a tarantulas abdomen will. When all the air is let out, the balloon looks all shriveled up. That's why the old abdomen may look like a shriveled ball of hair.

I hope this helps. And please please please do your research BEFORE buying a pet. Animals have feelings too.

u/Soomple_Pompler · 1 pointr/tarantulas

Please visit www.arachnoboards.com - It is the best source for tarantula husbandry info out there. You will probably need to use the search function to find answers to specific questions, but if you have a question, with any likelihood it has been asked before. Definitely do some more research and get your enclosure setup before buying you spider. Other great sources of info are The Tarantula Keeper's Guide or This book or this one I would highly recommend reading at least one of these before bringing your spider home! Good luck, you're in for a fun time!

u/Salad_Phallus · 5 pointsr/tarantulas

Handling isn't recommended for many reasons. Any tarantula should be considered unpredictable, because they are ultimately wild animals and their mood can change in an instant. For example: I recently saw pictures from a guy who was adjusting the water dish in his G. pulchripes' enclosure. Now, G. pulchripes are like the old beagle of the T world; they're mellow, slow, and never bite people. However, the T felt vibrations and, acting on a feeding response, bit this guy on the hand. Luckily this was a T that has very low venom, but this can happen with any tarantula, and is more likely to happen with more defensive species (i.e. the one pictured hanging off of your shirt).

The other reason that handling is not recommended: You could hurt or kill your T. This is especially true for tarantulas that are not arboreal, which E. murinus is definitely not (they're a burrowing species, pretty much the opposite). If they drop from any significant height, they are at great risk of splitting their abdomen and "bleeding" to death. If she's hanging off of your shirt, she was at a very high risk of falling and dieing-- please do not do that again if you want to avoid a split abdomen and dead T.

I hope I'm not coming off as preachy or like I'm jumping on your back-- I just want you to understand the risk to you and your tarantula that is involved when you handle it. They don't enjoy being handled, and they can never get used to it or learn to like it; they literally don't have the capacity to. Every time you handle them, it's new stimulus and they will react to it different every time.

Edit: I'm seeing that you only have experience with G. rosea. After only experiencing that species, it's not recommended that you jump immediately to such a defensive species but she's yours now so there's no going back. If you haven't, do some research on the care of this species. They're burrowers and will need a decent amount of substrate to burrow and be happy. Also, if you haven't bought it already, buy the Tarantula Keeper's Guide, everyone who keeps tarantulas should own one. Also, make yourself a profile over at Arachnoboards. It's a great (large) community of very experienced tarantula hobbyists who can answer any and all questions that you have. The man who literally wrote the book on tarantulas, Stan Schultz, frequents the forum and answers questions, and there are men and women there who have been in the hobby since the 60's or 70's. It's a really great place with a lot of information :)

u/Captain_Hammertoe · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

You've gotten some good advice here - just a couple things I'd like to add:

I would strongly suggest you order a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide ASAP. IMHO any new hobbyist needs this book, but with this particular spider I think it's even more important than with one of the usual beginner species.

You might also check out the Arachnoboards.com forums. There is a lot of good information available there as well. Good luck!

u/Jurisfiction · 5 pointsr/tarantulas

>/u/UNLUCK3: So I'm looking into getting myself a cute little spider friend but I was wondering if there is anything specific I should know first.

Welcome to the hobby!

Some good reading material: Spiders, Calgary Web site, especially:

  • Stan's Newbie Introduction

  • Stan's Rant

  • Myths, Misconceptions, Mistakes

    Afterwards, The Tarantula Keeper's Guide (same author as the above Web site) is an invaluable resource for new and experienced keepers alike, although some of its advice is dated.


    >/u/UNLUCK3: Specifically, how do you get them not to bite you and poison...

    The best way to avoid bites is not to handle the tarantula and not to stick your fingers in the enclosure. Additionally, some species are more defensive and more likely to bite than others.

    Your first tarantula should be a more docile species from the New World (North and South America). This video is a nice overview of some common beginner tarantulas.

    EulersK (the same guy in the previous video) also has other videos with tips on setups and care.
u/BinaryCrunch · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

Most T's will tolerate the average room temp, you never need an exact temperature. No heat mats, no matter what you're thinking don't get one and don't use that light either. I feed most of my adults 2 crickets twice a week although they would happily eat more than that. The substrate is important, I tend to mix the coco fibre with a more soil like stuff designed for T's. If its a T that likes it moist then its just the soil stuff and no coco but as yours is a desert dweller dryer is probably better. The temps I can see say 24C - 27C and 65-70 on the humidity so a weekly overflow of the water bowl and just a nice room temp should be fine. Also, this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0764138855/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the best book you will own

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/tarantulas
  1. Some species are pretty docile, pretty much across the board, like most grammostolas (G. pulchripes, G. rosea, etc.). Some species are docile right up until they get hungry, at which point they can be very aggressive (most of the pamphobeteus that I have kept). There is some variation within individuals.

  2. The first time around, I'd recommend an adult, unless going with something that tolerates broad environmental conditions- again, the Chilean rose hair (G. rosea) tolerates everything but wet conditions. So long as you, the owner, is comfortable, the rosie is probably comfortable with the environment in terms of humidity and temperature.

  3. My Ts range from free (Craigslist giveaway) to $200+. Typical would be a $30 rosie, a $25 Exo Terra Faunarium, a block of coir ($5-10, enough for at least a year). Add a plastic plant or two, a "hide" (half a clay pot, or a chunk of cork), and a plastic lid for water, and you're good.
u/TarantulaFarmer · 6 pointsr/tarantulas

The Tarantula Keeper's Guide is probably the best book out there , especially to those new to the hobby.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Comprehensive/dp/0764138855
Other good options are coco fiber , can't ever have too much extra substrate around , cork rounds as they are the best hides and can be a little pricey based on size. A new cage would always be nice too, critter keepers or small 5 gal aquariums work well. If they don't have one , a red led lamp can be nice for observing your t's at night

u/ladymolotov · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

The Tarantula Keeper's Guide is a fantastic resource to have for a new owner. Definitely a must-have, in my opinion.

I feed my red-knee about 5 large crickets a week. You should feed them at least once a week. If the crickets stay alive overnight, take them out because your new friend may be preparing to molt.

She may have no interest in food for a few weeks prior to her molt, and when she has finished molting, she should not be offered food for another week at least. She needs time for her body and fangs to become strong again, and the crickets can injure her during that time.

u/we_broke_reddit · 4 pointsr/tarantulas

As the other guy stated, there is quite a lot wrong with this setup.

Tarantulas don't like a lot of space. They are typically most happy in an enclosure that has the floor space of about 3 times their diagonal leg span(DLS).

Personally, I would scrap the whole enclosure and save it for when you get a large terrestrial T. Instead, I would recommend buying something like this.

Your Avic Avic is an arboreal species, so they will like to web close to the top of the enclosure. Not webbing for 4 days isn't a cause to panic (although the delay could be exacerbated by the size of this enclosure). My Avic. Versicolor, another arboreal species, is in an enclosure similar to the one I linked for you and she webbed within 24 hours. However, not webbing for a while is normal after a rehousing.

I made the exact same mistake when I was a beginner to the hobby. Definitely do your research and I would always recommend picking up a copy of The Tarantula Keepers Guide.

Don't be worried about stressing her out, 10 minutes of stress for the T during rehousing is a lot better than a T not suited to its environment. She'll be much happier in an enclosure that is suitable for her.

u/kflipz · 1 pointr/tarantulas

You should check out this book, it's considered the bible of keeping t's and will answer any questions you can think of. I think every T owner should own a copy if anything just to reference in a time of need.

>Is doing this okay?

Yes it's ok to pre-kill.

>Or maybe feeding him/her too much?

There are a variety of things to understand when it comes to feeding frequency so it's difficult to give you a straight answer, but this article might help clarify that. When I first got my T's I was feeding them often out of excitement too :)

u/SOEDragon · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

I have this one and it is awesome. Very easy to understand and lots of good information plus great pictures of various tarantulas.

u/PterodactylAdvocate · 1 pointr/tarantulas

I'm new to the hobby, so I don't have a ton of advice. But I just recently bought this guide and it's very thorough! The Tarantula Keeper's Guide . I have 2 juvie new world Ts and two tiny slings I just got. The little guys are a blast to take care of. Do your research and best of luck!

u/LocalAmazonBot · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Tarantula Keeper's Guide


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|




To help donate money to charity, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

u/Darkbyte · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

Don't take this the wrong way OP, but you need to do more research on your (presumably new) fuzzy friend. I reccommend you pick up the Tarantula Keeper's Guide, it's a very good resource for almost anything you'd want to know about tarantulas.

u/vAltyR47 · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

Tarantulas have been known to fast for multiple months. I only feed my Ts once a week or so, and the adults maybe every other week. Three days is nothing. As we say around here, spider's gonna spider.

Leave the roach in for 24 hours, if she doesn't eat it, take it out and try again next week. Make sure she has a water dish to stay hydrated, she won't starve to death that easily.

Welcome to the hobby! Grab yourself a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide, it has all the information you could ask for.

u/nuclearfeet · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

Welcome! First of all, check the sidebar. There's a ton of information.

I highly recommend getting a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide. That alone will answer pretty much all your questions.

http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Comprehensive-Information/dp/0764138855

u/Merridiah · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

Give this book a read, you'll be glad you did.

They can go weeks without eating. The missing hairs may be either from stress during shipping or it may be preparing to molt. Just do your homework a bit and they're very easy to care for.

u/xblackdog · 1 pointr/tarantulas

The A is short for Avicularia. A. avicularias and Grammostola rosea are both good starter Ts. the rosea is terrestrial(lives on the ground) while the avic is arboreal(lives in branches). I suggest you buy or rent The Tarantula Keeper's Guide by the Schultzs its a great resource and has helped me out a lot.

u/jackys · 1 pointr/tarantulas

I haven't read this book yet, but it's on my "next to read" list. Like the author, I used to be afraid of spiders, so it seems like a story I'd relate to.

u/TypicalCricket · 1 pointr/tarantulas

Is there a specific one that this community recommends? I also am looking at getting a tarantula in the next few months, and I've seen several different guides.

One that I have heard is quite good is The Tarantula Keepers Guide by Schultz & Schultz. Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

u/chthonicutie · 1 pointr/tarantulas

No problem. I don't want to scare you out of getting him a T (far from it!), I just was alarmed by your post. I think in this case it's best to err on the side of caution.

I thought of another blue one that can be easy to care for: Avicularia metallica. They are arboreal, so they will require a smallish vertical tank (like this ), a small amount of substrate (like Eco Earth), some cork bark positioned vertically for webbing, and a water dish.

u/NoCold · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

I'm really not that creative either, these are easier than they look!

Start with Jamie's arboreal enclosure tutorial and replace the silk leaves with silk flowers from a hobby store.

What she didn't mention is shaping the cork bark and water bowls. You want somewhat flat surfaces wherever something is getting glued to the tank. A cheap saw of some sort and some adhesive backed coarse grit sandpaper stuck on a flat block of wood is all you need. Don't use the saw on the water bowl though, just sand the side that's already kind of flat. Doesn't need to be perfect, the hot glue will glob up and fill voids. Make sure you rinse off the bowls after sanding and dry them before glueing.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

u/CakeLore · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

You should leave her alone for at least a day or so. If she hasn't tried to eat the molt by then it's safe to take it. Just make sure you don't try to handle or feed her for at lease a couple weeks (her fangs will turn black when she's fully hardened). Also I'd recommend buying this book http://www.amazon.com/The-Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Comprehensive/dp/0764138855/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398715950&sr=8-1&keywords=tarantula+keeper%27s+guide if you don't have it. It's the most concise and complete source of tarantula husbandry and information I've found.

u/retrogradeworks · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

That pet store, frankly, is full of shit. As are the majority of pet stores that carry tarantulas. They've given you a lot of misinformation regarding this tarantula. They need a shallow water dish, one this size would be fine with a gatorade lid sized dish. Not only will they drink from it, it provides atmospheric humidity.

What you need to do is get a good book on keeping tarantulas: http://www.amazon.com/The-Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Comprehensive/dp/0764138855/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394418312&sr=8-1&keywords=tarantula+keepers+guide This one may as well be the Tarantula Keeper's Bible. It's good, informative, and most of all RELIABLE information that you absolutely need to keep your tarantula healthy. If you don't want to buy a book, check out the information available for Grammostola rosea (the species it appears you have) on arachnoboards.com.

On another note, this is a community of (mostly) experienced collectors offering advice to help you correct the mistakes being made with this tarantula. It's ok to be inexperienced, but this animal is already in your care, you're responsible for its life. Please consider taking some of this advice as soon as possible. If you continue to abide by the crap the pet store told you, this T is going to die :/.

u/halcyonights · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

Pretty much everything you asked is covered in here:

http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Comprehensive-Information/dp/0764138855

There are some errors in this book but it's accurate enough to start off.

As far as cost, the bulk of the cost will be the spider itself. Substrate isn't too expensive, tanks aren't too expensive, and the decor is up to you if you want to spend a lot or a little. I started off with a G. pulchra 10 years ago that ran me around $130. They go for much less than that now. Consider yourself lucky...

Check out KenTheBugGuy or Jamie's Tarantulas if you wanna order online.

Also join arachnoboards if you haven't already.

u/Ashley_DL87 · 1 pointr/tarantulas

No problem! There is much to learn and this sub is a great place to do it. If you haven't look into getting The Tarantula Keepers Guild :)

u/micahgartman · 4 pointsr/tarantulas

Take a look at Rainer Foelix's Biology of Spiders:

https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Spiders-Rainer-Foelix/dp/0199734828

It's very in-depth, and covers all spiders with a special section on Theraphosidae.

u/patchy_doll · 3 pointsr/tarantulas

For what it's worth, as someone who has received a tarantula as a gift before (hilariously enough, it was a g. pulchra): think about the enclosure too. Pick up a small exoterra breeder box, a bit of coco earth, and a small fake plant or hide (I love getting fake plants at the dollar store to doll up my spider's bins).

u/Weaver7 · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

I have a juvie that I keep in one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exo-Terra-PT2300-Faunarium-Medium/dp/B0002AR48O
I feed it medium sized roaches now, but I used to feed it medium/large locusts.

u/BMBU · 1 pointr/tarantulas

Here is what I am using. As /u/Underclock stated, this can be found generally at your local pet store.

u/Morgothic · 1 pointr/tarantulas

Judging by the single door, they look like Exo Terra Nano Tall Terrarium. They're 8"x8"x12". I use the mini tall that are 12"x12"x18" for my arboreals.

Edit: I would like to add, if you're considering buying one (or some) of these cages, I don't recommend ordering them online. I bought 2 from Amazon. One showed up fine, but the other one (according to the FedEx tracking site) made it to the FedEx facility nearest me, was marked "damaged" and returned to the seller. They issued me a refund, and I ordered a replacement. When it arrived at my house, one of the glass walls was broken. So, of the 3 I ordered, only 1 made it intact. I got another refund on the 3rd one and went to Pet Smart to buy one.

The problem with shipping them is when they're packaged, the glass doors aren't installed, they're just taped together and loose inside the terrarium. So you're basically shipping a large glass box with 2 panes of glass rattling around inside. And neither of the sellers I ordered from on Amazon even marked the boxes "fragile" or "glass".

u/JedNascar · 2 pointsr/tarantulas

I agree with /u/Feriat. Almost everything listed is flat out wrong. We are definitely willing to give all the advice you need and answer all of your questions but you're going to need to trust us. The two biggest problems that absolutely need to be fixed before you get your tarantula are as follows:

  • That's the wrong kind of enclosure. Terrestrial tarantulas are very vulnerable to falls and it's really important to make sure that the tarantula cannot fall from great heights in it's own enclosure. You want one that's about 3 times as long/wide as the spider and enough substrate in there for it to burrow and so that the distance between the top of the substrate and the lid is equal to between 1 and 2 spider lengths. Having an enclosure that tall with that much open space is going to kill your tarantula someday. Maybe not right away, but eventually.
  • Never, ever, ever use a sponge in a water bowl. Like /u/Feriat said, sponges are really bad because they harbor bacteria and can make your tarantula really sick.

    I highly recommend that you, as well as the people that work in your arachnid department buy the Tarantula Keeper's Guide, 2nd Edition by Schultz. It's like $10 or less and has all of the information you need to keep your tarantula alive and happy. If you guys continue with the way things are apparently going all you'll ever have is unhealthy and/or dying tarantulas and nobody wants that.
u/CyphyZ · 1 pointr/tarantulas

I use flukers cricket quencher and powdered food, and a cricket keeper. I have very little die off, and can avoid going to the store weekly for crickets, woo!

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-20078-Kricket-Keeper-Large/dp/B0002DHAWQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411860796&sr=8-1&keywords=cricket+keeper

http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-16-Ounce-Cricket-Quencher-Fortified/dp/B0002DHPDA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411860797&sr=8-1&keywords=cricket+water

http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-High-Calcium-Cricket-11-5-Ounce/dp/B002DWTJBO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1411860804&sr=8-4&keywords=cricket+food

tried their orange food/water and it smells awful when it dries out. The water pillows don't last long and I had alot of death with them. Potatoes or apples work, but they dont stay damp as long as the quencher does. So after much trial and error, thats the best combo I found.