How to choose your first spider.

[Poxicator]

Generally a tank double the size of its legspan is sufficient however I often go for 3 or 4 times the legspan. Tarantula don't tend to move from their established home unless they're forced or become sexually mature males so the concept of very large tanks is human. Make sure is upright, a sweet jar or plastic cereal container would be a good choice.

[chubz]

oh thanks because i was thinking of some thing more along the line of the small exo terra tank but yes i do have a large sweet container that i will now move hm into as he is in a criket keeper at the mo and he out growing it as we speek.
i also have 1 last question.
do you keep your terantulas on a heat mat or some thing along those lines?

[ferretlad]

Some wise information there, I started with the Grammostola/Brachypelma group a good few years ago.. and still have them in my collection to date and will always keep them.

[reptile.kid]

mike mc good guide thnks mate

[odyssey]

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[Willenium]

We got seriously conned when buying spiders in my early days of keeping. First off got sold a fully matured male Chilean which died after about 3 weeks. Took it back and the knob sold us a seriously half dead female which was qute small and lasted about the same length of time. Finally I went nuts and demanded I choose my next one and not the shopkeeper. Picked up a real gem who lasted a lot longer. She died for some reason although I still don't know why exactly. Christmas 1996 my mum picked up another female for me (Turned out to be WC and gravid) and I had that about 10 years.

Can't remember what my second spider was but I'm pretty sure it was a Flare Leg Baboon. Crap spider.

The third species I picked up was a fairly large Lasiodora parahybana which I also had for about 10-11 years. She was great and really fought it out to the end when she just simply didn't have any more strength.

When picking up my third Chilean, my dad took it upon himself to buy me a T. leblondi spiderling as well which was really cool. Unfortunately I knocked it's tub off the side and that was the end of that

Dad picked me up a Ceratogyrus darlingi we found in a shop and I had that for a couple of years. Very good spider.

Collection stayed as it was for some time....

Sometime later, my dad bought me a Red Rump and I cherished that for the 8-9 years I had it. Absolutely brilliant spider and never showed any aggression towards me.

Picked up a couple of Curly Hair spiderlings and grew them on. They matured into a male and female so I bred them and made a little bit of profit. They died off a few months later but were brilliant spiders in the time I had them. Again, very typical Brachypelma in that they were obedient as an old man's dog.

A friend and I took on a joint project when we found some Cobalt Blue spiderlings. We went halves on one and shared the keeping time. That matured into a bland blackish male but we didn't see some nice blue colours before it did so. Very aggressive, very fussy eater and incredibly unpredictable.

When my big Salmon Pink died a lady very kindly gave me two young ones which I am currently growing on and they are doing beautifully.

Owned a couple of Pterinochilus murinus (Orange strain) in the last few years too but I wasn't sure what the best way to keep them was as I had read mixed reports. One mature male which died off after a while and grew a young one to a rather large size before it conked it randomly one day. Think the tank may have been a bit too dry.

In January this year I got together with my friend I took on the Cobalt project with and we have started another one in which we hope to breed Red Rumps. Picked up a group of three and lost one for unknown reasons. Other two are doing well although mine is growing a lot faster (Better keeper probably haha :P).

Bought a couple of Curly Hair spiderlings to grow on a few weeks ago. One of them is for his birthday and one for me to keep.

I've kept a few of his spiders to get them into better shape etc over the last few years but not on a permanent basis.

Right, that's me up to date I believe.

[davieboi]

personally ive never expierced so called aggresive spiders i been able to handle stromatopelmas, haplopelmas, poeclitherias and although they do occasionally try to bite you the only spider i have had that was properly mental was a female macrothele so i dont beleive in starter spiders any more and im only fifteen

[charlotte01]

Costa Rican Zebras what are they like as pets.

[Poxicator]

Costa Rican Zebras - Aphonopelma seemanni
Docile, skittish, size up to 6", good beginner but as with many New World Ts they can kick hairs.

[Redrum]

When i first got an interest in spider's my first one was a G.Rosea and it was like watching a rock zzzzzz so two weeks later i went out and bought a Haplopelma Lividum and it was wayyy more interesting plus not all Lividum are pet hole's i see my one everyday and i would not call it an aggressive T what i would say is defencsive if you want to call a spider aggressive try the Sidney funnel web spider now thats aggressive and defencsive plus it can kill you