# Tarantula's. Easy or hard??



## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

Ive been thinking about getting a more exotic pet for a while, but something not too difficult to look after. Despite hating spiders in general I do quite like Tarantula's!! (they just seem quite peaceful and of course, fluffy!).
So T owners out there, how are they to keep??
Are they a good exotic to start with??


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## RockRomantic (Apr 29, 2009)

charlotte is the most easiest pet i've had ever had the pleasure of having and is no problem at all


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## loadsofpets72 (Apr 8, 2010)

There fairly easy. It also depends on the species. For beginners rose hair probaly.


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## Tapir (Mar 20, 2010)

very easy. Charlotte is a Chile Rose.

their tank needs refreshing every 8 months, fresh water daily, and 2-3 crickets twice a week.


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## Reaper941 (Oct 24, 2009)

Easier than easy depending on the species; generally they require no work at all except a light feeding every so often. They're also very cheap.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

Hmmm, got a birthday coming up.....
Maybe a Chilean Rose T would be a nice pressie to myself..:thumbup:


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## Reaper941 (Oct 24, 2009)

catz4m8z said:


> Hmmm, got a birthday coming up.....
> Maybe a Chilean Rose T would be a nice pressie to myself..:thumbup:


Depends if you want an adult or a Spiderling.

G. Rosea (Chilean Rose) is a good terrestrial species; they require very little care but they're a bit slow and tend not to move a lot. From experience they make good display spiders as they're always on show; per say. They don't hide a lot.

My first T was a B. Vagans (Mexican Red Rump). That was one grumpy spider and that thing could teleport; wouldn't be the first time I've had urticating hairs flicked at me.

If you're looking for something a bit different; get one of the Arboreal spiders.
Avic Versicolour or Avic Avic. They have brilliant colours and love to climb. These guys are fast though.

Also heard good things about the Greenbottle Blue.

:thumbup:


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## bluenose77 (Apr 4, 2010)

I started off a few years ago with a medium sized chile rose ( grammostola rosea) i then got a baby green bottle blue (chromatopelma cyaneopubescens), I now have 35 tarantulas and counting.... my GBB is gorgeous and the colouring is amazing, i've watched her grow, and she is skittish and usualy runs away rather than flick hairs. for a beginner you should really be looking at any brachypelma (usually smithi(mexican red knee)) any grammostola (chile rose) or any avicularia ( pink toe/versicolour etc) the versicolour can be quite hard to look after due to its high humidity requirements. but all of those species are classed as docile... any more questions then just ask

Craig


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2010)

whatever you decide make sure the spider is not wild caught.


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

Greenbottle Blue Tarantulas (_Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens_ or GBB for short) are the way forward! They're my favourite species and make excellent starter species. I have 5 large spiderlings!

You get everything with a GBB, Decent growth rate, ravenous feeders, excellent webbing, virtually bomb proof and stunning from spiderling to adult!

Grammostola and Brachypelma species are also good starter species, but can be slow growing.


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## Catlover2 (Oct 12, 2009)

How weird! I've been on his forum for ages but never got past the cat and horse forums. I have a chilean rose who is my office pet. She was given to me by someone who told me she was a "pink chilli" and only ate 1 cricket every few months. I've had her for about 8 months and she has always been fed 2 crickets per week - is that enough? She has also had a moult during this time and lost one of her legs. I understand that this should grow back at some point? 

Nice to have somewhere to find out more about her and to ask questions when necessary!

~x~


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

Catlover2 said:


> How weird! I've been on his forum for ages but never got past the cat and horse forums. I have a chilean rose who is my office pet. She was given to me by someone who told me she was a "pink chilli" and only ate 1 cricket every few months. I've had her for about 8 months and she has always been fed 2 crickets per week - is that enough? She has also had a moult during this time and lost one of her legs. I understand that this should grow back at some point?
> 
> Nice to have somewhere to find out more about her and to ask questions when necessary!
> 
> ~x~


I never need an excuse to talk about tarantulas!

2 crickets a week is fine. If the tarantula is not hungry it wont eat, it's always a good idea to remove any uneaten food though. Chile rose (Grammostola rosea) tarantulas are known to go on long fasting periods, which makes them a very slow growing species.

If your chile rose has lost a leg it will regenerate another one on the next moult. The leg wont be as strong as the others, but with each moult the leg will get stronger.

Not sure if you live near Birmingham, but next Sunday (May 23rd) is the annual BTS (British Tarantula Society) exhibition in Coseley. There will be breeders from all over selling thousands of tarantulas. I will be there!

British Tarantula Society Annual Exhibition


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## Catlover2 (Oct 12, 2009)

Nope - nowhere near Birmingham! So, at what point will the leg appear? I'm fascinated to know if it's growing now and will magically appear immediately upon moulting or whether it will grow after she has moulted again. Also, how often should she moult?


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

Catlover2 said:


> Nope - nowhere near Birmingham! So, at what point will the leg appear? I'm fascinated to know if it's growing now and will magically appear immediately upon moulting or whether it will grow after she has moulted again. Also, how often should she moult?


The leg is growing right now! I'm not sure where or how it happens, but when she next moults she will pull 8 legs out of her moult!

The frequency of the moults depends on you! How often you feed her and how much. But, chile roses will grow slowly.

How big is she now?


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## Catlover2 (Oct 12, 2009)

A couple of pics....


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

I have a few more questions!

How long have you had her?

Is she eating much?

Was it sold to you as a female?

have a look at the front 2 legs, do they have what apears to be hooks under the knee's like in the picture below?


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## Catlover2 (Oct 12, 2009)

Hi there

Have had her for about 8 months or so? A relative of a friend was moving house and had 2 tarantulas which he said he didn't want anymore. He bought one into our office and by the time he got round to showing it to me he was just walking around holding it in his hand. I'd never encountered one before but don't have a fear of spiders, so I handled her too. I immediately just felt like I wanted to look after her for some reason! He told me 'she' was female and a 'pink chilli'. He said he had fed her one cricket in the last few months. He gave her to us there and then so I started reading up on what she was and the care she needed. 'She' currently eats 2 crickets per week - but I'm now wondering if I should be offering her one daily and just removing it if she doesn't eat it?

She's eating at the moment but will look for the hooks later.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

~x~


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## Catlover2 (Oct 12, 2009)

Nope - no hooks!


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

Ok not to worry, it just looked like a male from your pictures!

Keep an eye out for the hooks after each moult though, if the hooks appear you have a male. They are mating hooks that develope on the last moult of their life. If they appear, your tarantula hasn't got long left. Males don't last long after they reach maturity. Lets hope you have a female though 

I wouldn't change how often you feed her, what your doing is just right


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## Catlover2 (Oct 12, 2009)

so what about her made you think she was male? I don't even know how old she is....


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

The females tend to have a 'fuller' figure! Males tend to be more leggy!


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## Pug_D (Feb 21, 2010)

I am absolutly petrified of spiders so am sat here heeling a little bit icky but completely fascinated by the fact they can grow new legs they just apear after moulting!


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

Spare 7 minutes or so to watch a video of this...

YouTube - From Out of Nowhere


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## RockRomantic (Apr 29, 2009)

Jamie said:


> Spare 7 minutes or so to watch a video of this...
> 
> YouTube - From Out of Nowhere


i found that really interesting


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