What to get for my first Tarantula?

That is an EXTREMELY good idea!!

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Thanks! That’s the way I’ve done it for everything I currently keep/own. I don’t ever want to get something that I can’t keep up with.

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The curly hair I’ll be looking at runs a whopping $45 :grin: definitely not a bank breaker lol

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I decided to get a G. pulchripes (Golden Knee) and T. albopilosus (Curly Hair) as my first Ts. I’m very happy with my decision, I think either (or both) species are perfect for beginners. Hardy, husbandry is simple and straightforward, and neither species is known for being especially defensive.

The G. pulchripes is quite bold and I see her out and about quite a lot, which I really enjoy. She’s also very calm and easy to work with. She’s never kicked hair at me or exhibited any defensive behaviour. The main cons, I’d say, are that they’re extremely slow-growing, so if you can find an older sling or juvenile, that might be preferable to a tiny sling that will take years to even start looking like a tarantula. They’re also pretty infamous for moving dirt around and re-landscaping their enclosure, so if you want to make up a really cute enclosure… they’ll probably destroy it. :joy:

The T. albopilosus is much more shy and reclusive, so I don’t see her all that often. She’s usually hidden in her burrow (though I’ve noticed her coming out a lot more after her last molt, so maybe she won’t remain shy). They’re also known to be rather quick to kick hairs, though I’ve yet to see mine do that (she’s still quite young). They grow quite a bit faster than many New World species, so a tiny sling is going to start looking like a tarantula much faster, which is nice. She’s much more bolty than my G. pulchripes, so she’s not one I would feel good about handling, but I’m not big on handling my inverts. The only time the bolty-ness makes me nervous is during rehousings.

If the Curly Hair is the species that “speaks” to you, I think that would be a very solid choice!

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Really? I got my curly hair as a freebie, and they’re consistently one of the least expensive species I see for sale. Many vendors seem to be giving them away as freebies with other purchases. Maybe they’re more expensive in the UK? :thinking:

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It’s not a sling, it’s a juvenile, so I don’t have to worry about it growing slowly! :slightly_smiling_face: and I didn’t plan on making a cute enclosure, I’m a guy so cute isn’t in the picture haha :rofl:. Just using coco substrate, hide, water dish, one fake plant and a skull for decoration.

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Ya even on here I see them for $30-$60, never been an expensive T.

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I also don’t plan on handling unless absolutely necessary. Only when I need to take it out for cleaning and I’ll set it in a clear bin while I do that and then back to it’s home again.

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I know plenty of guys who get downright obsessive with enclosure aesthetics, so you never know! I mostly just meant that if you want to create an enclosure with a specific look (whether that’s “cute” or naturalistic or a zen garden or whatever), a Golden Knee is just going to pile dirt on top of all your decor. Mine has a water bowl that she totally buried overnight…I just gave her a new water dish, the old one belongs to the dirt now. :joy:

A Curly Hair probably won’t have that problem, though. As youngsters they’ll be pretty fossorial and live in a burrow they dig for themselves (mine doesn’t even have a hide right now since she basically created her own hide), but I think as adults they’re more terrestrial and should have a hide. Since you said you’re getting a juvenile, you should probably give them a hide as well as enough substrate to burrow in. They basically just need substrate, a hide, and a water dish. But if you want to add any decor, they probably won’t bury it the way a Golden Knee would, which is nice.

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Yep, I’m using 4" of coco substrate, a log hide, water dish, a deer skull and one fake dollar tree plant for decor

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And I’ll overfill the water dish once in a while so it has a moist corner :grin: super excited just two more days until it’s mine!!!

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Damn! Good freebie there :smiling_face_with_tear:

Yeah in the uk curly hair is more than the red rump by a lot :sweat_smile:

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That’s crazy! People literally can’t give them away fast enough in the US. :joy: I think it’s a combination of the fact that a) lots of people here have them, b) they seem to breed quite easily in captivity, and c) they tend to produce pretty large egg sacs, so you get a lot of babies from a single pairing.

Though I do believe the “pure Nicaraguan” locality tends to command higher prices here. They’re supposed to be “fluffier” than the Honduran/“hobby” form, which are usually the ones vendors give away. I’m actually not sure which mine is, though I assume it’s the more common hobby form, since it was free and the seller didn’t specify it was Nicaraguan.

Red rumps are very common and inexpensive here as well, for much the same reasons. T. vagans and T. albopilosus are probably the two most affordable and readily available species in the US, it seems. You can get slings of either species for like $20 (or often for free with another purchase).

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Dangggg, that sucks :thinking: I think the most I’ve seen a curly hair go for is $80 here in the US.

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That price, was it for an adult or a sling? A male or a female? Many factors can influence prices on tarantulas.

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Was a juvenile at Petco I seen. Went to get bedding and they had it for $79.99.

Here is my enclosure for the T I am getting tomorrow.


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where is the deer skull :laughing: ? on a slightly more serious note it looks like a really good enclosure. Nothing fancy but very functional and effective. When i hopefully get a tarantula this is probably how i will set it up. Will this be his adult enclosure as well (it is a little hard to tell the size of the enclosure)? where are you getting the T from

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I realized it wouldn’t fit so I decided to not include it. I am getting it from The Snake Pit in Hermantown, MN owned and operated by Roger Hill. Can check out their Facebook page as well as his story in the Duluth mn news tribune.

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Yes it will be his adult enclosure

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