Harpactira pulchripes - am I ready?

[octanejunkie]

Thinking about an ornamental, not specifically an old world, but H. pulchripes caught my attention recently.
Care needs don't seem to be too challenging and I have no desire to handle. Have tons of B. lats to feed out.
Wondering about enclosure size, is a 12" cube w/6" sub big enough?
Am I being too logical and missing something in considering an old world as our 6th tarantula?

 

[PanzoN88]

Depends on what you have currently.

H. pulchripes is a great, albeit pricey first OW.

 

[Enn49]

Only you know if you're ready. As long as you know what it's capable of and you move slowly around it then you can keep any tarantula you want. I speak from experience there as my first 2 were an OBT and a Poecilotheria.

 

[ExMember]

I personally follow the ladder system. Started with slings of the "docile" new worlds (T albopilosum) and moved on to standards like Grammastola pulchra/pulchripes. From there I got a few feistier t's like my psycho B baumgarteni. And my Acanthoscurria geniculata. Then a Pterinopelma sazimai. This is in preparation to get my next one. Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. I felt the need to work up to it to get my husbandry up to snuff.

Sadly I don't keep OW's due to having a lot of other pets. To me the risk isn't worth it. But I am now at the point that I would keep almost any new world species that interested me.

The best advice on this was from a guy that works expos for my main breeder. He said some people shouldn't be forced into the ladder system( like @Enn49 ) . "If you want P metallica and that is the only spider that interests you then get one. Just be fully aware of what you are getting into. It's better than getting a rosie that you don't care about as a stepping stone."

Only you will know when you are ready (sorry for the true cliche!) but if you are prepared then I say go for it! Good luck with what you decide!

 

[octanejunkie]

Depends on what you have currently.

H. pulchripes is a great, albeit pricey first OW.

Our first T was a B. albopilosum, followed by and A. versacolor that didn't make it due to a bad molt/newbie husbandry issue.
We currently have B. vagans, G. rosea, A. chalcodes, A. avicularia and a GBB. All of them are humming along well. Never had an escape, never any mishaps.

Not sure if any of that qualifies us for an OW but I feel fairly confident in keeping the ones we have.

 

[octanejunkie]

Only you know if you're ready. As long as you know what it's capable of and you move slowly around it then you can keep any tarantula you want. I speak from experience there as my first 2 were an OBT and a Poecilotheria.

Understood and appreciated.

Is a 12" cube large enough for a final home?
Not sure I want to rehouse an OW multiple times...

 

[PanzoN88]

Our first T was a B. albopilosum, followed by and A. versacolor that didn't make it due to a bad molt/newbie husbandry issue.
We currently have B. vagans, G. rosea, A. chalcodes, A. avicularia and a GBB. All of them are humming along well. Never had an escape, never any mishaps.

Not sure if any of that qualifies us for an OW but I feel fairly confident in keeping the ones we have.

If you decide to get one, I recommend getting something like an E. murinus or P. cancerides as well.

 

[octanejunkie]

If you decide to get one, I recommend getting something like an E. murinus or P. cancerides as well.

Interesting... why exactly do you recommend those species in addition to an OW?

 

[PanzoN88]

Interesting... why exactly do you recommend those species in addition to an OW?

With the cancerides, E. murinus, or something similar, you will have the opportunity to deal with the potential defensiveness of OWs in general (P. cancerides, E. murinus) and the burrowing tendencies (E. Murinus), and most importantly the speed. Getting a Psalmopoeus wouldn't be a bad idea either. All of those factors will help you learn as you go. Although it wouldn't surprise me if the H. pulchripes is the most mellow tarantula of the bunch. The others will prepare you for other more defensive and OWs.

 

[menavodi]

Is a 12" cube large enough for a final home?
Not sure I want to rehouse an OW multiple times...

That would be too small for me...not enough room to roam around....

 

[m0lsx]

With the cancerides, E. murinus, or something similar, you will have the opportunity to deal with the potential defensiveness of OWs in general

My first T was a P cancerides & he was a total kitten. The only time I ever had a threat posture from him, was when I moved him to a new enclosure & he did not want to go. It's just personal opinion, but the cancerides is a much over looked jewel that derserves to be much more popular than it is. My last cancerides sling cost me £4 from an invert show. It was the cheapest purchase of the day & a real bargain, but it shows how over looked they are.

 

[octanejunkie]

With the cancerides, E. murinus, or something similar, you will have the opportunity to deal with the potential defensiveness of OWs in general (P. cancerides, E. murinus) and the burrowing tendencies (E. Murinus), and most importantly the speed. Getting a Psalmopoeus wouldn't be a bad idea either. All of those factors will help you learn as you go. Although it wouldn't surprise me if the H. pulchripes is the most mellow tarantula of the bunch. The others will prepare you for other more defensive and OWs.

Understood
How about Nhandu chromatus?

That would be too small for me...not enough room to roam around....

Would a 10ga terrarium footprint be better?

I could put a filler box inside to raise the level of substrate and force any burrows to the perimeter (tank within a tank from Tarantula Keepers Guide)

What size/dimensions would be recommend for a final home display tank?

 

[PanzoN88]

Understood
How about Nhandu chromatus?


Would a 10ga terrarium footprint be better?

I could put a filler box inside to raise the level of substrate and force any burrows to the perimeter (tank within a tank from Tarantula Keepers Guide)

What size/dimensions would be recommend for a final home display tank?

N. chromatus are good as well.

 

[m0lsx]

Would a 10ga terrarium footprint be better?
I could put a filler box inside to raise the level of substrate and force any burrows to the perimeter (tank within a tank from Tarantula Keepers Guide)
What size/dimensions would be recommend for a final home display tank?

The size & type of enclosure will depend upon the type & size of T that you get. An Arboreal T needs less floor space, but more vertical space. A Fossorial needs height for substrate as they burrow. But some of the arboreal enclosures have front doors & thus no space for deeper substrate. Then there are the terrestrial T's, the ones that may use a burrow, but don't need as much depth to their substrate.

Even when fully grown, tarantulas also come in a variety of sizes from dwarf to goliath. I have a, not yet fully grown, female goliath (stirmi) in a large 18 X 12 inch enclosure & a small-ish male (blondi) goliath who I moved to a larger, now 8 X 5 inch, enclosure just a few days ago. My vericolour juvi is in a 5 X 5 inch cube & my growing Avic avic is in an 8 X 8 X 12 inch tall arboreal enclosure.

I moved several of my T's to larger enclosures this past week. Some went into commercial enclosures, a couple of smaller arboials went from deli cups. The kind of thing you get coleslaw & takeway food in, to a taller kitchen container I brought from poundland & then melted air holes into.

 

[octanejunkie]

@m0lsx I meant for H. pulchripes' final home, specifically

 

[octanejunkie]

I've decided to postpone acquiring an H. pulchripes and ordered a Tapinauchenius gigas (orange tree spider) from Jamie's Tarantulas

New thread pending upon arrival.

 

[ExMember]

I've decided to postpone acquiring an H. pulchripes and ordered a Tapinauchenius gigas (orange tree spider) from Jamie's Tarantulas

New thread pending upon arrival.

Congrats on the new tarantula! What made you choose that species?

 

[octanejunkie]

Congrats on the new tarantula! What made you choose that species?

Thanks in advance!
I have several terrestrials and only one arboreal and I wanted another species to compliment my collection with unique coloring and specific husbandry needs (more humid) to diversify. Also it was locally available at a reasonable cost.
I'm looking forward to creating a mature display terrarium that I can move this species into with live plants, so time is my friend in this case
I will post the enclosure plans and progress separate from the T thread until the T eventually moves into it (years from now)

 

[Whitelightning777]

H pulchripes is just a wonderful T. Mine wasn't at all a mean spider.

The only potential trouble area is their speed. They can really teleport.

I think that they're an excellent first OW. Also look into M balfouri as well, which can be kept in a communal of you're up to that.

My H pulchripes did dig out a small burrow. He was visible about a third of the time. They're a smaller spider so you won't be rehousing them a zillion times.

The other nice thing about them is that both sexes look the same and are drop dead gorgeous until the males mature out.

As stated, they are a little bit photosensitive.

They're just super fast. If they were just a little bit calmer, they'd be an ideal first tarantula. They also make a good second terrestrial in my opinion, one of my easiest Ts to keep.

I'll definitely try 2 slings to get a female in the near future.

 

[octanejunkie]

H pulchripes is just a wonderful T. Mine wasn't at all a mean spider.

The only potential trouble area is their speed. They can really teleport.

I'll definitely try 2 slings to get a female in the near future.

Appreciate your educated reply and experience with this species, thank you!

At $95 a pop I doubt I'd buy 2 to start but, and with my luck I'd probably get 2 males. I seem to get mostly males, not one of my mature spiders has been female. Wonder if that's a husbandry issue lol