Hi, first T!

[Poffypoffa]

Hi there, recently acquired my first T, an A. chalcodes. Always been fascinated by spiders and loved watching keeper vids but never pulled the trigger. I grew up in the south US in a tropical environment and am used to LOTS of spiders around--big huntsmans, numerous black widows living in the cracks in the pool tiles, Carolina wolf spiders, and innumerable spiny orb weavers.

Here's how the day of the first spider went. To my wife:

"How would you feel about me getting a tarantula?"

"No. NO. Absolutely not. I will not have that in my home."

Six hours later:

"You can get a tarantula in exchange for a monthly date night [which we both agreed was long overdue anyway, with two kids...]"

And an hour later Aragog was home. Incidentally, she came around immediately and checks on her regularly.

Long term I'd like to acquire a G. pulchra first, and then interested in Honduran Curly Hairs, Pink Toes, maybe a sapphire... who knows. I'd also love a jumping spider and an African Black Velvet (which seem impossible to find). Long term I am aspiring to an OBT, but I may eventually compromise and go with O. phillipinus for a similar look from a less agressive variety (not sure my wife will EVER come around to an OBT...)

So hi! And here's a photo (I replaced this substrate--recommended by the store but quickly realized it wasn't the best option, and she loves the new setup of coco fiber, repitlite and clay).

 

[Enn49]

Hello and welcome to the hobby and this forum.
Don't take most comments about the OBT being aggressive too seriously. I bought a juvi as my first ever T and currently have a juvi and 2 grown on slings and they'd all rather run and hide than attack.

 

[Poffypoffa]

Hello and welcome to the hobby and this forum.
Don't take most comments about the OBT being aggressive too seriously. I bought a juvi as my first ever T and currently have a juvi and 2 grown on slings and they'd all rather run and hide than attack.

Good to know, ty! I see some of the videos online and it's like...woah. .

 

[GarField000]

Hi and welcome.
I always say a spider is nog aggresive but defensive. Aggressive means it wants to attack you.
In the case off an OBT (or any spider) this is not the case. They are disturbed and try to defend themself.

If you give an OBT some extra hight room to build their webs they will go into hiding before attacking you.
I have several and non will attack out of nowhere. When I got to the enclosure and open it they will go into their hide.

What you see on youtube is that they are trying to get the spider upset. And yes they will throw their legs up to defend. But it is in defense. If you are calm they are calm. Atleast that's my experience.

 

[m0lsx]

Hello & welcome to the hobby & the forum.

My first OBT was a real sweetheart. She was relaxed & always out. Sadly, I lost her just after a molt.

My two current OBT's, are a few years old & we have had them from tiny slings. When I rehoused them as Juvi's about a year ago. I simply picked up the small piece of bark they were on & placed it into the new enclosure & left them to move to the bark tube in their own time. And to be honest, it is only the past month or two that we have seen more than the slightest glimpse of them, since we acquired them.

I have found plenty of cover is the first key with old worlds. Give your T's that & they move for cover & not out of the enclosure. Although a few will love to run the walls, like a wall of death motorcyclist. For cover, I use plastic plants, normally with some form of vine wrapped around & hot glued onto the bark tube. The second key is being calm with them. I have often picked up bark to move old worlds from one enclosure to another. And regularly with my fingers very close to the T being moved.

But I have had a T that I am even cautious of getting close to, with long tweezers. On the day she arrived she went from calm & relaxed, to the top of the paint brush in milliseconds, but fortunately took the brush out of my hand & thus missed my fingers when she did so. So it is also about knowing your T. Thus if you buy a sling, it will grow, as does your knowledge of it's temperament. But don't confuse defensiveness, with aggression.

 

[Poffypoffa]

@m0lsx this is great information, thank you! So what was the paintbrush-running T you had, just out of curiosity?

I ordered a bunch of small enclosures from Tarantula Cribs, to have on hand, just in case an unexpected opportunity arises; as well as supplies from BioDudes. There's a couple of spider booths at my local reptile show next weekend...

 

[m0lsx]

@m0lsx this is great information, thank you! So what was the paintbrush-running T you had, just out of curiosity?

She was a Cyriopagopus albostriatus, (Thailand zebra leg, or Thai edible.) She was never defensive, she always went for the bite & she was quick.

I also have a Cyriopagopus minax, ( Thailand Black, or Thailand Big Black.) Whose last owner sold her to me after she had tried to tag him 3 times. With me, she spends almost all of her life at the bottom of a one foot deep burrow & when she does come up, she is very timid. Normally running for cover as soon as the lid of her enclosure is touched.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

 

[Lawrence b]

Welcome to the forum .

 

[Noodlelove]

So happy for you. Once you keep a spider, you always keep a spider. They are too cool.

 

[BigBill'sUniverse]

Welcome to the Forum!