Obt and new keeper

[Wayne harper]

Well I had a little suprise turn up at my house last night, a friend with a little plastic pot. It turns out he was working in a guys house who kept tarantulas. They got talking about me and the man gave him a pot with an obt tiny sling in it to give to me. Now I have always wanted an obt I love the look and the attitude they have but after talking to a few people on here I had decided to leave it till my boys were a bit older to get one.
This morning I I sat my wife and 2 oldest boys down and we discussed the situation as I was going to take it back tonight to the guy who gave me it. But after much discussion and setting out the safety side of things like the deli cup it's in now is locked inside a bigger plastic box and only I have the keys and it will get fed and rehoused in the bath and the boys know not to go near it's enclosure. I think I'm going to keep it and give it a go.
Please don't shoot me for changing my mind but I think things happen for a reason.
Is there any other ways I can improve on keeping this tarantula safely.
P's I have read up on hundreds of pages of various forums and all the info in the tarantula keeper's bible on these tarantulas I'm not going into this blind.

 

[Fuzzball79]

I think, you sound reasonable and prepared enough to be able to handle the situation. Good luck with your new addition, I hope it'll bring you lots of joy. Any photos or has it done the typical OBT thing and gone underground?

 

[kaz]

congrats on the free new addition!!

 

[Wayne harper]

@Fuzzball79 it's decided the best place to burrow is under the upside down lego brick I put in for my tiny slings water and it's started to Web over the top seems very busy for something so small.

Cheers @kaz

 

[Enn49]

Lucky you. One tip I would give you is when rehousing, you give it a slightly larger container than normal so you don't have to rehouse as often.

 

[Wayne harper]

Cheers Enn49 I'm guessing that's so you don't need to rehouse as often. I've heard and seen on you tube that re housing is one of the riskiest times

 

[Enn49]

Cheers Enn49 I'm guessing that's so you don't need to rehouse as often. I've heard and seen on you tube that re housing is one of the riskiest times

That's the idea. I have been lucky in that I bought a juvenile so it went straight into its adult home so I've never had to rehouse her. I'd hate to have to disturb her now after all the work she's done to make her home to her liking.

 

[Tomoran]

Congratulations on your new acquisition. I'm not sure what you currently keep, but it's apparent that you have a good idea what you could be getting into with this species. Just always keep in mind that they may just appear skittish and "cute" as slings, but once they put on some size, that infamous attitude will likely manifest. I agree with Enn49 that this is a species that you'll want to give a larger enclosure to for its next home to minimize the number of rehousings you have to perform. These guys are downright nasty when disturbed, making rehousings a bit of a nightmare. If you can negotiate it so that you can actually fit the old enclosure in the next one, even better. Many folks will also use the "bag method" for transfers to further minimize the chance for escape or bite. When you house it, try to give it deep substrate to encourage burrowing; you won't see it as often if it does dig, but you're less likely to have your T get caught in the open and freak out.

The OBT is a gorgeous species, but its reputation is well earned and many keepers find themselves with a spider they're scared of. It's great that you started with a sling because you'll be able to observe it as it grows and become for accustomed to it's speed and attitude.

 

[Wayne harper]

Thank you tomoran I don't think I will ever be scared of one I know there bites are supposed to hurt like hell but I'm a big boy and get into things like this knowing the risks. My only concern is if one of the kids somehow got tagged I think my wife would slipper all the spiders we have. I currently have b albopilosum mm b smithi adult, b emillia sling, g pulchripes sling, and an lp sling.

 

[N8tive556]

Thank you tomoran I don't think I will ever be scared of one I know there bites are supposed to hurt like hell but I'm a big boy and get into things like this knowing the risks. My only concern is if one of the kids somehow got tagged I think my wife would slipper all the spiders we have. I currently have b albopilosum mm b smithi adult, b emillia sling, g pulchripes sling, and an lp sling.

I think this is the key Wayne, knowledge. You seem to have been doing all the research which I think anyone that keeps T's should, granted, sometimes, well okay MOST of the time it's before we get the specimen. However you're getting it as a sling, just as I got my regalis, and I'm tons more educated and more experienced in Tarantula husbandry now than when I first got that little regalis, we've grown together almost. And by the time your Orange Bitey Thing grows up, you will have the tools to keeping a happy and healthy T... Just my 2 cents

 

[Chubbs]

Thank you tomoran I don't think I will ever be scared of one I know there bites are supposed to hurt like hell but I'm a big boy and get into things like this knowing the risks. My only concern is if one of the kids somehow got tagged I think my wife would slipper all the spiders we have. I currently have b albopilosum mm b smithi adult, b emillia sling, g pulchripes sling, and an lp sling.

I think this is usually what the concern is with most people, if a child got tagged. The venom is medically significant but thankfully I never had to experience the symptoms first hand. I know that he venom of certain Old Worlds is known to be deadly to dogs and other animals.

 

[Thistles]

Like @Tomoran said, the bag method is probably going to be your best bet. His blog has an excellent write-up on rehousing. Here's the link, since he's humble: https://tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/tarantula-rehousing-tips-with-videos/

Like @Enn49 said, give it a slightly larger enclosure than necessary.

It's just a lil ole spider, but it's a grouchy lil ole spider.

I've had oodles of OBTs and never been bitten, but they certainly give it their all. I have a few juveniles and as soon as I pick up their enclosures they start threat posing, slapping and sometimes straight up flip onto their backs. Don't let it intimidate you, but show it respect. You'll be okay.

 

[Tomoran]

Like @Tomoran said, the bag method is probably going to be your best bet. His blog has an excellent write-up on rehousing. Here's the link, since he's humble: https://tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/tarantula-rehousing-tips-with-videos/

Like @Enn49 said, give it a slightly larger enclosure than necessary.

It's just a lil ole spider, but it's a grouchy lil ole spider.

I've had oodles of OBTs and never been bitten, but they certainly give it their all. I have a few juveniles and as soon as I pick up their enclosures they start threat posing, slapping and sometimes straight up flip onto their backs. Don't let it intimidate you, but show it respect. You'll be okay.

Ha! Thanks so much, Thistles.

 

[micheldied]

This is how I've always done it. I've found OBTs to be very easy to deal with, actually;

Start them in very large enclosures. Not too large for you to keep track of the T, but large enough each time so that you'll have to rehouse less often. They grow very fast and will use most of the enclosure you give them. Don't rehouse only when they seem too big for the enclosure they're in. As they get bigger, they become more bold. They're far more likely to stand in a threat pose for 30 minutes than to bolt out of their enclosure. Usually, it's actually tough to get them to run out. This makes it pretty easy; just place a cup over them while they stand in threat pose, and slide a lid under. If you have a large wide table with an open space around it, that also helps.

 

[Wayne harper]

Thank you every one for all your help and advice it has all been noted and I hope to be able to keep this tarantula without any issues.
I am trying to get photos of it but it likes to sit on the wall of its enclosure above its burrow and when I go to open it up it darts in side little monkey.
It is only as big as a 5pence piece at the minute but it still eat half a pin head cricket I put in last night.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Err on the side of safety. Loved your attitude man.

 

[MassExodus]

The bathtub is your friend. I've had one get lose in the tub. They are fast for terrestrial spiders, but not so fast in the tub. Just have a catchcup ready and its very simple to recapture them in a bath tub. Word of warning. The tub is more difficult for them to escape, but NOT impossible. When I recaptured mine she was going in circles, building centripetal force and getting higher with each pass. When I cupped her, she fell on her back inside the cup in a threat pose. I gently let her slide slowly into her new enclosure, on her back, onto the substrate.. and she stayed that way, on her back, until I put her on her shelf. Needless to say, I enjoyed the experience, and was laughing for most of it. I wish they didn't hide so much..they're gorgeous and spastic in equal measures.

 

[Fuzzball79]

. Word of warning. The tub is more difficult for them to escape, but NOT impossible. When I recaptured mine she was going in circles, building centripetal force and getting higher with each pass. When I cupped her, she fell on her back inside the cup in a threat pose. I gently let her slide slowly into her new enclosure, on her back, onto the substrate.. and she stayed that way, on her back, until I put her on her shelf. Needless to say, I enjoyed the experience, and was laughing for most of it. I wish they didn't hide so much..they're gorgeous and spastic in equal measures.

This made me laugh out loud. Make sure you take a video with the soundtrack of "The Benny Hill Show" next time, lol.

 

[Enn49]

The bathtub is your friend. I've had one get lose in the tub. They are fast for terrestrial spiders, but not so fast in the tub. Just have a catchcup ready and its very simple to recapture them in a bath tub. Word of warning. The tub is more difficult for them to escape, but NOT impossible. When I recaptured mine she was going in circles, building centripetal force and getting higher with each pass. When I cupped her, she fell on her back inside the cup in a threat pose. I gently let her slide slowly into her new enclosure, on her back, onto the substrate.. and she stayed that way, on her back, until I put her on her shelf. Needless to say, I enjoyed the experience, and was laughing for most of it. I wish they didn't hide so much..they're gorgeous and spastic in equal measures.

This made me laugh out loud. Make sure you take a video with the soundtrack of "The Benny Hill Show" next time, lol.

You both made me laugh. Now all I can see in my mind is this big, angry bright orange T racing round and round to Benny Hill (who I couldn't stand)