The Rule of Fifty

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
Old Timer
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Feb 27, 2011
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So when I decided to get back into tarantulas it started as the Rule of One. "Thou shalt have only one tarantula..." I was good for about a year. Then the population started creeping up. One here, another there. Next thing I know I instituted the Stop at a Dozen Rule. Then, a Baker's Dozen, 'cause what's one more... Then a S**tload (which is 20, BTW...) Then I went to the ATS Conference and there was a small population explosion. Okay, who am I lying to, it wasn't small, the population doubled. When the count hit 47 I said, "No more than 50..."

I have no willpower... And I associate with enablers... :biggrin: (You know who you are!)
The Rule of Fifty gets broken tomorrow when my package of seven slings arrives. And today I agreed to take on another guinea pig, as well. (I haven't informed the family yet of the G pig... I think I'll name it Cuy.)

At what point do tarantula hobbyists qualify for the Hoarders Show? :o_O:
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Collectors, we collect. We do not hoard. (enable, enable).

I too said that - no more than 10, then 20, then 50, then 75. Broke a hundred. Right now hovering around 115... That's all I can take care of. One or two will have to go in order to get more. That will happen though, since I have several mature males.

I have about 50 different species, I looked at my Tlog yesterday and boggled my own mind. There are species I'd love to have but don't. In order to do that, I have to stop rescuing free G roseas (I have over 20) and concentrate on those others. But eh, I love them all, and I like at least some of my Ts to be handle-able. I have 7 out of my collection that I handle in rotation, once a week or so.

Keep as many as you can care for...

Good luck with that.

Marga
 

Popsmoke63B

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 9, 2011
Messages
94
After the mail runs tomorrow, i'll be up to 17. My stopping point is 25, but everyone tells me: "you'll overshoot that by at least ten". So I have a "soft" stopping point at 25, but a "hard" stopping point somewhere around 35...or so!
 

Fins

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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May 18, 2011
Messages
129
Well you all are extremely unhelpful. I'm up to 9 from 1 at the beginning of this year and working hard to convince myself that is quite enough.
 

deathkorps

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
58
i to had a population explosion within the first few months of owning my first G. rosea. then it turned into a second rosea. then i go to my LPS one day to get crickets and i end up leaving with a rescue rosea that someone was gonna drop off there.

fast forward a month and get 2 L. parahybana slings, a B. vagans sling, and a A. versi sling. but wait theres more! few more months down the line i go to repticon here and leave with an OBT sling, and 2 scorpions. a week later i order a GBB sling. i have since put my foot down on getting anymore since i wont have room to house anymore once these slings grow up....well until i get more room anyway... maybe i'll just feed my roommate to the spiders and give them his room lol.
 
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catfishrod69

Arachnoemperor
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Oct 1, 2010
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4,401
well if you accidentily get more than 50, ill be glad to take them for you...i wouldnt want you going over limit :)...and i keep saying once i have around 300, then ill be good...haha yea right....not when i plan on having 10 P. regalis females alone...already have 2....
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
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Feb 27, 2011
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When you round off to the nearest hundred
So, if you have less than 100, do you round off to the nearest ten? Or still to the nearest hundred?
I now have either 60 or 100...

well if you accidentily get more than 50, ill be glad to take them for you...i wouldnt want you going over limit
:laugh: So far there have been no accidentallys. Each was a deliberate acquisition... I'll keep your offer in mind, though. :biggrin:

New babies all arrived in great shape yesterday!
2 E. murinus
2 C. ritae
2 B. albo
1 H. mac
All ate like little pigs last night
 

angrychair

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 12, 2010
Messages
61
sort of staying on topic, i have 5:
P. regalis
P. murinus
P. irminia
L. parahybana
C. cyanopubesens

Of course this is not enough, what next? Pokies are my favorite, of course I want more of them, but what else really cool is there? Fast growers, cool colors, and lots of web are a plus? Enable me guys.







There is no rule, only Zuul.
 

0siris

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
127
When i think of 50, the term half-assed comes to mind. 0 being "n00b", 50 being "kind of a collector", and 100 being "Arachnogod" and anything over 100 you start going down the other path, 150 being "happily single", 200 being "haven't kissed a girl in over a year", etc, etc

btw, what is this enabling you speak of?
 

jim777

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
130
The Avics.....they are soooo beautiful :) Why wouldn't you want a few of each?! I know I want a few of each, and I've only got one (today that is)!

I've only got three, but I tell my kids I have 6. That way I can grow a bit under the radar LOL. But forums like this always bring that out in people. On the guitar board where i'm a moderator I've seen people happy with one or two guitars end up with 20 within a year of joining the board, and I've seen it many times. Over there we call it GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and there are no known cures besides practice. I don't see an equivalent cure here, but i definitely see the same acquisition syndrome fueled by pictures of other folks' T's and you can smell the "I need one of those!" in the air. Not that i should talk, mind you ;)
 

angrychair

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Oct 12, 2010
Messages
61
Chris is one of the worst over at the guitar site. T's are a lot cheaper than guitars though, so its easier to go nuts for the not wealthy. A. versicolor should be on my list, but Avicularias as a whole just sort of bore me. The A. avicularia I had never webbed much, except when it molted. Wasn't overly aggressive eater, but did grow at a decent rate. Eh I'll probably end up getting a versicolor and a metallica eventually.
 

ImDeadly

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Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Messages
104
Oh boy, according to you guys I'll have to convert my walk-in closet soon. All I want for Christmas are T's. And if I ask nicely, I might even be able to get.........................T's!!!!!
 

boxofsorrows

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
32
When i think of 50, the term half-assed comes to mind. 0 being "n00b", 50 being "kind of a collector", and 100 being "Arachnogod" and anything over 100 you start going down the other path, 150 being "happily single", 200 being "haven't kissed a girl in over a year", etc, etc

btw, what is this enabling you speak of?
Har!!!

Oh boy, according to you guys I'll have to convert my walk-in closet soon. All I want for Christmas are T's. And if I ask nicely, I might even be able to get.........................T's!!!!!
Umm, yeah, I kinda already got my xmas ones - had to get them early in case of bad weather and all that stuff... erm... heh :)

I must admit, I was shocked how fast I went from 2 little slings to the number I already have since starting just a few months ago. My problem now is that I need to sort out the cupboard that I'm going to convert to keep them in - a couple sitting on the shelves in the living room was supposed to be temporary and no-more until the cupboard was done - but now the shelves have 21 on them (oops!). Yeah, 21's a rubbish number and I need 4 more to even it up etc etc... :D
 

Deftones90

Arachnosquire
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Sep 13, 2011
Messages
135
I told myself I was done ordering for the year but idk if i'll be able to stick to it!
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
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Feb 27, 2011
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2,336
I told myself I was done ordering for the year but idk if i'll be able to stick to it!
You have a walk-in closet? >>green with envy<< Just this morning I was looking at my standard, bi-fold door closet and considering shuffling stuff around to fit the T shelves in there. There are enough Ts that I will need more than a couple of coolers with heat packs if the power goes out this winter. I think I could keep the closet warm for a few days in a pinch. :)
 

angrychair

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 12, 2010
Messages
61
i keep all my slings on top of my frilled dragons custom built home made enclosure, that way they get to warm up during the day to the 80's and cool off at night to the mid 70's. Except for my Lp, it's in a 20 gallon aquarium off on a table with my scorpion. But a closet would be ballin for a T room.
 
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