I could see this hobby getting addictive

eminart · Mar 5, 2015

I just got 3 slings, and I'm already dying for more, more, MORE, MOARRRRRR!

I've been reading and researching about every species I see mentioned.

I've always been a reptile guy. The two T's I had in the past were sort of side pets (one was about 27 years ago when I was a kid). I liked them both, but I don't think I got into the Tarantula world enough with either of them to get hooked.

Well, I may be hooked now. I'm definitely going to be getting more.

Anyway, I was just curious, as kind of a conversation starter, how long have you guys been keeping T's? How did you start? How many do you have now?

lalberts9310 · Mar 5, 2015

I got my first T November 25th 2013, at 3rd instar.. it was a psalmopoeus Irminia. I got my second October last year, a adult female psalmopoeus sp. And I got my 3rd, 4th and 5th Ts a month ago.. two P. Cambridgei slings and a P. Irminia juvenile.. I really can't wait to get more Ts, I already have a "to have" list and I already know what species I would buy next hehehe..

I wish my mother wasn't an arachnophobe, maybe then I could have gotten my first Ts earlier.. but instead I had to wait untill I moved out hehehehe

louise f · Mar 5, 2015

Hi
Yes it is a very addictive hobby.

started with tarantulas about 8 years ago.
The first i got was a G.rosea, because i had arachnofobia

i got really happy for it and started to buy more of the buggers

i don't know how many we got, i have stopped counting.

eminart · Mar 5, 2015

lalberts9310 said:
I got my first T November 25th 2013, at 3rd instar.. it was a psalmopoeus Irminia.

Beautiful T's. I was actually reading about them this morning. I see one in my future.

---------- Post added 03-05-2015 at 02:15 PM ----------

louise f said:
Hi
Yes it is a very addictive hobby.

started with tarantulas about 8 years ago.
The first i got was a G.rosea, because i had arachnofobia i got really happy for it and started to buy more of the buggers
i don't know how many we got, i have stopped counting.

Congrats on conquering your fear! I never had much fear of snakes or spiders, but for some reason I have a weird, irrational fear of stick insects. Not mantids. I've always loved mantids, and I have a shelf full of those now. But, those Phasmatodea have always creeped me out for some reason.

Graeboe · Mar 5, 2015

Do they have a tarantulas anonymous?

Ellenantula · Mar 5, 2015

Graeboe said:
Do they have a tarantulas anonymous?

They tried it, but a 13th step called "recruiting" developed, so they had to stop meeting.

gambite · Mar 5, 2015

The problem is that the amount of time & maintenance required to care for a dozen T's is not much more than the amount needed to care for 1. Its like keeping houseplants, except even easier.

14pokies · Mar 5, 2015

I started with A.hentzi 21yrs ago I bought it because I was terrified of it... It fascinated me...It was the only T I kept for 7yrs until I had a mishap with a friends obt..I never felt pain like that before...it fascinated me! I have been addicted to keeping mainly hot agro Ts since..
Not enough its never enough!

---------- Post added 03-05-2015 at 07:56 PM ----------

gambite said:
The problem is that the amount of time & maintenance required to care for a dozen T's is not much more than the amount needed to care for 1. Its like keeping houseplants, except even easier.

Lol..it takes me about 2 hours to dump and refill water bowls and feed all of my Ts...but I see what your saying I'm comparing gardens to greenhouses here.Lol!

Poec54 · Mar 5, 2015

'Hobby getting addictive'? Have you seen a specialist? Do you need a referral?

eminart · Mar 5, 2015

gambite said:
The problem is that the amount of time & maintenance required to care for a dozen T's is not much more than the amount needed to care for 1. Its like keeping houseplants, except even easier.

That's kind of how I feel. I'm sure they can get time consuming once you accumulate enough, but they're so easy, require so little space, and are so much cheaper to buy and feed than most reptiles, that I think I can probably have about 3X as many T's as I could anything else.

But, I'm going to stick with these 3 for as long as I can stand it. Hopefully gain some experience and knowledge.

louise f · Mar 6, 2015

Poec54 said:
'Hobby getting addictive'? Have you seen a specialist? Do you need a referral?

Haha. no thanks i'm fine.

: but thanks for the concern :laugh:

louise f · Mar 6, 2015

eminart said:
Beautiful T's. I was actually reading about them this morning. I see one in my future.

---------- Post added 03-05-2015 at 02:15 PM ----------

Congrats on conquering your fear! I never had much fear of snakes or spiders, but for some reason I have a weird, irrational fear of stick insects. Not mantids. I've always loved mantids, and I have a shelf full of those now. But, those Phasmatodea have always creeped me out for some reason.

Well thanks

As for the stick insects they are not that bad, of course some of them pierce your skin easy but it is only small holes. It is like hugging a sticky bush :biggrin:

I am sure you will get over your fear for them.

I had this species last year. I was cleaning their terrarium, they were not happy about getting moved.

Rozkol · Mar 6, 2015

It is very addictive. I "had" (still kind of do) arachnophobia all my life until I decided to immerse myself into learning as much as I could about them. I ended up buying my first T, a B. smithi, about 3 weeks ago. I enjoyed it so much I went to an expo near me last weekend and walked out of there with a beautiful female 3" GBB and a G. rosea sling as a freebie. Just last night I rescued a female 4" G. rosea from a person who saw me getting into the hobby. He didn't want her anymore so I took her off his hands. And luckily too because she had a heating bad under her enclosure and barely any substrate. I have yet to add more substrate because it was late but I'll be doing so soon.

This hobby is quite an addictive one. But I doubt I'll be getting more anytime soon as y
The parents aren't as fond of them as I am. Ahh well :biggrin:

Sam_Peanuts · Mar 6, 2015

gambite said:
The problem is that the amount of time & maintenance required to care for a dozen T's is not much more than the amount needed to care for 1. Its like keeping houseplants, except even easier.

That's not exactly true for me because I always stop and admire them eating or just moving around during feeding/maintenance so it always takes forever to do it.

But yeah, if you don't stop all the time, it's pretty quick.

Ghost Dragon · Mar 6, 2015

I started three years ago, rescuing a MF G. rosea for $20 (enclosure & all) from someone who didn't want her anymore. I quickly got up to over 30 T's, but I've lost a few over the last few months (my Euathlus sp. Red & P. metallica, which really hurt) :cry:, so I won't be getting any more for the time being, just one 3/4" P. irminia from a friend who is downsizing, to go with the 4.5" one I already have. Maybe a few P. cambridgei slings this coming summer, but we'll see.....

My collection is split just about half between NW terrestrials & OW arboreals.

eminart · Mar 6, 2015

Ghost Dragon said:
My collection is split just about half between NW terrestrials & OW arboreals.

I have no experience with arboreals, other than this past week with my new avic sling. But, I think I'll really like them. One of the things I've always liked most about keeping herps is setting up nice-looking naturalistic habitats. I think the arboreals lend themselves to that more. But, I'll try to set up something interesting with our terrestrials too once they're larger.

TomKemp · Mar 6, 2015

I got my first tarantula as a birthday present from my step dad (G. Rosea) when I was 12. I had him for a few years and he matured and passed away. Later on at the first ever studio I worked in we had a Rosie in the back office that we called Boris. I always liked him.
Fast forward 15 years and I decided to buy one and have been hooked ever since. I now have 25 various T's taking up a good chunk of a wall in my office with 3 more on the way next week when the weather breaks.
I'm trying my hand at a breeding project very soon for the first time as well!
Addictive? YES!

I could see this hobby getting addictive

eminart

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louise f

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Graeboe

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