If only I was more experienced :(

There's a P. metallica for sale not too far away from me. €120 or around $130 USD including 12x12x12 inch enclosure and accessories. I know I'm nowhere near ready for pokies yet so I won't be purchasing it but I really want it to be rescued. It looks like it is being kept as a terrestrial and the set up appears to be awful. I have to admit that I don't know how a P. metallica should be kept but this just looks so wrong.
Have a look for yourselves.

All of my Poecs, slings to adults, live like terrestrials. All have retreats at or under surface level, as do my Cyriopagopus, Lampropelma, Heteroscodra, and Stromatopelma.

GG80 said:

There's a P. metallica for sale not too far away from me. €120 or around $130 USD including 12x12x12 inch enclosure and accessories. I know I'm nowhere near ready for pokies yet so I won't be purchasing it but I really want it to be rescued. It looks like it is being kept as a terrestrial and the set up appears to be awful. I have to admit that I don't know how a P. metallica should be kept but this just looks so wrong.
Have a look for yourselves.

http://www.donedeal.ie/reptiles-for-sale/reduced-to-sell-gooty-ornamental-tarantula/9142901?offset=1

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That's a beautiful female at a great price!
What T's are you keeping now, and what is your level of experience?

I say rescue it, and you'll also gain experience in keeping it, but read some suggestions people have posted already in how pokies should be kept. No one is born knowing anything but by reading, experiencing first hand, trial and error. You'll do fine as long as you dont neglect it, maintain it, and dont handle it.

I say trust your gut. If you don't think you're ready, you're probably not. You're time will come.

HungryGhost said:

I say trust your gut. If you don't think you're ready, you're probably not. You're time will come.

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+1 HungryGhost. If you don't feel ready, you aren't. And there's nothing at all wrong with that.

P metallica isn't a particularly aggressive pokie, all of mine are mellow and run for cover when spooked. You could probably handle caring for this T with no issue. If you do decide to get it make sure it isn't a mature male or it won't be around long.(Males have bulbous pediplaps & emboli, but DO NOT have tibial hooks)

Why are we encouraging them to get a pokie? Regardless of what conditions the poor thing is being kept in. We don't even know the OPs level of experience with tarantulas.

skippydude said:

P metallica isn't a particularly aggressive pokie, all of mine are mellow and run for cover when spooked. You could probably handle caring for this T with no issue.

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This is not good advice to a beginner. Escapes and bites are always a possibility, and certainly don't further the hobby.

Escapes and Bites are a possibility for any tarantula species. Some are obviously more potent and faster than others, but if you read all the helpful tips from more experienced keepers you should have a good idea how to conduct yourself (probably wishful thinking). However, if the person simply isn't ready for the advanced care and responsibility, they should not go through with it.

Thanks for the encouragement but I'm only in the hobby a year and a half and have been keeping NW terrestrials exclusivly. I've even been having some issues with a 2" A. genic which is only now getting me comfortable with speed and agression so no, I will not be buying this P. metallica.
I didn't say I wanted to rescue it, I just stated I would like it to be rescued, if indeed it needs rescuing at all, (It just seemed to be on twigs, sticks and stones which I thought could cause harm to the T) I haven't done much research on pokies yet.
I'm well aware of what level of T I'm comfortable with so I will be taking the responsible option . One day.

GG80 said:

Thanks for the encouragement but I'm only in the hobby a year and a half and have been keeping NW terrestrials exclusivly. I've even been having some issues with a 2" A. genic which is only now getting me comfortable with speed and agression so no, I will not be buying this P. metallica.
I didn't say I wanted to rescue it, I just stated I would like it to be rescued, if indeed it needs rescuing at all, (It just seemed to be on twigs, sticks and stones which I thought could cause harm to the T) I haven't done much research on pokies yet.
I'm well aware of what level of T I'm comfortable with so I will be taking the responsible option . One day.

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Good choice. Since you've had some experience with NW terrestrials, I think you may be ready for an Avic if you're wanting to get into arboreals. Then maybe after you feel comfortable enough you could look into getting a tappy or psalmo. Definitely take your time though.

BobGrill said:

Good choice. Since you've had some experience with NW terrestrials, I think you may be ready for an Avic if you're wanting to get into arboreals. Then maybe after you feel comfortable enough you could look into getting a tappy or psalmo. Definitely take your time though.

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Yeah I have another thread here looking for advice on a good starter aboreal as I'm comfortable to take the next step and came to the conclusion that an Avic is probably the way to go. I'm in no rush, I'm still (relatively) young.

You shouldnt have a problem if you treat the metallica the way it deserves to be treated. In the end, its up to you. A good arboreal is A. sp. Amazonica. Theyre beautiful.

GG80 said:

Yeah I have another thread here looking for advice on a good starter aboreal as I'm comfortable to take the next step and came to the conclusion that an Avic is probably the way to go. I'm in no rush, I'm still (relatively) young.

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Frankly, while people ooh and awe over P.metallica, they are bred pretty consistently and will be there when you are ready. I have one and I thought it would be the best thing in my collection, turns out not it's not. While it's amusing to see it throw a pose and bite at the cage when you get near it, I have other spiders that people would call "boring" that bring me more joy than a cranky expensive blue spider does(I even think that my P.regalis is prettier than the metallica).They still are very cool spiders but I think there is a lot of "status" that also goes with owning them. Just take your time, by the time you're ready people who have slings now will have mature adults ready to make some babies.

I think P.metallica is pretty overrated IMHO. Personaly P. Miranda and P. Subfasca is the most beautiful poecis, I'm also quite gaga over P. Ornata (probably my next T).. anyhow I agree with the majority of posters here, I'm glad you're set on taking your time and not rushing into anything, very wise decision to make

lalberts9310 said:

I think P.metallica is pretty overrated IMHO. Personaly P. Miranda and P. Subfasca is the most beautiful poecis, I'm also quite gaga over P. Ornata (probably my next T).. anyhow I agree with the majority of posters here, I'm glad your set on taking your time and not rushing into anything, very wise decision to make

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Besides the Avics, Taps and Psalmos should not be passed up, they all have their own unique behaviors and my personal favorite is my female T.gigas; if I would have skipped straight to pokies I would have probably never owned one. Laddering lets you get to know all sorts of different spiders and get experience at the same time, even if you don't want to keep all of your "past ladders" you can sell them to someone who will.

Have to agree with awiecs and lalberts when it comes to P. metallica, mine are by no means my favourites. I'd even say my regalis and fasciata look better in certain lighting with their purple highlights.
I also agree the OP has made the right choice to start off with NW arboreals.

Good luck.

I thought P. metallica would be the only pokie I'd want next.

Then I discovered those P. subfuscas...

Oh man the colors.


Metallica who?

Anyways don't get anything you don't want or don't think you can handle.

I turned down two 3"+ free OBTs which like went against every instinct I have to refuse free tarantulas that big. I even have an OBT. But I just knew that 2 more would be too much of a headache and handful. I'm luky mine is calm enough as it is. I decided I have enough OWs that will need rehousings and the like as I raise them. If I get any more it'll be a slow grower. And it'll be my last OW until one dies.

You gotta know your limits.

You'll know when you really feel ready and then you'll buy one.

Well what a coincidence. Didn't expect to see this here.

I bought this exact metallica yesterday. I managed to get him down to 45 euros, just because she was truly kept in appalling conditions. Dead crickets and locusts everywhere, horrible smell of the cage, and not only that, the enclosure was way too big for the spider. My 6" regalis is kept in the exact same one, and she still is a tad too small for it.

(Sorry about the terrible iPhone pics)

The enclosure.



Where the poor metallica was hiding when I got her.



I ended up just throwing the cage out, there's that 'spray foam that hardens' stuff in it, and I'm not even going to try get it out. There's also marker on it saying, "Venomous Snake:Keep Out", So I guess a snake had to endure this cage also.

The Metallica itself is in heavy premolt, she climbs glass like it's ice, she just slides right off of it. She's also very sluggish, which is why I got her into a different enclosure straightaway, and am just going to leave her alone.



New enclosure.
((Sorry about the background mess, I was rehousing some other spiders too.))




(Just a note I have a 6" P.Cambridgei in the same type of enclosure comfortably, it looks small from the picture.)


Getting comfortable in her new and improved hide. It goes way into the substrate so I'm sure she'll like it.




This also isn't her permanent enclosure, she's only 3.5-4 inches, so she'll be getting upgraded in a few molts.
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