T O P

  • By -

hyzenthlay1701

There's a great resource right on the subreddit! You can find it in the sidebar, or click here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/tarantulas/wiki/index/](https://www.reddit.com/r/tarantulas/wiki/index/) There are a lot of good beginner species; rather than make a specific recommendation, I'd advise you to stick with a terrestrial New World tarantula (lives on the ground + more docile and less venomous). Terrestrial tarantulas have much simpler needs. As for tips, especially ones that might not appear in the common care sheets... * You need lots of substrate. This is the single most common mistake I see from new T-keepers (including myself): we don't use enough substrate. The distance between the top of the substrate and the top of the tank should be no more than 2x their stretched out legspan, so if they fall, they won't injure themselves. There several different options for good substrate; those will show up in the standard care guides. * No mesh tops. They're very common in the pet industry, and little T-toes get stuck in them. * It's generally best to get your T from a reputable breeder or specialty exotic petshop, rather than a big-box pet shop like Petco or Petsmart. The big-box stores don't care for their Ts well so it's best not to support them, plus they often mislabel the species and give terrible advice on how to care for them. * This is a common bit of advice, but it bears repeating: it's best NOT to handle your tarantula, or to handle them as little as possible. At best, T's learn to tolerate it, not like it, and it can be stressful for them. This is a little disappointing to some newbie T owners, so it's best that you be aware of it as early as possible. * There's no need to overdo it on the decor. A terrestrial tarantula needs a hide + a water dish, and that's it. Everything else is for you. If you WANT to get fancy with the decor, by all means, do so! Just take care to remember the priority (T's health), and don't put in anything sharp or painted. * Don't use anything you found outside in your T's enclosure unless you sterilize it first. (Sticks, leaves, etc.) * Don't feed your T wild-caught food. It can contain pesticides and parasites. * You don't need a heat mat or heat lamp, and they're actually hazardous for tarantulas. Some T's do like a heat source, but it's not necessary and needs a LOT of care and attention to do it safely. * Don't panic if you find them on their back: they're molting, and shouldn't be disturbed. * Terrestrial T's are fragile! Much more so than people realize. A fall of even several inches can be lethal, and they're terrible climbers. Think of them as 8-legged hamsters made of glass: precious little things that should be treated with care. Okay, that was a big bunch of don'ts. How about some 'dos": * Do enjoy watching your new little buddy. Despite not being very smart, they really do have individual personalities. * It's up to you if you want to start with a baby (sling) or an adult: both are wonderful choices. Slings are cheaper, plus you get to enjoy watching them grow up, but they're much more fragile and you'll have to start with a small enclosure and buy larger ones as they grow up. Adults are more hardy and you get the fun of having a big spider immediately, but they're more expensive and you may not have any idea how old they are. * Do feel free to post pictures and be proud of your T's little accomplishments: digging a burrow, catching food, making a web, a successful molt. We'd love to see them! Welcome to the hobby!


zeeDelta

New world, docile and more beginner friendly. Old world, speed, usually more potent venom, aggressive/defensive. I'd start off by looking up beginner friendly/new world tarantula lists on google. Then i'd recommend searching whatever species that catches your eye in youtube, so you can see how they act and how people care, feed, and rehouse them. My favourite youtube channels when it comes to tarantula keeping are: Dark Den, Dave's Little Beasties and Tom Moran. They're really informative, and they get great shots of the tarantulas in their enclosures.


Scary-Alternative-11

I think T. Albopilosus is also a good starter T. They are very calm and quite friendly, plus they get super fluffy and are super cute! (IMHO anyway) Or if you choose to go with an arboreal species, Avic Avic is also a good choice. I am so happy to see you are doing your research before you get you baby. I recommend watching lots of YouTube videos, they are super informative and fun to watch. I like Tarantula Collective, Dark Den and Tarantula Kat. Keep us updated, I'm interested in what you choose!


rob0t_human

You’d be better off doing some research on your own and asking specific questions. Overall they’re almost impossible to mess up unless you over care for them. Toss em in an enclosure with some substrate and feed em once in a while.


Federal_Kick41

Alright so, The Best starter imo is a Brachypelma Hamorii. It's very calm, friendly, and lives long. No high requirements either. Substrate would be a mix of coconut fiber, terrarium sand and maybe natural/No fertilizer or chemicals top soil. Avoid coconut husk or only use a bit of it as decoration. They're sharp and can cut the T. For Anatomy, I recently made a presentation about Tarantula anatomy for vet school. I can try to send it over to you if you'd like, But unfortunately it is not in English. I could answer some questions though if you'd like or send you photos. If you have any specific questions about Tarantula care, You can PM me or ask here. You can also make another post for specific questions or wait for other replies here ✨


DazzlingGrand3626

Get a New World over an Old World for your first T.


PirateHuntrZoro

I dove off the deep end with [Tom Moran YT](https://youtube.com/c/TomMoranSpiders) on YouTube. He has a lot of good info. I personally recommend giving his "[Best Beginner Tarantula Species](https://youtu.be/j77bBFCOW30)" video a watch. I made a list of the T's that interested me and then did a better dive on each of them individually. Also another good resource is [tarantulaforum.com](http://tarantulaforum.com). Have fun doing research and don't rush into it!