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The worst thing for me is unexplained deaths. You try to do everything perfectly, but for reasons unknown, they don’t make it. Best thing, like you said, is just watching them do their thing.
I second this, it always makes me question myself and I worry that I did something wrong until I really look at how I cared for them and realized I did everything I could, right.
Maybe someone in your family hate spiders, happened to me when my sister sprayed some insect killer with my red knee, when i got home she’s just dead. if only my sister is not part of my family i could kill her for what she did. it’s really difficult to buy tarantula in my country. I can’t wait to move out of the house to buy a new one again.
I had a female H pulchripes that was perfectly fine until one day I just found her sideways on some of her webbing. Don't think she was molting and I have no idea what happened, but that REALLY sucked.
The stigma about keeping is the worst for me! Especially as a woman. People think I'm some kind of creep because I enjoy keeping tarantulas. I absolutely love researching new species and learning the husbandry.
As a poor person, I love that they're literally cheap as hell once you get past the bulk buying (enclosure, bedding,etc), I don't like how I can't befriend them because they think I'm trying to eat them :( They don't pay rent, at least be nice to me
nope you pretty much covered what annoyed me and that's the fasting. As a human being I am not used to something being able to go without food for a year. It just makes me anxious like I'm doing something wrong lol.
For as far as i know, just (gently) mix them with the substrate. They are water dependent so make sure the bottom layer of the substrate is moist. Disclaimer: i am pretty new to the hobby so i ain’t no expert but thats what worked with me :)
For best success: Step 1) buy springrails Step 2) set up moisture Dependant-semi moist (enclosures where we moisten only part of the substrate and let it mostly dry out before moistening again, in an environment like this I'd recommend a more temperate springtail like the tropical pink) tarantula enclosure Step 3) bury a couple grains of dry rice in the substrate Step 4) put springtails in enclosure Step 5) wait a week before adding the T (the rice will mold which will provide the springtails with a healthy start but we want to make sure they've had time to consume that mold before adding the T) Step 6) profit Or alternatively: Step 1) buy springtails Step 2) put springtails in enclosure 9/10 times this method works just fine too. They're super easy to take care of and a life saver in more moist enclosures
I hate trying to convince other members of the household that they're worthwhile to keep. That's a constant battle, but not the tarantula's fault in the least. What I love is how relaxing they can be to watch. I have recently told several people that it's like having an aquarium, but without all the maintenance and equipment that fish require.
Amen to that! I’ve got three fish tanks, and those require some time, they’re beautiful to watch though. As for my slings and adult Ts, they’re so simple, they can almost take care of themselves haha
Me, cleaning my fish tanks, agreeing with how easy they are to keep, and my throat itchy because my GBB kicked some hairs at me awhile ago😂. Awesome content!
The pros definitely outweigh the cons! I love watching my babies grow up, or watching my adults just do their thing! My juvie GBB, however, Is going through its "your not my real mum!" phase and will constantly throw substrate over everything, or bolt when trying to refill its water! Definitely Keeps the old ticker in check 😂
For anybody questioning, I got three t’s last November and I’m ecstatic. Watching them grow has been a gift, and they are so easy to care for... And so colorful! Do yourself a favor, binge watch all these videos and get a few slings!
After watching this video after ten years of wanting one I finally pulled the trigger. I purchased a 40 gallon tank for my male Arizona Blonde. I figured and heard for a first time owner a male would be a better idea to learn the hobby. I’m super excited!!
T’s don’t smell. Well, I just cleaned up after my 8’ Sharp Albino boa that let loose after holding 3 XL rats for a month. Maybe I’ll give these tarantulas a go.... literally. 😬
When I go away for the weekend or a vacation, and I come home, and I smell the T room.... it's a good smell. Like coco fiber, and earthiness... hard to describe.
The number 1 thing I hate is how much some tarantula species hide, but love when I finally get to see them. The thing I love most is feeding time. I love watching them hunt and takedown their food
I like coming in after a long day of work and seeing one of the pet holes out and about or them doing construction. Just kind of stop and watch for about 20-30 minutes and the day feels worth it
I hear ya on the filling the water dish with dirt. My G. porteri has been doing it constantly recently, so I ended up adding. 2nd water dish. Cleared the issue for the most part. What I love the most about Ts is feeding them. Watching them stalk and catch their prey is so fascinating. I agree with the list. Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
I absolutely love G. pulchra and pulchripes - but I'm with you on the dirt in the substrate issue. I've even tried keeping a portion of their substrate moist at all times, yet they'll still shovel dirt in the water. Even better, they like to leave leftover insect parts in there so that the water gets nice and gross. X_X
Your "Love" list is a perfect fit for me. Dirt in the water dish is actually funny to me, and I prefer it to dirt curtains covering ventilation holes, which drives me nuts, and is my A. geniculata's best trick.
Unless I missed it...I'm surprised no one's mentioned some species super slow growth. Some genus take forever to get some size on them. And there's no short cuts to get them to grow faster (except maybe keeping them in warmer temps).
I don’t like how addictive collecting them has become. What started off as a whimsical impulse buy has developed into a full blown obsession. I enjoy the heck out of the ones I have, but am always looking for the next addition to the family. It is like that Pokémon saying - “I gotta catch them all!” Good job in what you are doing. I check every night hoping to see new content. You are doing great things for the hobby!
A big thanks to you and all the people I chatted with on the last live stream, y'all must have brought me luck, as my sub-adult A.chalcodes arrives tomorow, Whoop!
Richard when you said that this is your career and it doesn't make a lot but you love it that made my day glad it makes you happy man. of all the tarantula youtubers I can tell you care a lot about your tarantulas, and just tarantulas in general I find it quite noble!
2:43 My suggestion for the poop problem on glass: a scraper for glass ceramic kitchen surfaces. With these you can just scrape it off without hassle and it wont scratch the glass.
something that i love: their molts! it's probably because they're slings and they're changing rapidly but seeing them change so suddenly is fascinating. also, just the molting process in general, how cool is that! something that i hate: being unable to really look around and look for feeder remains in burrows/web tunnels.
My Texas Brown is wonderful. I watched him gently grab and eat his worm this morning. He's the most gentle T I have out of my three tarantulas. Thank you for posting this informative video.
Oh that's actually what you can do about the crap on the windows. However, it usually only works with bottom dwellers. Smaller coarse pebbles in a corner of the terrarium put the loose "rock" causes many of the bottom dwellers there A to put their food remains there and B to do their business there. Has the background that in nature predators can track down the spider more difficult.
I agree with both sides, especially the arboreal species pooping on the glass or the water dish being filled with substrate/being spilled and flipped over but caring for them as you said makes it worth it of keeping them, out of all the pets I have, I enjoy caring for them most due to they're not quite as much work my guinea pigs or rats would be
What I really hate is that males don't live as long as the females do. My male curly hair died this morning. He had his ultimate molt 12/15/20 and tried to molt again last night and didn't make it. He was my first T, I started the hobby with him and I'm still crying and grieving. T_T
Mine matured this month. He hooked out on 5/17/21. In July I will be looking into sending him off for breeding. He has a almost 7 inch leg span! The enclosure he is in is 7 inches wide and he can almost touch both sides when he stretches out.
@@ryananderson9267 He is being sent off for breeding. I was waiting for this molt to upgrade the enclosure for it's final home but it turned out to be male. I could never find an intact molt until the last one but by then I could see the hooks. If he returns I will get a better enclosure.
You covered all the bases here. I do love taking pictures of mine, no light one color and with light a world of colors! Never stops amazing me. Keep up the great content 👏
Ur channel is SO underrated my friend. When u said filming don’t pay much it made me sad. Ur amazing!!! How are u not at 1million yet????? Let’s get him there!!!!!!!
What's I hate is how addictive it can be and how expensive some of the tarantula are. Also running out if shelf space. 😆 What I love is their silent. Also not having to change the substrate.
My Grammostola pulchripes loves to chew on the ventilation holes of it's enclosure. I am sitting here gaming and can hear the "POP" over the game sounds/music in my headphones.
I hate rehousing, I get super nervous and the thought of one of them crawling on me freaks me out. But I love my little ones when they're safe and locked up. My GBB always does a happy dance after I fed them.
First, the thing I don't like: rehousing (although a completely necessary aspect of the hobby). The thing I like: the colors they exhibit blows my mind
@@johnycageisthegoat unfortunately I've had to wait because of a current lockdown in Ontario, Canada. It's over now so I will be able to pick up my Brachypelma hamorii very soon!
I have a few tarantulas and agree to your points. I think another con is that you cannot build up a relationship with them and just observe them, but usually don't handle them. It would be so nice to cuddle fluffy spiders :D Also, I needed to get used to feed live prey. And another pro is that they are easy to take care of, so that you can also leave them alone for some days without worrying too much, and take care of dozens of them without real stress. I love when they molt, as you have a more colorful spider afterwards, it is interesting, and one can collect the exuviae to keep track on the growth of your spider and keep it also as a souvenir.
My T.Vagans uses the water dish as a rubbish bin, I've seen it dumping old moults and substrate from its burrow refurbishment into it but it always empties it of water before doing so which is amazing to me lol.
Definitely ditto on the "pet hole" aspect. My pumpkin patch had a prolonged molt and hiding phase that probably lasted two months and I was worried to hell. Best thing I could do is confirm that it was poking a leg out of a burrow
I’m here because I’m wanting a Green Bottle Blue Tarantula and a buddy that keeps several different tarantulas suggested you and another channel for some great info. Thank you for being here and giving the quality info that is needed for happy critters and owners 😊
I have an Aphonopelma seemani and my least favorite thing is when she burrows for months on end and yet when she comes out it’s all worth it and makes seeing her a real treat
I completely agree with all of these points. I especially love setting up the enclosures; giving them all the building blocks then watching what they do with the place and seeing them become settled again :) Even if that's *throw it everywhere* like my Phormictopus auratus sling - I call him the teenager. When you said 'poops all up glass' I did instantly think 'I'm looking at you Avicularia' :P. 'It doesn't pay much but it's the happiest I've ever been' - that is wonderful to hear :)
ik this video is a year old but i just love watching your videos so ima hop in on this. my biggest pro is emotional fulfillment. your podcast episode about the zen of tarantula keeping just aligns with my pro. its amazing to have em and take care of them, being silent while simply observing. and whenever i walk into my room, they inherently command silence and ease, which is comforting to me. and i think that having tarantulas or really any other invert opens up an opportunity for others (such as my friends or family) to be a bit more educated and less fearful. ive seen the guard let down over time whenever i either talk about my t or the people see her themselves. tarantula keeping, on an emotional level, is amazing. truly excellent creatures. my biggest con is probably opening and closing the enclosure. either for maintenance or feeding, ik it stresses them out to a degree and i dont like them stressed. and they dont even know we exist so its on edge regardless, even the vibration of my voice can startle them. but i adore them regardless love your videos, super great to think and talk about. thanks
@@langy1416 Hell yeah! Big fan. Been playing since the first one on PS2. I'm quite the simp when it comes to MH xP Nice to see a fellow hunter in another hobby.
This video is on point, my biggest girl drives me absolutely insane by how much dirt she gets in her water dish (My others do too but my Megaphobema is the worst.). I also don't like how other humans react to me keeping and I always worry my significant other is going to end up telling me I can't keep them anymore, plus I hate how addicting it is but it's also kind of a good thing since I replaced my opiate addiction with spiders. I love finding T's that I want and then finding/looking for care videos by people I trust on here etc. It's so exciting getting a new T and catching my other's out at night since I'm a huge night owl. It's also relaxing listening to care videos by again, people on here that I trust in the hobby. Plus I love interacting with them when I can(feeding, keeping moisture up, watching them, etc). I also love watching them mate and I never thought I'd enjoy that with anything and I hope that doesn't sound weird but it's so cute with their drumming, fascinating and scary wondering if the make will be alright. I really hope I can breed them someday. Anyway apologies for such a long comment but I'll end it with how much I appreciate people like Richard on here. I especially appreciate how organized Richard makes these videos with links in the description, having good playlists, sectioning out the videos with descriptions etc.
I’ve always been terrified of spiders but I now own an A Geniculata. I have massively enjoyed watching him eat and to Tarantula stuff like redecorating his enclosure. It has given me a huge appreciation of display animals. The only thing I hate is rehoming because I’m still a chicken and afraid to touch my T lol
I want to support you. I'll see how I can donate or buy from you. I'm glad you love doing this and have made a career out of it. Long may it continue! You've helped me a lot - my life long cat recently died of cancer, and I swore I wouldn't have pets again... but the tarantula still calls out to me... The ease of care appeals the most to me, and how fascinating they are... Still deciding on what spcies, but I hope it can keep me entertained through my deep depression.
OMG you’re wearing a Descendents T!!! I used to go see them all the time back in the day. My favorite band back then. Still listen and sing along occasionally I met Steven and hung out a bit with them. My best guy friend moved to Fort Colllins, his son became best friends with Stevens son! Crazy!! Great video. I use a mix of vinegar and water in a spay bottle to clean. About a 1 to 10 mix I keep my slings in my bathroom, they love it! Lol. But that’s what I clean the bathroom with. I don’t spray anything with chemicals in there. Just be careful. Label the bottle so you don’t mix it up with water bottles. 😉
This was really affirming, actually. I just got my first two tarantulas (slings!) this week and I’ve been feeling a lot of anxiety about it. This was more impulse than I usually do with pets-yes, I’ve done research and long been interested in spiders and tarantulas, but the switch from “I like them” to “I keep them” happened very fast for me. I come from aquatics, where setting up a new tank takes weeks or months of cycling! This time I just went out and bought a couple boxes of dirt and some spiders, wtf! And they are fragile little babies, so of course I’m worried about raising them well and making sure they have long healthy lives. But the pros listed here are exactly what I find appealing about them! Little aliens that can live in my house but if I have to move I don’t have to worry about new water parameters and finding space for a 100+lbs glass box and filtration and heat and light. And even the cons seem so manageable, especially compared to my tanks or even my large dog. I’m sure I’ll make mistakes(hopefully none too costly for the spiderlings) and run into problems, but this video just got me out of my anxiety and excited to start this journey again.
I was just thinking about that the other day, I don't mind it when a T throws their trash (poop, boluses, dirt, molts) in the water dish because that's an indicator for me that they know where their water source is... And if they ever need to have a sip, they will hopefully know where to go
I love watching your videos..I got my first and only tarantula from a pet store 3 months ago..A pink toe I bought on a whim when I was really looking for a puppy..I got my spider baby instead and I was very nervous but excited to bring her home. Thanks to tour videos she has thrived and she's doing every thing you describe and you're so right about how they make very good pets. Her name is seven!🕸🥰
Those cons was so accurate😂😂 But i had a female gbb and she was drumming everytime i tried to go to bed, it was pretty loud😅 I got used to it after a few weeks
I LOVE when a tarantula that was in its burrow for months finally gets out of it, recently molted. This happened to my monocentropus balfouri, which was nowhere to be seen for 8 months, then one day while checking my tarantulas it was out of her burrow, a lot bigger than I remembered and definitely prettier. It was awesome.
Agree, building enclosure for Tarantulas is the most fun thing to do for Ts keeping, but too bad most of the time, they like to "redecorate" it. But hey, it also fun to see them move the dirt around like little bulldozer.
one thing I dislike about keeping them? the trouble I have in finding local sources for size-appropriate feeder bugs! trying to find confused flour beetle larvae? or flightless fruit flies locally to Omaha? forget it. or even tiny crickets... it can be a real challenge!
I totally agree with all 10! My Avicularia Avicularia pooping on the glass & my T. Albopilosus filling up his water dish with substrate are definitely my top 2 hates
I really love the way you speak and the passion in your voice you have a very calming energy I’m so happy I found your channel and subscribed. I have yet to have ever had a pet tarantula in my life but I’ve always been sooo fascinated by them but I have yet to make the plunge to get one, it could possibly happen sooner than I think now that I found your channel.
Hi Richard. I love so much about keeping tarantulas. I think my favourite is watching slings thrive & grow. I just adore them. I enjoy learning about species, I love learning about my spiders as individuals. Their behaviours & little quirks, what they like to eat, its just fascinating. I really cant think of anything I dislike except when they pass on, I feel very maternal & bonded to them so it hurts to lose them xx
I love how each individual tarantula takes on a personality. My Aphonopelma seemanni is the gentle giant that's not very bolt sensitive that I own & yet I've seen others who have such an attitude.
My N.chromatus is almost every night "playing" with his water dish so I'm always finding it at different places when I check him in the morning. He is doing a lot of noises with it too XD
The only things I hate about tarantulas are the social media communities, like that cancel culture stuff on poecilotheria you talked about. All the 'beginner species' nazis. All the negativity in the so-called 'hobby'. I just stay clear of those communities.
@@Ujuani68 My first T was P.murinus and it's one of my most chill ones. I think people should be allowed to choose what they want but it is what it is. There will always be people that try to force slow-growing Grammostolas on people.
Most of these people are well-meaning if a bit high-strung. From my perspective as someone who advocates the "ladder" approach: We all make beginner's errors when we are new, and it's best to make those errors with hardy species that are slower, less defensive, and less venomous. Starting with the beginner-friendly species allows you to master the basics of care (especially rehousing) and develop good habits with species that are more forgiving. Keep in mind that people vary in age, maturity, tolerance for risk, and prior research. One should also consider who else lives in the home -- people who might have to assist in caring for the tarantula, children who might open an enclosure while unsupervised, other pets that might be killed by the bite of an escaped OW tarantula. Lastly, for prospective or brand new keepers, I think it is a good idea to verify that your interest in keeping tarantulas is long-term before getting into the hot species. If you decide you no longer want tarantulas in a month or two, it is a lot easier to responsibly rehome a _Brachypelma albopilosum_ than a Pokie. Ultimately, people will make their own decisions -- sometimes against my advice -- but at least the information is out there for the more thoughtful keeper to heed or discard at his own risk.
On age: Without knowing the person or his circumstances, my default response would be not to recommend OW species to minors, especially ones who are beginners. I have the same policy for adults. There are always exceptions, but in general, if a beginner is inquiring about OW tarantulas, I would discourage that. I am not going to assume that a random newbie is particularly careful, a quick study, or doesn't have children or pets that could be harmed by an unexpected encounter with a Pokie.) Personally, I am not comfortable offering blanket assurances that "you'll be fine if you do your research" to people I don't know. Because I really don't know for that particular person, so I'd rather err on the side of caution. I also operate under the assumption that most people want honest information in order to make informed decisions. If I were a novice keeper wanting to buy a Pokie, I'd hope someone would explain why that's not a great idea and offer better alternatives.
@@anazolnierczyk5459 when it comes to poki’s though it’s a hard one. I think we should continue to have poki in the hobby and have breeders breed them, however we should not be taking anymore poki’s from the wild and with that said any breedings should be from the pokis already in the hobby. But the whole cancel culture on just having a poki is dumb because having poki’s in captivity is part of the conservation effort to protect the species.
