My heart was honestly singing at the glowing review of the Acanthoscurria geniculata! Even my generally arachnophobic friends and family are fascinated by my beautiful spider! They are enamored by her white banded knees and how she’s always messing about with her enclosure. I feel like she’s single handedly changed my sibling’s minds on spiders. I absolutely love listening to your reviews and husbandry videos! So useful and uniquely entertaining at the same time! Thank you for taking the time to make these!
A gens are definitely one of my absolute favourites. So beautiful. My sub adult female is funny, she thinks everything that moves is food, shadows, water etc xx
Same feeling on this species! Almost like she knows your around lol also it's cool how it goes from bright orange and white to black and white with the orange tips ☺️
I just got one as a tiny sling for 3€ at an expo and i already love it! It is the most active tarantula that I have seen so far and eats anything in sight!
@@TomsBigSpiders Was actually doing a little maintenance on my collection just now. Went to my local pet store for crickets last week and saw a container marked " Blue Baboon" for a pretty good price . I thought maybe a H pulcripes or maybe a mislabeled P sazimai. Lucked out with a M Balfouri . Enjoy your fourth !
Loved this video, you have given me a lot more choices for my next few Tarantula’s:) Thank you for all your great information and as I have said before, you are my Tarantula Guru 💕
The video segment captions on these are pure gold. Obviously some sort of voice recognition must've generated these phonetically? But either way I reckon we should 100% change the name of H. pulchripes to 'Harpactor of Polka Bees' 🤣🤣🤣❤🕸🕷🕸
My first tarantula was a Grammostola actaeon and I think they tend to be overlooked. They are large slings, grow fairly quickly, have a huge appetite, mine is almost always out on display, and they are just beautiful! They might be a little "spicy" for a Grammostola, but otherwise they are easy to care for, good beginner tarantulas with flashy good looks and a feeding response that any T keeper would enjoy. Enjoyed the video as always!
Hiya Tom What about the t Vagans? They are so underrated IMO. I only have 36 t’s but the majority are pokies and avics but I do have a pampho, phormictopus, gbb, b auratum, h pulchripes, g pulchripes , irminia, t albo, t Vagans and two Balfouri so I’m happy with your list and the alts.
Hey, Darcy! In retrospect, I could have put the T. vagans as an alternate for the GBB. Sadly, a lot of species got left off of the list that would have made great additions. Heck, I love them all! haha
Great video though. I often see people overlooking certain spiders because of their cheaper price. Some of the cheaper spiders in the hobby are the most beautiful ones. H. mac being a glaring example. Too many 'noobs' see the price tag of a recently introduced spider, and sadly think it must be 'the best spider'
I agree 100%! One of the reasons that I wanted to make this video is to shine some light on some of the older and often overlooked species. And the H. mac was absolutely one of the ones that I was thinking of. Thanks!
My mom and sister are over In socal with us this week for my sons first birthday. They are sleeping in the spider room, they had no ideas how pretty a lot you have listed here are. Changed their view for sure.
Wonderful guide! I really liked how you divided it up with the new world species first and the old world species second, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that all 8 species I currently keep made the list! I've got an Aphonopelma chalcodes, Acanthoscurria geniculata, Brachypelma hamorii, Caribena versicolor, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, Dolichothele diamantinesis, Grammostola pulchripes, and a Tliltocatl albopilosus. At this point the only species still on my wants list are a Thrixopelma ockerti (your videos really sold me on this beautiful green strawberry butt / hair-kicking demon) and a Theraphosinae sp. Panama, which I'm planning on adding to the collection in a few months. I'd love to have a Homoeomma chilensis too, but the current lack of availability and exorbitant prices have pretty much dashed my hopes of getting one of these friendly little spiders anytime in the foreseeable future. The Theraphosinae sp. Panama is probably the most expensive spider my budget can accommodate, but I think their uniquely beautiful almost bioluminescent red coloration will make them worth it; and they should look especially striking on display next to my D. diamantinesis =)
Hello, Skippy! Yeah, I definitely wanted to break them up for the folks who only want to keep New Worlds. And you've got quite the collection going there! I'm glad that I could spread my love for the T. ockerti! I'm really hoping that my third is a lady. Yeah, I balked at the prices the last time H. chilensis slings were available. :(
Hey Tom would you happen to know if there's any Eucratoscelus Pachypus for sale anywhere in the US? Have looked everywhere with no luck. Been wanting to get one really bad. They're such a unique and beautiful species. Thanks!
A year or so ago, someone supposedly had slings, but they sold out before I was able to get any. That's about it. I would LOVE to have slings of this species. My two are favorites in my collection. If you ever find them, please let me know!
Tom, your videos are great as always. I've missed a great number of them because of the war here in Ukraine, but now I'm binge watching them while I'm taking care for my spiders or hiding from missle strikes. They calm my nerves a little and let me forget about the horrible reality we are in right now. Thank for that, really and please don't stop doing what you do.
First off, Akim...my family's thoughts are with you and yours. I can't even begin to fathom what you are all going through over there, and I can't begin to express my disgust for what is happening to your country. I just shared your message with Billie, and I'm not going to lie, it really hit me. Please stay safe, and I truly hope this nightmare ends for you guys soon. If you're so inclined feel free to message when you can to let me know that you're okay. All the best, Tom
@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks for your support, Tom. That's really means a lot. I'm ok, and relatively safe (as there are basically no safe places in Ukraine right now). But at the begining of March I was forced to leave my appartment and all my animals for near a month and was living in the undeground shelter with volunteers and their families. I've check animals once a week, but this was tough, lots of people lost their lives and roof at their heads at that time...
I get way more bolts and threat displays out of my new worlds than P. murinus. S. santa catalina, V. paranaensis, any Pampho, heck even my Brachypelmas are more skittish and ready to throw up a threat display.
Hey Tom I'm a new keeper or hope to earn the title someday :) I am getting some carabina versicolor slings and I was wondering if you had a good video on how to take care of them or knew where I could get good information on taking care of them, it's very confusing with one person saying one thing and another saying something else. You are like the Guru of T's so I figured ask the master for his knowledge :) So Master please teach this unworthy one :)
I fully agree with ya on the pokies they are a must have they're all very cool and each have their own unique personality I've never see a threat pose from any of mine this far but I do have one ornery rufilata I tell ya what she's a turd she won't threat pose ya but she makes noise down in her lil corkdirt den lol was spot cleaning her tank and watering one day and I kept hearing this weird noise didn't think it was her hell my ears ring so loud its not funny but next thing I seen was her popped up right infront of me just working them fangs up n down pretty much telling me I need to vacate the premises now of face the Rath of the she bitch devil spider from hell lmao but the others are nothing g like that even her sister isn't that way just her
@@lauraclegg794 they aren't as bad as some make it out to be really only bad thing is their bite being medically significant and ya feel it month down the road the regalis gets pretty good sized to if ya ever go to pair em just know they can hold the sperm up to a year my vitatta took her 9 months from time she was with a male last year in july/August I didn't see em pair so I had no idea till round March April when she had her sack
Thought surely the Pink Zebra Beauty would be on the list! Although they are harder to come by so perhaps that’s why it wasn’t there? Love your choices, otherwise agree D pentaloris should have been there too!
I love the C versicolor, but I just can't get them past the sling stage. I've done all my research, listened to everyone's advice, but still no go. I'm glad you commented that the Avics were finicky too, so I won't go there. Thanks for the great video, though!
I keep between 6-10 of these depending upon if you include your "honorable mentions" at the end, and if I am correct about the mystery spiders I've got on order for the recent Fear Not event! Have you ordered any from the event? I'm excited, since it's my first time participating!
This is the best 30+ Hobby Staples of Tarantulas that we need to have in our collection❣❣😍😍🤩🤩 Thanks Sir Moran, I am a big fan by watching your "how to" and sharing your expertise so that we can porperly nurture our Tarantulas.I hope sir you can make a video about all types of striped knee tarantula you must have.I do love striped knee tarantulas.Next is videos like all types of communal tarantulas as well. Lastly, Most Varacious Eaters of Tarantulas since I want to have more collection of Tarantulas that are foodies or great eaters.Such a great channel and May God Bless You and Your family always.Happy Tarantula Keeping.
Thank YOU for taking the time to comment. And those are some excellent ideas for videos...I'll put some notes together and see what I come up with. Thank you again!!!
Here is my "will always have one" list: H. pulchripes, C. versicolor, E. cyanognathus, Chilobrachys sp electric blue, O. phillipinus, Neischnocolus sp panama, C. cyaneopubescens, And most of the Poecilotheria genus. My personal overhyped list: H. devamatha, Hapalopus sp. colombia, M. balfouri, P. irminia, E. colonica, S. calceatum.
Hey, I can't argue with any of those...great list! As for the overhyped ones, I'll never get that. I've been asked several times over the years to make a list of the overhyped ones, and I honestly don't have any to put on it. If a lot of people talk about a certain species, it means that a lot of people enjoy keeping them. I think that the best part about keeping tarantulas is that there are SO many different species, that there is something out there for everyone.
Love this. I don’t have any Of the little angry pumpkin pies. 😂. I get the are just like OBTs. Twirky to movement but I reality just a cute T. I would love to get some Dwarf Ts. In Australia I have one. But in Java I only have larger Ts. Thanks for the update from ur perspective. 🙌
Since common names are just nicknames that people commonly use, I motion to change Togo Starburst Baboon to H. Mack. Especially since both the scientific I.D. and it's current nickname are in need of abbreviation. I hear H. Mack so much I sometimes even forget it has a common name
I mostly agree with Your List Tom. After all if Anyone makes a List of any Kind You naturally have to be selective. So I think Yours is fine, a good Basis of the Hobby.
I started with a pink-Toe from petsmart but after almost a year I decided to try buying four slings (GBB, Arizona blonde, pumpkin patch large, and electric blue)
Loved the video. I only have a few of these sadly (my collection is small, currently i have 5 tarantulas. I'll have 9 soon though as I just ordered four more to add to my collection earlier today). Next Friday assuming the shipment isn't delayed I'll be adding an A. Avicularia, B. hamorii, L. Parahybana & T. albopilosus. My last two orders I skipped getting most of them because they were either not my favorite in the genus (got a B. boehmei instead of a B. hamorii) or were so readily available I didn't prioritize them over my GBB, P. Irminia C. Darlingi and C. versicolor. Hopefully in my next order I'll get around to getting another African baboon species or two and a P. cancerides or P. auratus. Though I might go crazy and just order a 5 pack of M. Balfouri or my first pokie for my next order instead. It'll be a few months before I'm ready to expand the collection again so I suppose I'll decide later which direction to go.
Hello, Jack! Thank you so much. Sounds like you have several options great options there! The good news is, you have all the time in the world to build your collection. : )
As noted in your in note, Chilobrachys fimbriatus should have been on the list. But in all in all, for what I have had in my collection over the past 3.5 years, I agree with what you had to share. + on davus pentaloris, great T but sadly turned MM and is now gone Edit: Pokies beauty is in the moments we get to see them cause while kept well, they tend to hide
Yup, that's one that I want back. I just kept coming up with so many that could have been on the list, that I had to draw the line somewhere. God, I hate lists. haha
Hello, Tom! great video as always. I recently picked up my first 2 pokies. P metallica sling and P regalis female. Was a little nervous at first but they were both calm spiders when getting them into their homes
Great video and see you already noted the mislabel. I think S. calceatum works as an alternative to the H. mac as well. They are also cheap and readily available.
Yes, I REALLY wish that I had caught that before I publishes. I'm blaming it on the heat, as it was 86 degrees up here while I was editing. S. cal is another good one!
@@TomsBigSpiders probably because there are so many staples to the hobby, and the staples of the hobby evolve. Thank you for responding; have a great 4th.
Out of 23 different species ive kept so far, my T Albopilosus had by far the most interesting personality!!!! As a small sling always put and about and super unbothered by me shifting its enclosure from time to time, a crazy eater even super small, and just suppppppper spunky all around!!!!! I currently have my first grammostola pulchra thats giving my old T Albop a run for its moneh personality wise, but i havent had her nearly as long so we’ll see
Seeing a C. versicolor was the last push I needed to decide on keeping tarantulas. I got my feet wet with a sub-adult A. avic, and once I was comfortable, I ordered my C. versi sling. It's currently a sub-adult and coming into it's gorgeous pink/purple colors 🥰 This list reminds me of all the other species I'd love to keep. If I decide to jump up on difficulty, my next choice is a Venezuelan Suntiger, for sure.
@@TomsBigSpiders They are! Only reason I've put them off this long is because I've heard they have a habit of "teleporting". They're so fast, that if they decide to bolt, they'll be somewhere completely different in a split second, lol
Although all these spiders are awesome and impressive there’s something special about the Cameroon Red Baboon. It’s just so perfect in shape or form! Like God was striving for absolute perfection when creating it!
Great video Tom 👍 I'm looking for my 2nd T, I've had my LP for a few months and it's been a steep learning curve 😂 he/she is so feisty and bolty! We've had threat poses, an escape while pulling rejected food out and a tank that completely smashed while Webster was in it. Some of these are completely out of my comfort zone, I'm thinking of a B hamorii maybe for my next T 🤔
Thank you, Caron! Man, sounds like you have quite the hot ticket there! I've had four, and they've actually been quite laid back. My big girl is right around 9, and she just sits there when I do maintenance. Is yours smaller? She might grow out of the behavior.
i'm not entirely sure why (maybe because i'd already had plenty of species with very fussy/difficult reptiles?) but after wanting to start out as a tarantula keeper for many many years, my first tarantula was... a t. blondi. oops? nah i don't regret it at all, i knew what i was getting into and i love her very much. she's scared of crickets for some reason and thankfully has only kicked hairs at me once. idk i just find it quite funny whenever t. blondi and/or stirmi are listed as one of if not the most "advanced" new world tarantulas, not because i think that's necessarily wrong but because it makes me seem like a bit of a crazy person.
A lot of folks can jump right in with the "advanced" ones with no issue. I think that, overall, they are VERY easy animals to keep. She sounds adorable!
Always thought my 1st T would be an Arizona Blonde. Nope. I got an H. gigas sling. 🙈 lol. Guess I'll be having fun in a year or 2 seeing if it'll hunt for fish.
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. I have always loved tarantulas but now I've decided to make a firm decision and start my collection. Thank you again!
They have to be auto generated (unless you're trolling us, but I somehow doubt it), but the titles of the video chapters are a great laugh! Thanks for your very informative content, while I'm at it. You keep things straightforward and simple!
You ticked 95% of the tarantulas on my list! Xenesthis is one that is also on my list. Going to get a OBT and P regalis before then. For some reason my LP is growing really slow. I have had it for 4 months and no molts. I feed it when it looks to be "not so fat" as I have done with my others. It might be a female? My 4th instar T albo hooked out in 18 months lol. My B Boehmei molted and gained 1/4 of an inch lol. It is now at about 3 inches. It took it 6 months to go from about 2 3/4 inches to about 3. My versicolor's are doing great and they are getting close to 4 inches. This is the same size as my G pulchripes. It is much older by a year. My first T was a M robustum. I lost it due to an escape. I found out they are really strong and my lid didn't lock 100%. That enclosure made it's way to the recycle center. I am planning on getting another with a much better enclosure! One more molt from my C versicolor's and everyone will be getting a Tarantula Cribs enclosure. Even my crazy N incei sp Olive. I dread rehousing that one the most. She is small and fast and can bolt for 5 minutes without a break. She does it from time to time in her current enclosure. One of these days I will remember to grab my phone to record her instead of just watching her in awe while she acts like a Nascar LOL. It normally happens about 10 p.m. when I am tired and maybe once a month or 3 months. 99% of the time I don't see her or hear her. For being a small spider she can make some noise when she wants to. Thanks for this video Tom and tell Billie she does an awesome job capturing these epic videos! Love your podcasts too! It makes my Monday's so enjoyable at work! Sorry for the long story but I hope it brightens your day :)
I thought about adding Xenesthis, Dusty...it was on the original list. I ended up taking it off the list due to the cost. That said, you're right...everyone should keep one. Man, that was quite fast for a T. albo! You are getting some great growth rate there. And your N. incei sounds like quite the spitfire! haha Thank you for taking the time to watch and to comment, Dusty...we both appreciate it!
@@TomsBigSpiders Well it was a male T albo, my temps are 75 - 80 F year round. I like it warm lol. Slightly cool in the summer and a hair dryer in the winter when I enter my apartment LOL. It takes forever for me to get warm in the winter and even when it hits 100F outside I am fine. Everyone I know just calls me an alien since it takes the temp to get 120F for me to actually sweat. Sure i can sweat when it is 100F and no air movement. Tarantulas and me have a thing in common. When it is colder we are less active. When it is warmer we are more active. When it is too hot we are dormant. I keep them on how I feel. They are thriving with me just being comfortable. A humidifier helps in the winter. Indeed the heater does dry out the air. When my skin feels dry, I know they are dry. A humidifier does wonders in the winter. This is the perfect pet for me. They have the same needs as me... but I eat way more lol. 1500 calories a day where they are at 10-15 ish a week, or two weeks (depending on the abdomen). Easier than guppies, YES! Best pet ever, YES! Craziest pet ever.... well My N. incei is crazy. I did have a cat, when I was growing up, that would compete with her spunk. He hopped through a grease fire to grab a steak of the grill. Sure he was a little singed when he grabbed the steak. It was fully cooked so we let him have it. He would sleep at my feet at night. Out of everyone in my family, he enjoyed my company. He slept at my feet. He let me know if I got too close at night. I have scars around my ankles lol. I do miss my cat Patches. It seems that my eight tarantulas have finally filled that void. I see a part of him in everyone of them. Some are calm and stay out in the open. Some are crazy, N incei, and most are shy and would rather be left alone. It's strange how I can compare a cat to a tarantula. They are both furry. Murderous to bugs and other things ( Yeah, I went there lol). Calm when left undisturbed. Less food, less maintenance. Yes. Tom. The tarantula life is for me. They remind me of my favorite cat.
Can't argue with anything on your list. For me personally, another alternative to B. hamorii/smithi would be B. boehmei. Of all the Brachypelma, they might be the most visually striking. Being limited by space, I would also stick to tried & true Hobby staples rather than take a chance with a brand new species. Limiting myself to 10 Ts and trying so hard to ignore OWs because of their potent venom (No, I can't do it in good conscience.), currently I have B. hamorii, G. porteri, T. albopilosus and B. boehmei. My 6 other picks would be : A. avicularia, L. parahybana, C. cyaneopubescens, P. cambridgei, P. muticus and P. regalis. With that, pretty much all the bases would be covered and I would have a decent variety of species. Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
Hey, Luc! Yeah, the B. boehmei and B. emilia were both on the list at one point. I just have so many spiders that I think that everyone should keep! haha And that's an excellent list...I'm glad that I covered most of them. Thanks again, bud!
Great video once again brother. I agree with just about everything you said. However, as far as the LP goes, I've never owned one and have no desire to because literally everyone has one and they are, IMO, the most common T available. But to stay in that genus the L klugi is an awesome alternative. Big, beautiful and my girl is quite calm. Hope y'all are well. Take care bud
Hey, bud! How goes it? Yeah, with this one I was focusing on the ones that are super available, hence why I didn't go with another Lasiodora species. That said, awesome point that everyone has one anyway. haha
My Lp is stunning in person. Photos never do her justice. I love her character, she is always doing something. Moving substrate, going threw cork tube. Moving water dish. And she is so calm. Although a great eater she is so docile & will calmly walk into my hands & do a leisurely stroll hand to hand. I dont generally handle but my Lp sometimes just climbs on lol xx
Super video Tom. Really enjoyed the spiders mentioned. As a snake keeper,who at one time had 57 snakes including the big guys,this hobby is just as bad,as your eyes are bigger than your pocketbook,room,and time. It had to be brutal coming up with only 30. Ive watched all your videos on specific species,re-housings,the few feedings etc and unfortunately my main fun in keeping snakes,turtles,toads and the like is developing a relationship with each animal above and beyond most people. Over time, I realized the snake hobby became more being a "zookeeper" and eroded my fun time with them due to time AND wanting more time to hunt,fish,travel,hike,beach,mountains etc. When I do take my first step into T's,it will be on a small scale. But,narrowing the field to 4 to start is as hard for you with 30. At any rate,Im sure I can speak for the others,that your way of introducing and teaching is awesome.Always look forward to your videos. The way you,Alex,Richard,Kat come across and freely give information to us all is state of the art. It wasnt always so when I got into reptiles.
Hey, Rebel! I came to this hobby from keeping snakes, and I was very hands on with my snakes. With the tarantulas, there is really no benefit for them to handling, and there are some species that you don't want to handle, so I've found I don't have that feeling as much. I'm always up in my tarantula room feeding and checking on them all, so I do end up spending time with them all. Thank you so much!
I used to have 25 tarantulas. One great beginner gentle species is B. Emelia. Very gentle, even when my daughter was young, she used to handle without any issues. Beautiful pinkish color with triangular black carapace is so beautiful to me!🕸
Tom I've watched this video twice now. Lots of ideas to add to my collection of 20 already. So many ideas to take with me when I go to the show. Looking for an alternative to the g Pulchra are there any they are currently really expensive and to slow growing. Thanks
That's awesome! You've already got quite the collection there. :) As for really expensive and slow growing, nothing immediately comes to mind. I'll have to think about that one!
Hello, Ernesto! As slings and juveniles, they act almost like fossorial species. They like to burrow and hide. Most will start to develop their arboreal tendencies when they hit adulthood. Even then, though, many will continue to hide quite a bit in shallow dens they construct.
A lot of these are the cheaper T's , what I went for first. Nothing wrong with that and my two faves out of the 50 or so I keep are my LP and A genic. As my collection grew they still are the ones I look forward to moulting. Also my curly hair I got as a freebie , they don't have to be expensive or rare to be worth keeping. Thanks for the video , kept me glued to the PC for another 30 mins. tya ,)
Hi, Clair! Yup, I really wanted to highlight some of the older, cheaper ones that often get overlooked. Folks tend to want the latest and greatest and, as a result, can ignore some of the true staples of the hobby. Thank you so much for watching!
Apples and oranges. Most people don't collect dogs, while many people have large collections of tarantulas. And, there is a difference between "breeds" and "species." There is only one dog species while there are hundreds of tarantula species. These are some of the species that have been around a while and that many folks want to keep eventually. I rarely do "fun" videos like this one, and I made it quite clear that this was only for fun. Luckily, the majority of folks appreciated it for what it was.
Tom, another great video! I have quite a few from your list but see a few I'd like to add. Going to keep my eyes open for them. What size terrarium do you recommend for an adult Grammostola pulchra. I've had several sizes suggested to me but want to hear your from your experience. Thanks
What would you add, Ron? I may do a "viewer's choice" follow up, so let me know! A full grown pulchra would do well in something around 5-10 gallons or so.
Awwww...that's too bad. Venom potency would be pretty painful, but they are honestly quite shy and would rather run than stand and fight. I've raised 12 now, and I've had no issues with them.
Your Knowledge and excellent advise is astounding Tom!! Your are my mentor when it comes keeping Ts absolutely brilliant!! Once again thank you Dave Lloyd From the uk
Hello, Loracarol! Awww...that sounds adorable. I'm not going to lie...I've had that happen with other spiders before, and I enjoyed the experience. Yup, I will always have a P. regalis...I love that species. I'm glad to hear that your OBT is behaving. If you give them enough room, they are normally fine. And I'm so glad that my info was helpful at the expo. Thanks again!
Great list man! I really like H gigas. I really have to get another one!! Another favourite is Xenesthis immanis. They have been around for decades, so one could call them classics!
Hey, bud! I LOVE my two H. gigas. Such massive spiders. I originally had Xenesthis on the list but took them off due to the price. That said, I might have to do a follow-up on this one. haha Thanks!
Good list! I'm happy to say that i have at least 60% of it :D There's one specific spezies i would add, and thats Cyriocosmos elegans. Especially for new keepers or those who are afraid of spiders, these cute little buggers may help those people to overcome their fear. Stay healthy, see you next time
13:20 subtitle needs an adjustment.
THANK YOU. That should obviously be Pamphobeteus antinous.
No collection is complete without the steely blue leg B. hamorii
My heart was honestly singing at the glowing review of the Acanthoscurria geniculata! Even my generally arachnophobic friends and family are fascinated by my beautiful spider! They are enamored by her white banded knees and how she’s always messing about with her enclosure. I feel like she’s single handedly changed my sibling’s minds on spiders. I absolutely love listening to your reviews and husbandry videos! So useful and uniquely entertaining at the same time! Thank you for taking the time to make these!
That species has it's own fanclub...I'm not kidding! haha They are truly awesome spiders and a must have. Thanks so much for watching!
A gens are definitely one of my absolute favourites. So beautiful.
My sub adult female is funny, she thinks everything that moves is food, shadows, water etc xx
Same feeling on this species! Almost like she knows your around lol also it's cool how it goes from bright orange and white to black and white with the orange tips ☺️
I just got one as a tiny sling for 3€ at an expo and i already love it! It is the most active tarantula that I have seen so far and eats anything in sight!
Mine is so small yet but he rules the room!
Tom , you've hit the nail on the head this time ! Thanks!!
Thanks so much, Dan!
@@TomsBigSpiders Was actually doing a little maintenance on my collection just now. Went to my local pet store for crickets last week and saw a container marked " Blue Baboon" for a pretty good price . I thought maybe a H pulcripes or maybe a mislabeled P sazimai. Lucked out with a M Balfouri . Enjoy your fourth !
Loved this video, you have given me a lot more choices for my next few Tarantula’s:) Thank you for all your great information and as I have said before, you are my Tarantula Guru 💕
I'm so glad, Robin...thank you!!!
My first slings were also GBB. I just rehomed my 1.25" out of its sling enclosure today.
I hope that the rehousing went well!
@@TomsBigSpiders It was pretty smooth. The T got very close to the edge like it wanted out but it all worked out lol
Love what you do for the hobby Tom. This has been a wonderful resource as I've started my T keeping over the last several years 🤘
Thank you so much, Dan! I truly appreciate it!
The video segment captions on these are pure gold. Obviously some sort of voice recognition must've generated these phonetically? But either way I reckon we should 100% change the name of H. pulchripes to 'Harpactor of Polka Bees' 🤣🤣🤣❤🕸🕷🕸
Oh lord. haha
My first tarantula was a Grammostola actaeon and I think they tend to be overlooked. They are large slings, grow fairly quickly, have a huge appetite, mine is almost always out on display, and they are just beautiful! They might be a little "spicy" for a Grammostola, but otherwise they are easy to care for, good beginner tarantulas with flashy good looks and a feeding response that any T keeper would enjoy. Enjoyed the video as always!
I think that part of the issue is that they aren't as common as some of the others. They are awesome spiders, though! Thank you!
Hiya Tom
What about the t Vagans? They are so underrated IMO.
I only have 36 t’s but the majority are pokies and avics but I do have a pampho, phormictopus, gbb, b auratum, h pulchripes, g pulchripes , irminia, t albo, t Vagans and two Balfouri so I’m happy with your list and the alts.
Hey, Darcy! In retrospect, I could have put the T. vagans as an alternate for the GBB. Sadly, a lot of species got left off of the list that would have made great additions. Heck, I love them all! haha
I too used to love B Auratum! So beautiful! Hard to find these days.
Great video though. I often see people overlooking certain spiders because of their cheaper price. Some of the cheaper spiders in the hobby are the most beautiful ones. H. mac being a glaring example. Too many 'noobs' see the price tag of a recently introduced spider, and sadly think it must be 'the best spider'
I agree 100%! One of the reasons that I wanted to make this video is to shine some light on some of the older and often overlooked species. And the H. mac was absolutely one of the ones that I was thinking of. Thanks!
My mom and sister are over In socal with us this week for my sons first birthday. They are sleeping in the spider room, they had no ideas how pretty a lot you have listed here are. Changed their view for sure.
Even helped feed them, the curly hair
That's amazing, Jake! Man, I can't even get my mother to come up to my spider room! haha
Ooooo I love 💕 the M. balfurry, LoL 😂😆 they look furry to me so I nicknamed it balfurry 😆 I love the blue ones!
Hahaha M. balfurry! haha That's awesome!
@@TomsBigSpiders I love them!
Aphonopelma hentzi Is another underrated choice. I had a WC female that was very docile.
Great choice!
Easy list every phormictopus and every poecilotheria......job done 🤣 awesome video my friend I enjoyed it
Hahaha It's so true, Robbie! Speaking of which, do you have a list of your current Phormictopus species? : ) Shoot me an email when you can.
@@TomsBigSpiders I will send you over the list on patreon buddy so it dosent get lost in your emails 😊
Wonderful guide! I really liked how you divided it up with the new world species first and the old world species second, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that all 8 species I currently keep made the list! I've got an Aphonopelma chalcodes, Acanthoscurria geniculata, Brachypelma hamorii, Caribena versicolor, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, Dolichothele diamantinesis, Grammostola pulchripes, and a Tliltocatl albopilosus. At this point the only species still on my wants list are a Thrixopelma ockerti (your videos really sold me on this beautiful green strawberry butt / hair-kicking demon) and a Theraphosinae sp. Panama, which I'm planning on adding to the collection in a few months.
I'd love to have a Homoeomma chilensis too, but the current lack of availability and exorbitant prices have pretty much dashed my hopes of getting one of these friendly little spiders anytime in the foreseeable future. The Theraphosinae sp. Panama is probably the most expensive spider my budget can accommodate, but I think their uniquely beautiful almost bioluminescent red coloration will make them worth it; and they should look especially striking on display next to my D. diamantinesis =)
Hello, Skippy! Yeah, I definitely wanted to break them up for the folks who only want to keep New Worlds. And you've got quite the collection going there! I'm glad that I could spread my love for the T. ockerti! I'm really hoping that my third is a lady. Yeah, I balked at the prices the last time H. chilensis slings were available. :(
No love for the Tliltocatl? I'd think T schroederi would be an obvious sub for G pulchra... though probably no less expensive.
The P Rufilata should always be mentioned ( my favorite T) just saying 😉.... love your work bro, you are awesome sauce
Hahaha I love all Pokies, but I had to pick one or two. haha. Thanks, bud!
Hey Tom would you happen to know if there's any Eucratoscelus Pachypus for sale anywhere in the US? Have looked everywhere with no luck. Been wanting to get one really bad. They're such a unique and beautiful species. Thanks!
A year or so ago, someone supposedly had slings, but they sold out before I was able to get any. That's about it. I would LOVE to have slings of this species. My two are favorites in my collection. If you ever find them, please let me know!
Tom, your videos are great as always. I've missed a great number of them because of the war here in Ukraine, but now I'm binge watching them while I'm taking care for my spiders or hiding from missle strikes. They calm my nerves a little and let me forget about the horrible reality we are in right now. Thank for that, really and please don't stop doing what you do.
First off, Akim...my family's thoughts are with you and yours. I can't even begin to fathom what you are all going through over there, and I can't begin to express my disgust for what is happening to your country. I just shared your message with Billie, and I'm not going to lie, it really hit me. Please stay safe, and I truly hope this nightmare ends for you guys soon. If you're so inclined feel free to message when you can to let me know that you're okay.
All the best,
Tom
Please stay safe with your family. You all will be in my thoughts xx
@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks for your support, Tom. That's really means a lot. I'm ok, and relatively safe (as there are basically no safe places in Ukraine right now). But at the begining of March I was forced to leave my appartment and all my animals for near a month and was living in the undeground shelter with volunteers and their families. I've check animals once a week, but this was tough, lots of people lost their lives and roof at their heads at that time...
@@lauraclegg794 Thank you, Laura.
It sounds so difficult and I so admire you for keeping your family & animal family safe.
I hope peaceful times are coming. Lots of love & strength xx
I get way more bolts and threat displays out of my new worlds than P. murinus.
S. santa catalina, V. paranaensis, any Pampho, heck even my Brachypelmas are more skittish and ready to throw up a threat display.
Hey, Justin! Yeah, I get more issues with my New World species as well. haha
Hey Tom I'm a new keeper or hope to earn the title someday :) I am getting some carabina versicolor slings and I was wondering if you had a good video on how to take care of them or knew where I could get good information on taking care of them, it's very confusing with one person saying one thing and another saying something else. You are like the Guru of T's so I figured ask the master for his knowledge :) So Master please teach this unworthy one :)
Hello, Gredarth! I do! ruclips.net/video/kTiUvmDmQHQ/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/g_AGEcUY12k/видео.html
Hope that helps!
I've been keeping my L. parahybana for five years only and just last week it turns out to be a male.
Awwww...I'm sorry to hear that. The good news is, my mature male lived for quite a while!
How dare you keep my favorite species off the list! 😉😉😉
I know...I'm such an ass. hahaha
I think I agree with most of these - NW anyways as I have no OW. But watching a bunch of RUclipsrs your OW list seems fairly good as well.
Thanks so much, Shaun!
I fully agree with ya on the pokies they are a must have they're all very cool and each have their own unique personality I've never see a threat pose from any of mine this far but I do have one ornery rufilata I tell ya what she's a turd she won't threat pose ya but she makes noise down in her lil corkdirt den lol was spot cleaning her tank and watering one day and I kept hearing this weird noise didn't think it was her hell my ears ring so loud its not funny but next thing I seen was her popped up right infront of me just working them fangs up n down pretty much telling me I need to vacate the premises now of face the Rath of the she bitch devil spider from hell lmao but the others are nothing g like that even her sister isn't that way just her
Last year I got a P Regalis sling as my very first old world & beginner pokie.
Oreo Is quite big now but never bolted or threat posed xx
@@lauraclegg794 they aren't as bad as some make it out to be really only bad thing is their bite being medically significant and ya feel it month down the road the regalis gets pretty good sized to if ya ever go to pair em just know they can hold the sperm up to a year my vitatta took her 9 months from time she was with a male last year in july/August I didn't see em pair so I had no idea till round March April when she had her sack
Thought surely the Pink Zebra Beauty would be on the list! Although they are harder to come by so perhaps that’s why it wasn’t there? Love your choices, otherwise agree D pentaloris should have been there too!
Hello! It was on the preliminary list, but they are SO difficult to find these days!
Great video! I have all except 3 on here. All beautiful 🕷❤🕷
Man, you have quite the collection, Jackie!!! :) Thank you!
I love the C versicolor, but I just can't get them past the sling stage. I've done all my research, listened to everyone's advice, but still no go. I'm glad you commented that the Avics were finicky too, so I won't go there.
Thanks for the great video, though!
Hi, Brian! A LOT of folks struggle with these guys. They just seem to be more finicky than most other spiders. I'm sorry to hear that. Thanks!
Happy 4th of July Tom! Thank you for the wonderful informative video! I love your narrative; very easy to understand each species and their care.
Happy July 4th, Liz! And thank you for watching and commenting.
Can never have too many T. albo, A. gen or LPs in your life 🤟🏼🤟🏼
Hahaha Nope, you can't!
I keep between 6-10 of these depending upon if you include your "honorable mentions" at the end, and if I am correct about the mystery spiders I've got on order for the recent Fear Not event! Have you ordered any from the event? I'm excited, since it's my first time participating!
That's awesome, Chenin! Hopefully, you're correct about it. :) I have not, but I know a LOT of people who have. :)
I have been wanting to get several of the species that you showed but they are just so hard to get .
What country are you in Wally? I tried to pick ones that were more readily available.
This is the best 30+ Hobby Staples of Tarantulas that we need to have in our collection❣❣😍😍🤩🤩 Thanks Sir Moran, I am a big fan by watching your "how to" and sharing your expertise so that we can porperly nurture our Tarantulas.I hope sir you can make a video about all types of striped knee tarantula you must have.I do love striped knee tarantulas.Next is videos like all types of communal tarantulas as well. Lastly, Most Varacious Eaters of Tarantulas since I want to have more collection of Tarantulas that are foodies or great eaters.Such a great channel and May God Bless You and Your family always.Happy Tarantula Keeping.
Thank YOU for taking the time to comment. And those are some excellent ideas for videos...I'll put some notes together and see what I come up with. Thank you again!!!
Here is my "will always have one" list: H. pulchripes, C. versicolor, E. cyanognathus, Chilobrachys sp electric blue, O. phillipinus, Neischnocolus sp panama, C. cyaneopubescens, And most of the Poecilotheria genus.
My personal overhyped list: H. devamatha, Hapalopus sp. colombia, M. balfouri, P. irminia, E. colonica, S. calceatum.
Hey, I can't argue with any of those...great list! As for the overhyped ones, I'll never get that. I've been asked several times over the years to make a list of the overhyped ones, and I honestly don't have any to put on it. If a lot of people talk about a certain species, it means that a lot of people enjoy keeping them. I think that the best part about keeping tarantulas is that there are SO many different species, that there is something out there for everyone.
Balfouri are amazing bro... Beautiful, lax, and communal
Love this. I don’t have any Of the little angry pumpkin pies. 😂. I get the are just like OBTs. Twirky to movement but I reality just a cute T. I would love to get some Dwarf Ts. In Australia I have one. But in Java I only have larger Ts. Thanks for the update from ur perspective. 🙌
The dwarf Ts are totally underrated. Thank you for watching and commenting!
My 1st tarantula was a A.geniculata. Great list.
Great species, Chantal! And than you!
Since common names are just nicknames that people commonly use, I motion to change Togo Starburst Baboon to H. Mack. Especially since both the scientific I.D. and it's current nickname are in need of abbreviation. I hear H. Mack so much I sometimes even forget it has a common name
I would say that H-mac IS one of the common names for it...much like the GBB for C. cyaneopubescens and LP for the L. parahybana. That works for me!
I mostly agree with Your List Tom. After all if Anyone makes a List of any Kind You naturally have to be selective. So I think Yours is fine, a good Basis of the Hobby.
Yeah, the lists are all just for fun, Mike. This is just my opinion, and others will obviously identify other species. :) Thank you!
I started with a pink-Toe from petsmart but after almost a year I decided to try buying four slings (GBB, Arizona blonde, pumpkin patch large, and electric blue)
Hi, Ryan! You picked some cool slings to start with!
Hey Tom I totally agree with your list.some awsome spiders and most all need to keep at some point.
Hey, James! Thanks so much, bud!
Loved the video. I only have a few of these sadly (my collection is small, currently i have 5 tarantulas. I'll have 9 soon though as I just ordered four more to add to my collection earlier today). Next Friday assuming the shipment isn't delayed I'll be adding an A. Avicularia, B. hamorii, L. Parahybana & T. albopilosus. My last two orders I skipped getting most of them because they were either not my favorite in the genus (got a B. boehmei instead of a B. hamorii) or were so readily available I didn't prioritize them over my GBB, P. Irminia C. Darlingi and C. versicolor. Hopefully in my next order I'll get around to getting another African baboon species or two and a P. cancerides or P. auratus. Though I might go crazy and just order a 5 pack of M. Balfouri or my first pokie for my next order instead. It'll be a few months before I'm ready to expand the collection again so I suppose I'll decide later which direction to go.
Hello, Jack! Thank you so much. Sounds like you have several options great options there! The good news is, you have all the time in the world to build your collection. : )
As noted in your in note, Chilobrachys fimbriatus should have been on the list. But in all in all, for what I have had in my collection over the past 3.5 years, I agree with what you had to share. + on davus pentaloris, great T but sadly turned MM and is now gone
Edit: Pokies beauty is in the moments we get to see them cause while kept well, they tend to hide
Yup, that's one that I want back. I just kept coming up with so many that could have been on the list, that I had to draw the line somewhere. God, I hate lists. haha
I was looking for the Brachypalma Hamorii. Definitely ideal.
First one on the list, Liz!
Thank you for the content I wish we got more of your Podcast and videos like this on RUclips more often♡
Thank you so much! With summer here, I will have more time to work on the more ambitious videos.
Hello, Tom! great video as always. I recently picked up my first 2 pokies. P metallica sling and P regalis female. Was a little nervous at first but they were both calm spiders when getting them into their homes
Thanks so much, Kaleb! And great grabs there! Yeah, if you give them respect, they are usually just fine.
Great video and see you already noted the mislabel. I think S. calceatum works as an alternative to the H. mac as well. They are also cheap and readily available.
Yes, I REALLY wish that I had caught that before I publishes. I'm blaming it on the heat, as it was 86 degrees up here while I was editing. S. cal is another good one!
Hello great video information Tom
Thank you so much, Moon!
Another great video full of great info! Great job!
Thanks so much, Ross!
I think ceratogyrus darlingi and marshalli have place as well, but honestly great list and there are just so many to pick from to narrow it down.
Hey, Jeffrey! Yup, I agree completely. I had C. darlingi on earlier, and I don't know why I took it off.
@@TomsBigSpiders probably because there are so many staples to the hobby, and the staples of the hobby evolve. Thank you for responding; have a great 4th.
Out of 23 different species ive kept so far, my T Albopilosus had by far the most interesting personality!!!! As a small sling always put and about and super unbothered by me shifting its enclosure from time to time, a crazy eater even super small, and just suppppppper spunky all around!!!!! I currently have my first grammostola pulchra thats giving my old T Albop a run for its moneh personality wise, but i havent had her nearly as long so we’ll see
That's awesome, Phillip!
Seeing a C. versicolor was the last push I needed to decide on keeping tarantulas. I got my feet wet with a sub-adult A. avic, and once I was comfortable, I ordered my C. versi sling. It's currently a sub-adult and coming into it's gorgeous pink/purple colors 🥰
This list reminds me of all the other species I'd love to keep. If I decide to jump up on difficulty, my next choice is a Venezuelan Suntiger, for sure.
Hello, Hikari! They really are gorgeous spiders. And the suntigers are fantastic...quite beautiful!
@@TomsBigSpiders They are! Only reason I've put them off this long is because I've heard they have a habit of "teleporting". They're so fast, that if they decide to bolt, they'll be somewhere completely different in a split second, lol
As always Tom, thank you so much for a fab video. Hugs to Billie
Thank you so much, Bobbi!
I have the classic RCF Pterinochilus adult female but I also have the "Botswana/Zimbabwe" DCF adult female and it's almost jet black
Man, that must be a beauty!
My first ever T was a G. Rosea aswell! She's 15 years old now, and still going strong!
That's awesome, Hailey! I love this species !
cant wait to keep more tarantulas. atm my three [ aphonopelma seemanni, curly hair and b hamorii ] are flourishing
You've got three great ones there!
Another awesome vid!! Thanks! Looking for ways to acquire some of your suggestions! Lol.
Thanks so much, Fred...that's awesome!
Although all these spiders are awesome and impressive there’s something special about the Cameroon Red Baboon. It’s just so perfect in shape or form! Like God was striving for absolute perfection when creating it!
I love my two girls!
Heteroscodra maculata is the most pretty T in my oppionion. But oh boy as a beginner this one is way too frightning!
Yeah, I agree...theya re stunners!
I’m dying to get a Davus Pentaloris. It and H. Columbia are two of my favorites
Awesome spiders...both of them!
Great video Tom 👍 I'm looking for my 2nd T, I've had my LP for a few months and it's been a steep learning curve 😂 he/she is so feisty and bolty! We've had threat poses, an escape while pulling rejected food out and a tank that completely smashed while Webster was in it. Some of these are completely out of my comfort zone, I'm thinking of a B hamorii maybe for my next T 🤔
that will end up being a walk in the park after having an LP!
My LP is a little devil too! Threat poses, slaps the ground, the lot! Gives me the absolute fear!
@@beccapenny oh yeah mine is a floor slapper too! Cute but a bit scary 😂
@@beccapenny mine never threat postured me but was a suuuuper aggressive eater and grew way fast and the hair! Lord the hair!
Thank you, Caron! Man, sounds like you have quite the hot ticket there! I've had four, and they've actually been quite laid back. My big girl is right around 9, and she just sits there when I do maintenance. Is yours smaller? She might grow out of the behavior.
I've had a Mexican flame knee from 1/2, it's about 1 year now, it's probably 5/8th of an inch lol This is going to be a very long road.
Hahaha I hear you!
i'm not entirely sure why (maybe because i'd already had plenty of species with very fussy/difficult reptiles?) but after wanting to start out as a tarantula keeper for many many years, my first tarantula was... a t. blondi. oops? nah i don't regret it at all, i knew what i was getting into and i love her very much. she's scared of crickets for some reason and thankfully has only kicked hairs at me once. idk i just find it quite funny whenever t. blondi and/or stirmi are listed as one of if not the most "advanced" new world tarantulas, not because i think that's necessarily wrong but because it makes me seem like a bit of a crazy person.
A lot of folks can jump right in with the "advanced" ones with no issue. I think that, overall, they are VERY easy animals to keep. She sounds adorable!
Looking for something big but that's also a heavy Weber any recommendations
That's a tricky one, as the big ones usually don't web as much. Chilobrachys species can get fairly large, and most will web.
Always thought my 1st T would be an Arizona Blonde. Nope. I got an H. gigas sling. 🙈 lol. Guess I'll be having fun in a year or 2 seeing if it'll hunt for fish.
That's an interesting choice! haha Mine are quite shy and laid back though, so just give them the space to dig and use caution when rehousing.
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. I have always loved tarantulas but now I've decided to make a firm decision and start my collection. Thank you again!
That's awesome, Terra Momma!
excellent list man! I am actually only missing a few of these species! :)))
Wow, that's awesome, Josh!
They have to be auto generated (unless you're trolling us, but I somehow doubt it), but the titles of the video chapters are a great laugh! Thanks for your very informative content, while I'm at it. You keep things straightforward and simple!
Oh dear...can't wait to check this one out. haha Thank you so much!
You ticked 95% of the tarantulas on my list! Xenesthis is one that is also on my list. Going to get a OBT and P regalis before then. For some reason my LP is growing really slow. I have had it for 4 months and no molts. I feed it when it looks to be "not so fat" as I have done with my others. It might be a female? My 4th instar T albo hooked out in 18 months lol. My B Boehmei molted and gained 1/4 of an inch lol. It is now at about 3 inches. It took it 6 months to go from about 2 3/4 inches to about 3. My versicolor's are doing great and they are getting close to 4 inches. This is the same size as my G pulchripes. It is much older by a year. My first T was a M robustum. I lost it due to an escape. I found out they are really strong and my lid didn't lock 100%. That enclosure made it's way to the recycle center. I am planning on getting another with a much better enclosure! One more molt from my C versicolor's and everyone will be getting a Tarantula Cribs enclosure. Even my crazy N incei sp Olive. I dread rehousing that one the most. She is small and fast and can bolt for 5 minutes without a break. She does it from time to time in her current enclosure. One of these days I will remember to grab my phone to record her instead of just watching her in awe while she acts like a Nascar LOL. It normally happens about 10 p.m. when I am tired and maybe once a month or 3 months. 99% of the time I don't see her or hear her. For being a small spider she can make some noise when she wants to. Thanks for this video Tom and tell Billie she does an awesome job capturing these epic videos! Love your podcasts too! It makes my Monday's so enjoyable at work! Sorry for the long story but I hope it brightens your day :)
I thought about adding Xenesthis, Dusty...it was on the original list. I ended up taking it off the list due to the cost. That said, you're right...everyone should keep one. Man, that was quite fast for a T. albo! You are getting some great growth rate there. And your N. incei sounds like quite the spitfire! haha Thank you for taking the time to watch and to comment, Dusty...we both appreciate it!
@@TomsBigSpiders Well it was a male T albo, my temps are 75 - 80 F year round. I like it warm lol. Slightly cool in the summer and a hair dryer in the winter when I enter my apartment LOL. It takes forever for me to get warm in the winter and even when it hits 100F outside I am fine. Everyone I know just calls me an alien since it takes the temp to get 120F for me to actually sweat. Sure i can sweat when it is 100F and no air movement. Tarantulas and me have a thing in common. When it is colder we are less active. When it is warmer we are more active. When it is too hot we are dormant. I keep them on how I feel. They are thriving with me just being comfortable. A humidifier helps in the winter. Indeed the heater does dry out the air. When my skin feels dry, I know they are dry. A humidifier does wonders in the winter. This is the perfect pet for me. They have the same needs as me... but I eat way more lol. 1500 calories a day where they are at 10-15 ish a week, or two weeks (depending on the abdomen). Easier than guppies, YES! Best pet ever, YES! Craziest pet ever.... well My N. incei is crazy. I did have a cat, when I was growing up, that would compete with her spunk. He hopped through a grease fire to grab a steak of the grill. Sure he was a little singed when he grabbed the steak. It was fully cooked so we let him have it. He would sleep at my feet at night. Out of everyone in my family, he enjoyed my company. He slept at my feet. He let me know if I got too close at night. I have scars around my ankles lol. I do miss my cat Patches. It seems that my eight tarantulas have finally filled that void. I see a part of him in everyone of them. Some are calm and stay out in the open. Some are crazy, N incei, and most are shy and would rather be left alone. It's strange how I can compare a cat to a tarantula. They are both furry. Murderous to bugs and other things ( Yeah, I went there lol). Calm when left undisturbed. Less food, less maintenance. Yes. Tom. The tarantula life is for me. They remind me of my favorite cat.
I would add the Brachypelma albiceps, Aphonopelma hentzi, and Aphonopelma anax!
All good ones, Bobbi...thanks!
Very helpful & informative Tom, you're the real Spiderman!
Haha Thank you!
Can't argue with anything on your list. For me personally, another alternative to B. hamorii/smithi would be B. boehmei. Of all the Brachypelma, they might be the most visually striking.
Being limited by space, I would also stick to tried & true Hobby staples rather than take a chance with a brand new species. Limiting myself to 10 Ts and trying so hard to ignore OWs because of their potent venom (No, I can't do it in good conscience.), currently I have B. hamorii, G. porteri, T. albopilosus and B. boehmei. My 6 other picks would be : A. avicularia, L. parahybana, C. cyaneopubescens, P. cambridgei, P. muticus and P. regalis. With that, pretty much all the bases would be covered and I would have a decent variety of species.
Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
Hey, Luc! Yeah, the B. boehmei and B. emilia were both on the list at one point. I just have so many spiders that I think that everyone should keep! haha And that's an excellent list...I'm glad that I covered most of them. Thanks again, bud!
Missed out on Ceratogyrus...they have dang horns on their heads! Cyriocosmus and Neoholothele are also vastly underrated
I can't argue any of those, especially Ceratogyrus.
Great video once again brother. I agree with just about everything you said. However, as far as the LP goes, I've never owned one and have no desire to because literally everyone has one and they are, IMO, the most common T available. But to stay in that genus the L klugi is an awesome alternative. Big, beautiful and my girl is quite calm. Hope y'all are well. Take care bud
Hey, bud! How goes it? Yeah, with this one I was focusing on the ones that are super available, hence why I didn't go with another Lasiodora species. That said, awesome point that everyone has one anyway. haha
My Lp is stunning in person. Photos never do her justice.
I love her character, she is always doing something. Moving substrate, going threw cork tube. Moving water dish.
And she is so calm. Although a great eater she is so docile & will calmly walk into my hands & do a leisurely stroll hand to hand. I dont generally handle but my Lp sometimes just climbs on lol xx
Can we get a update video on a lot of your smaller sling you had like pamphobeteus phormictopus and xenesthis
Hello, Juan! I have both a Xenesthis update and a massive Phormictopus update coming very soon!
WONDERFUL VIDEO!!!! Always love when you upload! Thank you for taking the time to make such a great video!
Thank you so much, Marjorie! This was a fun one to put together!
Super video Tom.
Really enjoyed the spiders mentioned.
As a snake keeper,who at one time had 57 snakes including the big guys,this hobby is just as bad,as your eyes are bigger than your pocketbook,room,and time.
It had to be brutal coming up with only 30.
Ive watched all your videos on specific species,re-housings,the few feedings etc and unfortunately my main fun in keeping snakes,turtles,toads and the like is developing a relationship with each animal above and beyond most people.
Over time, I realized the snake hobby became more being a "zookeeper" and eroded my fun time with them due to time AND wanting more time to hunt,fish,travel,hike,beach,mountains etc.
When I do take my first step into T's,it will be on a small scale.
But,narrowing the field to 4 to start is as hard for you with 30.
At any rate,Im sure I can speak for the others,that your way of introducing and teaching is awesome.Always look forward to your videos.
The way you,Alex,Richard,Kat come across and freely give information to us all is state of the art.
It wasnt always so when I got into reptiles.
Hey, Rebel! I came to this hobby from keeping snakes, and I was very hands on with my snakes. With the tarantulas, there is really no benefit for them to handling, and there are some species that you don't want to handle, so I've found I don't have that feeling as much. I'm always up in my tarantula room feeding and checking on them all, so I do end up spending time with them all. Thank you so much!
I used to have 25 tarantulas.
One great beginner gentle species is B. Emelia.
Very gentle, even when my daughter was young, she used to handle without any issues.
Beautiful pinkish color with triangular black carapace is so beautiful to me!🕸
I love mine as well, although she's still a bit skittish!
Tom I've watched this video twice now. Lots of ideas to add to my collection of 20 already. So many ideas to take with me when I go to the show. Looking for an alternative to the g Pulchra are there any they are currently really expensive and to slow growing. Thanks
That's awesome! You've already got quite the collection there. :) As for really expensive and slow growing, nothing immediately comes to mind. I'll have to think about that one!
C. violaceopes arboreal or fossorial? I've seen full grown adult behave more like a fossorial species.
Hello, Ernesto! As slings and juveniles, they act almost like fossorial species. They like to burrow and hide. Most will start to develop their arboreal tendencies when they hit adulthood. Even then, though, many will continue to hide quite a bit in shallow dens they construct.
A lot of these are the cheaper T's , what I went for first. Nothing wrong with that and my two faves out of the 50 or so I keep are my LP and A genic. As my collection grew they still are the ones I look forward to moulting. Also my curly hair I got as a freebie , they don't have to be expensive or rare to be worth keeping.
Thanks for the video , kept me glued to the PC for another 30 mins. tya ,)
Hi, Clair! Yup, I really wanted to highlight some of the older, cheaper ones that often get overlooked. Folks tend to want the latest and greatest and, as a result, can ignore some of the true staples of the hobby. Thank you so much for watching!
This was a great wee video mate, cheers, yeti 🏴
Thanks so much, Yeti!
This is ridiculous. It is as ridiculous as "these are 30 dog species everyone should keep at some point"
Apples and oranges. Most people don't collect dogs, while many people have large collections of tarantulas. And, there is a difference between "breeds" and "species." There is only one dog species while there are hundreds of tarantula species. These are some of the species that have been around a while and that many folks want to keep eventually. I rarely do "fun" videos like this one, and I made it quite clear that this was only for fun. Luckily, the majority of folks appreciated it for what it was.
I will 2nd A. geniculata as a beautiful out in the open fast grower. I love mine!!
Awesome spiders!
Great list! I counted along and had/have 13, mostly the terrestrials. I would have put semanni/e murinus in the main list, but they got the shoutout
Wow, you have quite a few of them! Yeah, the originally list was over 50, so I had to cut some that I love. I hate lists! haha
Anyone else take notes and makes a list on what to get at the upcoming shows or is that just me? Great video.
Hahaha That's awesome...thank you!
First I ever got was a. Seemanni and then I got Versicolor and p Irminia as my second and third. I’d throw c Darlingi or c marshali in there too.
That's a great group of spiders! My second ever back in the 90s was an A. seemani!
Tom, another great video! I have quite a few from your list but see a few I'd like to add. Going to keep my eyes open for them. What size terrarium do you recommend for an adult Grammostola pulchra. I've had several sizes suggested to me but want to hear your from your experience. Thanks
What would you add, Ron? I may do a "viewer's choice" follow up, so let me know! A full grown pulchra would do well in something around 5-10 gallons or so.
I saw poor Petko had some cannibalism in his Balfouri colony, i'm interested in them, how is the venom potency and the temperament
Awwww...that's too bad. Venom potency would be pretty painful, but they are honestly quite shy and would rather run than stand and fight. I've raised 12 now, and I've had no issues with them.
Your Knowledge and excellent advise is astounding Tom!!
Your are my mentor when it comes keeping Ts absolutely brilliant!!
Once again thank you
Dave Lloyd
From the uk
Hello, Dave!
Thank you so very much for the very kind words. I truly appreciate it! All the best from the US!
Are male and female slings the same size up until maturity? Being that they can't be sexed 🤔
Hey, Dannen! In most cases, they are until they hit a certain point. And many slings can be sexed using a microscope and a molt at 1.5" or so.
My G. pulchra decided to do a walk about the other day, during feeding.
Hello, Loracarol! Awww...that sounds adorable. I'm not going to lie...I've had that happen with other spiders before, and I enjoyed the experience. Yup, I will always have a P. regalis...I love that species. I'm glad to hear that your OBT is behaving. If you give them enough room, they are normally fine. And I'm so glad that my info was helpful at the expo. Thanks again!
Great list man! I really like H gigas. I really have to get another one!! Another favourite is Xenesthis immanis. They have been around for decades, so one could call them classics!
Hey, bud! I LOVE my two H. gigas. Such massive spiders. I originally had Xenesthis on the list but took them off due to the price. That said, I might have to do a follow-up on this one. haha Thanks!
Great video hoping to get a rose or golden knee one of these days. Seems I always just miss them before they are sold out.
Thank you so much, Michael! Hopefully, you get one soon!
I love my curly hair let's me hold it everytime no problems
Very nice, Colton!
Outstanding job, as always! Thank you.
Thank you so much!
Great list Tom! Those last 3 I couldn't agree more with, keep up the awesome work!
Hello, Mateo! I'm glad that I hit the mark with you! :)
Tom you did not say which ones kick hairs the most. That could be important to those with allergies.
Hi, Joyce! It honestly comes down to the individual spider. On this list, any of the new worlds could be kicky.
I'm a Curly fan! I have 7 at the moment. Loved this vid!
Hi, Ashlei! WOW! That's a lot of curlys! haha
I love that gray white and black spiders
Me too, Vicki!
Good list! I'm happy to say that i have at least 60% of it :D
There's one specific spezies i would add, and thats Cyriocosmos elegans. Especially for new keepers or those who are afraid of spiders, these cute little buggers may help those people to overcome their fear.
Stay healthy, see you next time
Thanks so much, RoXXXXXon! Elegans is one that I had on the longer list. Great point!