AVOID THESE Beginner Tarantula Keeper Mistakes!

[@tarantulacollective]

If you would like to support the channel, please consider joining my Patreon for as little as $2 a month: www.patreon.com/The_Tarantula_Collective

[@erickhovorka1654]

Yesterday, I called my local exotic pet store. It's a small privately owned pet store in my area. So when the employee answered the phone I asked him if he has any tarantulas for sale. He told me, "Yeah we do." Then I asked him what species he had for sale, and the guy did not know. I was thinking to myself, "How can this dude not know what he is selling to people? He is an employee at an exotic pet store?" I might go there just to see what they have in stock, so I can avoid shipping charges. They will probably give me some terrible husbandry advice, but I am prepared to just say "No."

[@Basketball069]

Did you end up going to the store?

[@maciejp7829]

guess he did not

[@konstantinpajic3599]

Same at mine...

[@LuckyDogGaming]

@@erickhovorka1654 Not every employee at mom and pop pet stores are experts on every animal, the question I would ask is, “Would there be someone I could speak to who’s experienced with Tarantulas?” If the answer is still no, shop elsewhere.

[@3ggeckos519]

LOVE this channel!! I had a tarantula in the late 80s as a college freshman. No clue what species, they all looked the same in the reptile stores back then. Bought it at 5" and it ate crickets/pinkies. I handled it now and then with no issues, though very carefully. Fast forward to 2024 - I'm in my 50s and about to get my first new tarantula - a Grammastola pulchra yearling! I'm stoked. I'm a gecko keeper/breeder, so this is likely my only one LOL, but who knows. I've been binging your stuff and love this channel, keep up the good work and thank you for your efforts!

[@abenxu8731]

I got my second tarantula on Sunday, and it was a caribena versicolor. It's a small sling, very cute But my first tarantula was probably not a species I should've gotten, and that was an ephobopus murinus. And one day when I was rehousing it, it ran up my arm and on to my face and then it went around and curled up in my hood. Probably the scariest moment of my life, since she is not very nice

[@aiden7154]

Nightmare fuel

[@benharrison8973]

My third was the obt and its surprisingly chill

[@jgscatsandthings5208]

I made the substrate mistake when I got my first tarantula 24-25 years ago, but then there was little information out there at the time. Now I know more, and know better. I have enjoyed this so far .. Roll on to part 2 😸

[@lindabriggs5118]

This was an excellent review for me. I only started this hobby about a year ago, but I scoured the internet, KZbin, Instagram for information about Tarantulas, their care and feeding. I respect spiders of all kinds and the idea of keeping them was a fascinating idea. My granddaughters want to disown me 😆🤣😂! But at least one of them now doesn't mind them so much anymore. She's even helped me with rehousing and feeding, and doesn't freak out if one crawls out of its enclosure. One major thing I learned since I received my first Tarantulas is, no matter how fancy and beautiful you make their enclosures, they will most ALWAYS bulldozer the substrate, move the fake plants, and either poop or stuff substrate into their water dish. So now, I keep it pretty basic, lots of substrate, a hide, one plastic plant, maybe a smallish rock, and maybe some leaf litter. Basically, the KISS rule. If they are webber, the I add a few sticks to give them anchor points. But basically, my knowledge I got from watching your videos, Richard, and a few others as well. Thank-you so very much!

[@SaintAanthony]

Me: 1:30am watching tarantula collective vids, come across this one. Why because it’s Saturday and I’m getting my first T ever a Nicaraguan Curley adult female 4-5” on Tuesday. Also me: jumping up to put more substrate thinking 4 inches in a 40 gallon that’s 18 inches high is more then enough. Me realizing after dumping the rest of the bag and only adding an inch ordering more from petsmart. 2:10am and $68 later calming down. Next day filling up the enclosure almost 2/3 around 11 inches thanking God for this channel 😂 Also me now watching more vids and realizing I need moss, hornworms, leaf litter etc. Me realizing my wife was right. Me it’s only gonna be like 2-$300 to get everything I need. Also me calculating what I spent in 4 days $781.33. Also me thanking God I used my personal credit card and not the debit and or family credit card. Also me damn I want a Brazilian Black. I wonder how much a juvenile is? Haven’t even got the first one yet!! 😂

[@knitter4years]

I can't wait for part two. I'm less than a month in and thankfully I haven't made any mistakes on this video. There is still part 5. One important thing that I didn't know is that terrestrial slings bury themselves and that tarantulas do not need to be rescued if they bury themselves. They will be fine and can be hurt if they are uncovered as they may be in a vulnerable stage such as molting. I'm happy I asked about that when my little guy buried himself. I didn't hurt him by needlessly rescuing him. Tarantula's know best. I love your content. Thank you very much for helping new ones. The hobby is growing and you are a gem to us.

[@ethenbryant2693]

Thank you for the advice just got P. Regalis and have misting enclosure like crazy. I have learned and will tell her sorry.

[@tarantulacollective]

PART 2 will be out this Friday! Check out my website for even MORE content: www.thetarantulacollective.com/

[@cubbi2789]

Yours videos have helped me a lot when caring for my slings. Sadly one passed away, but the rest are doing well. And you’re right about the hairs, my Goliath bird eater sling tried kicking hairs when I moved it into its new enclosure

[@Sted916boy]

Ur videos payed off I got a perfect score I don't do any of these things on to his list 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

[@MiguelDeMarchena]

I don't have pets at home but i have geckos running by the walls behind the bookshelf and portraits, small spiders that make their webs close to the light bulbs and they are part of the family, it is forbidden to harm them because they keep mosquitoes and cockroaches at bay they have earned their place in my house. Sometimes( escolopendra gigantea) gets inside house so i take it out of my house without killing if possible because i know their role in nature, our endemic tarantula (Phormictopus cancerides) is not found in the zone i live but in case one appears will not be harmed either.

[@adamstarantulas9984]

Okay there is a picture of me on Instagram with a tarantula molt on my face. It was such a beautiful molt I couldn't resist. 🤘💗🤘

[@darkdromeda3739]

Watching you from the beginning and still a big fan of your videos keep it up!

[@tarantulacollective]

I appreciate it!

[@shadymattuk]

My mum and I rescued a Theraphosa blondi that was being cooked under a heat lamp in a pet shop back in 1997. After several molts we sent her up to Scotland, where Robert Bustard bred her, resulting in the current Guinness Book of Records , uh... record, for the largest spider in terms of weight. One of her slings grew to be just over 6oz, with over an 11" legspan.

[@shimerrill967]

Aw poor honey 🥺

[@vcx714]

what is the name of T at 2:12 ? Looks AMAZING!

[@AB-yv3ln]

Awesome video as always! I'm looking to get my first Ts soon and appreciate all the knowledge you share.

[@davidjbiscoe957]

Thanks to your videos I've not made any of these mistakes. I have handled T's when I first get them. Once in their enclosures that's it. It's their domain and the only thing I do is feed and water.

[@timothywehmeyer6880]

I been thinking of getting my first tarantula soon.. thanks for all these inspiring visitors..

[@thecatsmeow9972]

I’m glad your moving up with subscribers, you’ll be at a million before you know it !

[@daveslittlebeasties]

cool tips there my friend 👍

[@tarantulacollective]

Thanks 👍

[@leafwitheyes2473]

Can’t wait for part 2!

[@georgecardiff1946]

Brilliant video Richard, can't wait for part two.

[@dylanvincent4254]

Just wanted to pop in the comments and just say wow. Not even at 100k subs and your video quality is top tier. I also want to say thank you. I got my first T about a month ago and your videos have helped so much. Keep up the great work and i hope it pays off for you, you deserve it

[@dougsreptiles]

Perfect timing that you made these I’m picking up my first T this week, a Caribena versicolor. I’ve kept extremely hot scorps like Androctonus species etc but new to T’s so this should be fun. Awesome videos!

[@rab46290]

I am getting two mexican red knees (one for me and on for my daughter), and i am getting a pink toe. I haven't studied arachnids since i was in middle school, i absolutely loved them. I was the weird kid at school with books upon books about spiders and reptiles. I went through a tunnel of river spiders, on a canoe, when i was 11 and it gave me extreme arachnophobia. But i went to a petshop recently (now in my mid 30s) and saw a pink toe. It brought back good memories and it looked so cute. I started watching your videos and it has helped a lot with my fear, and learning how to take care of them before purchasing them. Thank you for your videos.

[@FatMarioHeads]

I wonder if Daniel Stern got urticating hairs on his face from that scene in Home Alone where Kevin puts Buzz's pet tarantula on Marv's face. I should ask him that if I ever meet him at a convention

[@tarantulacollective]

I always wondered that myself. I watched the commentary on the movie Kingdom Of Spiders and they were saying they got COVERED with the hairs when filming. They were in the desert so it was like 100f and they were sweaty and itching from all the hairs.

[@mikepetersen7319]

All well said Richard and the Closeups were really stunning again.

[@Steve.s0]

Excellent as always. I’ve been keeping tarantulas 20+ years and still learning.

[@damiankaczor7151]

Quality of this video is INSANE!!! Your way of T shooting is incomparable. Keep it that way! All the best from Poland! 😉

[@michaeltaylor2449]

AWESOME video Richard !!!!!!

[@tarantulacollective]

Thanks!!

[@michaeltaylor2449]

@@tarantulacollective Your welcome

[@angielovesowls]

Great video, very informative!!! Thanks Richard and Happy Thanksgiving

[@tarantulacollective]

Same to you!

[@christopher1195]

I want a good updated clean up crew tarantula video! Thanks for what you do! Your the man

[@Leepbby]

Great content as ALWAYS!!!

[@tarantulacollective]

Glad you think so!

[@Maozedundu]

as always, brilliant content Richard! thank you :)

[@tarantulacollective]

My pleasure!

[@JustinFukinCole]

I’m tryin to turn my old snakes enclosure (100gallon) into a tarantula communal. Definitely got a lot to learn, not jumping in too soon. But I’m obsessed about the idea

[@vemelyn554]

I'm guilty of too much humidity haha... I'm new to keeping, only just getting my first tarantula 2 weeks ago, a Tliltocatl albopilosus! Much appreciation for the tips and pointers to keep my beautiful girl safe and happy

[@loispadgett6306]

Great video can't wait for Friday. Picked up my new Arizona Blond today just a little sling will enjoy watching it grow that is the fun part for me. I don't handle just enjoy watching. This one was on my wish list. HAPPY THANKSGIVING🦃 GOD BLESS 🕷💖🕷💖🕷💖

[@KeithH02]

Excellent informative channel my friend !! I expect you’ve saved thousands of $$ and thousands of tarantulas lives with your advice

[@michaelkefteda]

I'm a beginner and I love watching your videos! Very informative and love all the T's you show.

[@blancacrum2873]

Am torn about the heat source. My house has to stay at 63 degrees F. I have a heating pad under a table and the enclosure on top of that table.

[@MiniR246]

thank you very much for your videos. they are always very informative. it helps me a lot with my first tarantula. Warm greetings from Germany

[@CactusJack127]

Just got my Brachypelma Hamorii in and gotta thank you Richard! Been watching all of your videos for weeks in advance to prepare for my Ts arrival and gotta say you have helped me calm the nerves and provide my T with the proper care it’ll need to be happy and healthy!

[@LadyIceFlower]

I proceeded exactly as advised by this nice tarantula breeder and my dear Brachypelma Auratum lived for me 14 years....

[@John_Doe62]

Where I live heating is necessary for my tarantulas. I take a very small heat pad that doesn't get hotter that 95°F/35°C and wedge it in between a few layers of cardboard and hang it in the top of the tank and make sure that the tarantula can't get to close to it. I only do this with my big tarantulas that's in a big enclosure. The enclosure never gets above 77°F/25°C.

[@dankauffman8568]

Good ! Waiting for part two .

[@tarantulacollective]

Coming soon

[@grimexotics1461]

With the puck lights make sure they don't have the bulbs in them because those do get hot, they have actual halogen bulbs in them.

[@LadyIceFlower]

I did exactly as this nice tarantula breeder advises and my dear Brachypelma Auratum lived for me 14 years until April of this year....Now, I bought a new girl Brachypelma Hamorri and a little living Jewel Tarantula (Typhochlaena seladonia)...:)

[@eprortsk]

When you turn the lights on I got excited lmao 🤩🤩

[@dprofessorscritters8762]

Never made the substrate mistake....just the wrong substrate. When I first started keeping, the TFH book was the only one out there 🤭. Had to go to this thing called a "library" and search "books" 😂😂. Great content man.

[@Flashpg]

Tarantulas on your face! People actually do that, I despair at the sanity of people haha. Another great video. I have my substrate about a 3rd of the way up in my enclosure, I'll put some more in, thanks.

[@808flocko7]

Didn't plan on putting it on my face haha 😂 but thanks for everything else dude . Great video very informative. I subscribed

[@thinkbiology9064]

Love the video mate so much information ☺️☺️

[@ashleykoch7106]

I love the puck light!!! I keep dimmable ones...the only thing I don't like about mine is I have to charge mine every night

[@dalebates4249]

Just wanted to say your videos are awesome and help a lot, keep it up 👍

[@Poopisminecraft]

man i totally thought the lights in your space were heat lamps of some sort, and with really basic research it said if needed put a heat lamp on it since I live in a hotter area i usually run AC to about 68-72 depending on the day and thought my lasiodorsa parahybana needed some more heat. glad i watch this video and i immediately unplugged it and im most likely gonna move it into a room with some more heat where i keep my computer since it typically hotter in that room. Thanks Richard!!!

[@gustavofreire4969]

Very good tips. Still learning before I get my first T. And I think your channel has the best informations. Everything seems to be very useful. Thank you!

[@kristiyannikolov8473]

my spider is on my bedsite table and every time the radiator is on it goes on that side of the glass to receive the heat... so they must but some form of cold blood creature

[@apss5736]

Great video. You inspired me to keep tarantulas

[@tarantulacollective]

That's awesome

[@BradleyFear]

Another great video from my spider sensei 😄 Always helps to have these reminders as I get into the hobby; especially when I doubt myself and these videos remind me I'm not totally messing it up! Thanks for the words of wisdom, Grand Master 🕷🕷🕷🕷

[@FrankRzzo]

Awesome video. These suggestions have proved themselves with my collection.

[@tarantulacollective]

Great to hear!

[@grimreefer4110]

Thank you I absolutely love videos like this with tips and tricks for new people to the hobby like myself

[@kanamekiyru]

Do you have aby bonnetina spieces you could do a video on

[@FnUnpeeled]

My biggest mistake as a noob was overwatering slings. They survived, but I would have to rehouse them way sooner than needed. Sometimes I still struggle tbh but am getting much better at it. :)

[@teosaksida6543]

Overwatering? As in having them too humid?

[@heidiveronica]

Love Richard's passion and enthusiasm for what he does! Very inspiring! 🕷🕸

[@DJAnubisMetalTavernRadio]

Definitely good information, i recently got a Pink Toe and a Pumpkin Patch spiderling so the tips are very helpful. Thanks!

[@tarantulacollective]

Glad it was helpful!

[@baby_doll9146]

KZbin's bell notifications apparently don't work well 🤣 this videos a month old and I'm just now gettin it.

[@sandville2396]

You're a blessing. Thank you

[@princetonmason3345]

✌✌ peace be the journey from Wisconsin

[@sithsaiyan4529]

Yay! Another video! I always love new information about the babies.

[@distindrake1482]

Very informative. I’m new to the hobby. I’m in Colorado with my babies. I would love to see how to keep them warm in the winter.

[@tarantulacollective]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIXPZIiEj9Snjqc

[@akureitenshi]

The only one I have (have a pink toe and a zebra) that has like 2 or so inches of substance.

[@Trillestfonzy]

I want to get a tarantula but my house a bit too cold rn the lows are 32° degrees can’t have a heater 24/7 can I get 2 heats pads for it’s enclosure or would one just do and keeping it in my closet?

[@tarantulacollective]

You should watch the video I made and linked at the end of this video about my method for keeping tarantulas warm in the winter.

[@Trillestfonzy]

@@tarantulacollective sounds good will do . Thanks for the videos I’m excited for my first tarantula!

[@DrewDizzy007]

I find that if a room is somewhat cooler and you can't move the T. The heat lamp comes in handy just to warm it up on cooler days. I've never had a problem over years. Of course a low heat, barely any. I agree that a constant heat lamp will endanger your spider. I e also never heard anything good about led lights. Especially white.

[@chrismontroe5707]

Great content as always! I ordered myself another T the other day amd the supplier sent me a freebie with it. Which was a N.incei sling and it made wonder how your community setup was going. Would love an update video 😊

[@redmoon4694]

Does anyone know what species that is at 7:04/7:10?

[@johnclifton533]

Hey Richard! The photos are epic as usual, best on KZbin! I've avoided all these pitfalls so far, although lve just got myself a heteroscodra maculata ( togo starburst) sling about 1cm that won't eat! 2wks now! Have you put out any care advise for these? Some would be much appreciated! Carry on the good work, 👌

[@exoticstime343]

I do a lot of research but I only have one tarantula the rest are scorpions I plan on getting a new one but mine is it arboreal animal he according to Google doesn’t need much substrate but I still have about a quarter of his container filled with it just in case he feels like it

[@johannoren2787]

Greetings from a tarantula lover and tarantula collective fan i Sweden. Great video, as always, gonna look at part 2 now, thanks! What species was the arboreal grey tarantula that was in a very brief clip in this video?

[@GothyBunny]

Amazing video. I honestly love your work not because it is fun to watch but can very much learn from it. It is wonderful to know as I was a beginner I have not makes such mistakes.❤❤ Can't wait for part 2!

[@DeathNBerry]

Really want to get into keeping but sadly I’m gonna be getting my CDL soon and be gone for months at a time 😭😭😭

[@sidewaysonhighways]

I’ll admit. I had thought about wearing my Poecilotheria vittata on my face like a mask with its legs sprawled out and it’s pedipalps running down alongside both ends of my mouth, as of a few years ago. Not any more. However, my concern was being bitten on my eyelids, hence them being mistaken as prey. Then I would have to worry about needing eye drops every 3 seconds like Malcolm McDowell in that scene from “A Clockwork Orange.” That is, if my eyeballs were spared. Either way, you could still get venom in your tear ducts or on your corneas. Not good at all.

[@thecatsmeow9972]

Thank you for all your informative videos , you do a awesome job , videos are always on point, tarantulas always look so good ! Love it

[@tarantulacollective]

I appreciate that!

[@victoriaboswell5701]

I’m just over a month in with my first little T! Though I haven’t made any of these mistakes, this video was incredibly informational! Excited to continue watching my little hapolopus sp. Columbia grow and hopefully thrive 🙏🏻

[@mizoj9816]

I think a Tarantula is my spirit animal. Move only when needed to, eat only when hungry, and try to avoid humans at all costs. Oh yeah… and dangerous when provoked.

[@Deedlit9997]

My perfect type of pet

[@arachnidfellows9315]

Hey man thank you for your videos and the website I used it to buy my first spider online from your resource page. Swift invertebrates is so awesome so far in my experience. So ya just wanted to say thank you and for getting me into this hobby and getting me to someone to take care of me and my buying needs. I am so pumped for it to get here. Hey if you do any updates and feeding of your trapdoor spiders and what you have learned since the last rehousing video, would always love to se them thanks again. I sub so don’t miss it thanks again.

[@TarantulaRookie]

great video. Useful content as always. Binge watched so much prior to picking up my first T. Chromatoplema Cynaeopubescens. will definitely be adding more to the collection soon :)

[@jonnysnakes5417]

On the substrate part, i always wonder why enclosures made for tarantulas dont really seem to be big enough to have deep enough substrate.

[@goldiemum3991]

You can order some pre-cut acrylic and make your own enclosures. That way, you'll decide how much substrate can be filled in and how big the new home for your T's gonna be. I keep my T's in selfmade enclosures for about a year now. It's a very simple design, like a shoebox make of acrylic glass instead of carton, "glued together" with silicone, and with an easy to remove top lid, exactly like the lid of a shoe carton. Maintenance is a breeze, same goes for refilling water dishes and feeding them. ^^

[@roserenee9805]

If I may, the tarantula on the face bit, I agree it’s not a good idea. It can also be harmful to the spider, since it’ll most likely be high up for it.

[@cluelesslife7254]

Richard's right about not having heatlamps and just letting the tarantula be in room temperature I'm from the tropics and my place is quite hot I mean most of the time the temperature is 29-31 degrees Celsius and my tarantulas are mostly alive

[@timmytucman5114]

Got 2 last week, brachypelma hamorii, she sits in a corner on a corkbark for a week now. Not moving much. I know she is close to molting. The other one is a phormictopus auratus, she has buried herself under a small lid wich I used for a small hide. She has closed herself completly off. To bad would love to see her. Gonna drop some food in tonight, hope she takes it in the night. Don't want to mess with the hide, but kinda concerned on how she is doing. But if she is also in pre-mold, its best not to disturb her. Hope she pops out her hide for food.

[@iamdjokerr651]

Happy Thanksgiving Richard

[@emmagill5432]

What species is the T around 7:08? It's almost white with an orange pattern on its knees. It's stunning!

[@tarantulacollective]

That is the Psalmopoeus cambridgei

[@emmagill5432]

Thanks! It's so beautiful

[@Onion_Wolf]

Just to add to that point for moisture. Careful not to use substrate that's too damp. Speaking from experience 😅 Love from the Scottish highlands! Woo!

[@DELERIUM100]

I have a terrestrial true curly hair sling its only 1 cm big whats best for it as i have a little bit of substrate in there and some cork bark for it to hide under and feel safe but in trying to work out if its good enough and i have an arboreal amazon sapphire pink toe with good amount of substrate and a large cork bark which it has made a home in so just trying to work stuff out as not to kill em by not paying attention

[@gpjones1986]

My ex got me my first tarantula. A seemanni sub adult. He set it up and everything... first thing I did after expressing my gratitude.... remove it from the enclosure and set it up in a temp enclosure of an empty plastic box with vent holes until I got to the shop next day. He cluelessly had it in 1 inch substrate so saturated it was soggy wet, there was about 10 crickets he had dumped in there, poor ventilation... I had to get thd girl out.... apparently he had kept her like that for a week, im suprised she was still alive! It's now 3 years later, she's still going strong and set up appropriately.... the girl is s little bulldozer, loves to dig 💜🕷

[@jimmysjamin1]

Hi Richard just got to drop you a line to thankyou for the great work you do and the vital info you share about these amazing animals I'm a noob with only 2 Tarantulas and have found your tutorials so extremely helpful. My last purchase is a ephebopus murinus I was told to keep their environment as close to 100 percent humidity as possible but Im struggling to maintain between 60 and 70 percent and feel like I'm failing miserably Shes not showing any bad signs yet but I'm afraid it's just a matter of time is there a video that I'm missing Shes a big high spirited girl and I want to give her the very best I can any help would be greatly appreciated love you brother.

[@darrenparkes9805]

Fantastic information

[@Gdwmartin]

What about the occasional use of a Black Light? I understand that under Black Light arthopods look rather different.