# My First Tarantula! Greenbottle Blue Tarantula (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens).



## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Well, after being in the Hobby of Exotics for many years now, and after all my snake collection was sold to fund a house move, I have decided for the first time in my life to start a small collection of tarantulas 

After much debating as to what would be my first, i finally went for the Greenbootle Blue! I guess some people might say its a strange choice for a first tarantula, but i'm well aware of its behavior, and won't be handling any of the animals i'll be keeping. I prefare to view them, rather than interact with spiders. Its only at the Juvenile stage, and has small amounts of its adult colour showing! Its all very new to me, and even after researching for the past couple of months, and obviously still learning all the time!


i just wondered what other people are using as substrate? I'm currently using Zoo med forest floor bedding, and making sure its not to damp... thoughts? 


Quite fancied a couple of others for my collection too, maybe:

Salem Ornamental - Poecilotheria Formosa

Pumpkin patch - Hapalopus sp. Columbia

Ghost Ornamental - Poecilotheria Pederseni

Anyone keep these with any info for me?

Thanks,

Jim. :2thumb:


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

GBB's are brill, they look amazing, web like lunatics and they feed like nutters. 

Your other choices, to be honest, I'd skip those two pokies and just go with a P regalis. They're easier going, look stunning with the lemon yellow warning flashes and more likely to be out and about unless disturbed. 

I've no experience with pumpkin patches, why not go for a C fasciatum if you like stripey bums or maybe an Avic like A minatrix, or even P irminia - nb you'll rarely see an irminia but when you do the black on red is so sexy it's insane!


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## Adam B Jones (Jan 17, 2011)

^ I'd agree - By the way, don't worry about getting expensive branded substrates like zoo med etc, coir is one of the best all round substrates for tarantulas, and it's all the same thing - dunno what the zoo med stuff is, but basically coir is compressed cocunut fibre - comes in a dry brick, add 2-2.5L of warm water and it all fluffs out... Also things like potting soils and organic composts work great...


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## Pogonaviti (Jan 21, 2014)

Sounds like you like the colours. If I were to suggest something then I'd recommend getting an n chromatus instead of the two pokies.(generally) Pokies are really an "advanced" T. Whilst there's no saying you couldn't happily keep them, they're much harder to keep in the way that they are FAST. And can have a nasty bite. 
But then again, p murinus are a 'nasty' T and many people have started with them and have done so quite successfully. 
(A T will only bite you if you give it the chance to)

But, congrats on the gbb! They're a brilliant looking T! Been wanting one myself for a while.


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

Pogonaviti said:


> Sounds like you like the colours. If I were to suggest something then I'd recommend getting an n chromatus instead of the two pokies.(generally) Pokies are really an "advanced" T. Whilst there's no saying you couldn't happily keep them, they're much harder to keep in the way that they are FAST. And can have a nasty bite.
> But then again, p murinus are a 'nasty' T and many people have started with them and have done so quite successfully.
> (A T will only bite you if you give it the chance to)
> 
> But, congrats on the gbb! They're a brilliant looking T! Been wanting one myself for a while.


Nhandu's are probably worse than most old worlds in one major respect - the damn hairs! I have raging burning itching even after doing nothing more than opening the lid to feed mine. At least with a pokie you just have to watch where it is and chuck the food in, Nhandu hairs are a nightmare as they get everywhere.


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Hi everyone! thanks for all the replies! really helped 
Still very new to me, so any advice is appreciated! today I'll be reading up alot more on the species mentioned from you all! : victory:

Also a thanks on the substrate comment! i'll be looking for some for my Next T. 

I'm not sure if i'm jumping in head first here, from what Ive read i might be!
P. Metallica.. everyone's opinions on keeping this T.?

They look amazing! and i'm really enjoying all the bright colors on alot of T's.

A little pic of my GBB before heading into his/her new enclosure  not the best pic, more to come though


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## Adam B Jones (Jan 17, 2011)

P. metallica are stunning, but tend to shun the light more so than a lot of other pokies - but in my experience with a couple of specimens, they are pretty chilled out and not so prone to road runner acts - don't get me wrong, if you manage to freak them out enough they would certainly bolt, and they can seem pretty nervous, but I've only ever been threatened by them when unpacking them - but I've often found this to be the case with more highly strung spiders when unpacking - you think, "this ones going to be pretty mean" but after it's settled it turns out they were just having a bit of a grump from the stress of the journey...

If you are worrying about suitability from the point of view of inexperience, while pokies have a bad bite and are quick and better suited to more confident keepers, they aren't all that bad - It's more the issue of a potential bite as a result of a mistake that is the concern, as boxofsorrows^ has pointed out from personal experience. 

I would actually particularly warn more against Haplopelmas, and some of the African baboons such as H. macs, S. calceatum, and P. murinus in terms of difficulty to work around as personally I have found them to behave more "impossibly" when dealing with rehousing etc, and are just purely psychotic in their defensive attitude and unpredictable lightning fast movements, plus they also have very nasty bites, which is pretty much the case with all old worlds, but for some reason I find pokies easier to deal with - plus in my opinion they are the most beautiful, so obviously I'm biased!

But even with the "impossible" ones, there's tricks you can do to make life simpler - they are still only spiders, and can be outsmarted - plus once they are housed and settled they're not gunna run out and/or attack you unless you do something daft like keep them in a bare tank with no hiding places, or open the lid when the spider is sitting on or near the lid - obviously!!

My first old world was a sub-adult P. murinus (OBT) - I learned about it's speed the hard way when I tried to get it in a cricket tub in the shop. Major fail - So after that I was pretty damned careful... 

You've gotta start somewhere, but what I would say is that while I totally understand the addiction and desire to get as many new additions as you can, there is no rush! All the species you mention are obtainable, and there's many species you can get that are gorgeous and interesting without going for something that will put you in hospital, but the main thing is to get something you really want to get, and learn how to look after it in balance with looking after yourself - which in reality is not hard as long as you are very careful


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## mitsi (Feb 1, 2012)

Gbb are an awesome spider and substrate is fine I use coco fibre for mine be warned you might get addicted to t keeping lol goodluck :2thumb:


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## jaybott (Mar 12, 2014)

Nice tarantula I have 3 and there just stunning :2thumb:


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## nunny (Jun 12, 2011)

my green bottle blue was crazy,heavy webber i used coco husk brick as above but to be honest it webbed and lived on web ,took over whole tank in web lol.not cleanest of spiders was not house /web proud ,and attacked water as pouring into bowl.great colours ,miss her ,power failure in insulated garage killed her was gutted,great t


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Hey thanks for the input guys! Nice to see alot of people giving alot of good info for for a first timer 

The P. murinus look great! wow! I'll see how i get on with this little guy for a few weeks, then think i'll look into maybe setting up a rack 

Eventually i think i'd like a P. Metallica, but i'll take it steady for the time being  haha!


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## Sickone (Jul 10, 2013)

That was my first T a year ago and loved it. I'd say look at the Subfusca and Metallica, both gorgeous pokies.


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Adore the Metallica! amazing!
I keep looking through all species, and so far the 8 that i'd like to have so far would be:

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
Tapinauchenius Violaceus
Pamphobeteus ultramarinus 
Ephebopus cyanognathus
Monocentropus balfouri
Pamphobeteus sp. Platyomma
Poecilotheria metallica
Poecilotheria formosa

I'm ok with my GBB for now, but over the next 7-8 months would like to have these 8 (planning a rack that would fit just 8 ) .

:2thumb:


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## Adam B Jones (Jan 17, 2011)

Jimmyfangs said:


> (planning a rack that would fit just 8 )


I'd say you'd be better off planning a set of racks that will fit a _*room*_. It will happen. Resistance is futile 

E. murinus not on the list??!! I'm shocked! lol 

Also Brachypelma? These are perhaps somehow overrated and underrated at the same time - sounds weird - what I'm getting at is that as they are so popular we are often bombarded with images of these - so maybe become bored of looking at yet another pic of a B. smithi, but - it's not until you own one that you truly appreciate their beauty IMO...


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## Pogonaviti (Jan 21, 2014)

Adam B Jones said:


> I'd say you'd be better off planning a set of racks that will fit a _*room*_. It will happen. Resistance is futile
> 
> E. murinus not on the list??!! I'm shocked! lol
> 
> Also Brachypelma? These are perhaps somehow overrated and underrated at the same time - sounds weird - what I'm getting at is that as they are so popular we are often bombarded with images of these - so maybe become bored of looking at yet another pic of a B. smithi, but - it's not until you own one that you truly appreciate their beauty IMO...


I agree with this! ^ 
Brachypelma are a stunning genus, smithis and vagans are my favourite (although most common) 
Pictures never do tarantulas justice, and my b vagans is always out and about from her hide so she's become a real eye catching display T. 
I think the same with grammostola's though. G roseas are SO common yet one of the best and good looking tarantulas (after molt) that you can get!


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

i have no idea why i left out the Pterinochilus murinus! haha.. I need one for sure! i'd rather have one of these than a Tapinauchenius Violaceus tbh! and i think also just for a nice jet black and color variant in the collection I'd really like to maybe have a Grammostola pulchra instead of the Monocentropus balfouri  and yes, although looking at getting a rack of 8 made.. i'm sure will come in time haha.

Don't get me wrong, i really like the Brachypelma, i guess like has been said, its something your used to seeing in the spider world, and i guess i'm quite caught up in all the other T's iv'e never seen before 

Quick pic of my GBB again  haven't really seen much of him/her since it went in the new home


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

In his New Home! (his old one was a bit old and naff) :2thumb:

The enclosure is a 30 x 20 x 15cm Acrylic Display Box! I'm using a substrate made from Coconut husk (let it nearly dry out before getting him in) and Coarse Vermiculite. And Exo Terra fake plant, and a spiderling Hide and spiderling water dish with sponge.


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## Adam B Jones (Jan 17, 2011)

To be honest you'd be as well to lose the sponge... It's one of the few "cardinal sins" with tarantula husbandry lol! It's 'cos the available surface area of the sponge coupled with it's damp state and lack of airflow within all the inner holes creates an invitation for bacteria and will start to smell... The sling will be fine with a little water in it's dish 

Other than that, it looks very nice - you might have trouble seeing where it is amongst all those leaves if it decides to hole itself up in there - but that's not a problem for the spider if you can place prey items close enough to wherever it decides to make it's home - plus it's a GBB, so it'll be damned if it doesn't find it's food one way or another!

The plant will certainly provide it with plenty snug spots to hide, which is great and it should be very interesting to see what it does in that space - it should also produce some very cool webbing in amongst that labyrinth as time goes on and it grows...


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Hi Adam,

Thanks for the heads up mate! i really wasn't sure myself, took it out when i saw this! what you said defiantly makes sense. I saw some people use bug gel for there T's.. surely that's a no no, right? just want to make sure haha.

Thanks  i know it might come to a point were he vanishes in the plant maybe.. i'll see how it goes.. He's come out a couple of times.. he's burrowed in the sling hide right now. But after his next moult i may very well take the hide out.

Like you said bud, be really cool to see what sort of vast webbing it produces with the material he has to work with  haha


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## Pogonaviti (Jan 21, 2014)

Jimmyfangs said:


> Hi Adam,
> 
> Thanks for the heads up mate! i really wasn't sure myself, took it out when i saw this! what you said defiantly makes sense. I saw some people use bug gel for there T's.. surely that's a no no, right? just want to make sure haha.
> 
> ...


You could always put a little pebble in the water bowl to prevent prey from drowning but I'm lead to believe T's can swim so they shouldn't have much issue with an open water bowl. (Non of mine have ever had a problem) 

I'd stick with water over bug gel mate. It's just a natural thing to them. 

I would leave the hide in there for the next couple moults mate, if it's taken to it then it'll be happy with it still there, you can always put a bigger one in later on but you might aswell do that if you ever re house it. 

Nice set up though buddy!


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Hey thanks 

Sounds like a good idea! I'll see ho wit goes for a few days, see if i can catch him drinking at some point.. like you say, he'll probs be fine.

I'll leave the hide in thee for a couple of moults then bud. I guess aslong as he Carapace is small enough to get through the door he'll be fine


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## hacman1889 (Jul 18, 2011)

Hi
Don't know if you are still interested in one but i have a pummkin patch for sale, it is about 40-50mm and comes in a tank with a heat mat for £35. I am in Houghton Regis. They are great little T's and it can be regularly seen running round the tank.


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Hi thanks for the offer mate, I'll Keep that in mind! I still really like pumpkin patches! Great patterning and colours! Just need to watch my £'s right now as I've over spent alot recently .. And my girlfriend would shoot me if I just went for it haha! I'll let you know if I can soon mate, thanks again!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hacman1889 (Jul 18, 2011)

No probs m8, i am a bit like you .... i am selling because i am skint !!!!!! I also have several more for sale if you really want to upset your girlfriend :lol2:


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

haha no worries bud! :2thumb: I'm trying to make it a slow process so i don't put strain on funds.. its hard though ...


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## Jimmyfangs (Feb 27, 2012)

Hi Guys,

Just a quick question, I'm pretty sure you've heard similar things before. The Venom in T's. I've been Stung By Bee's, Jellyfish and Lionfish. Also Poisoned by Zoanthid corals. Apart from the Coral, I've never had a reaction more than pain and muscle spasms. Would this give me any reason to think i wouldn't be allergic to the Tarantula venom? or is it so different i wouldn't know until i'm tagged? Just asking as i have a small heart problem.. nothing major, but i am a little wary of getting bit lol.


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