Tarantula Suppliers

StephenR

Could anyone give me some suppliers of Tarantulas (any kind, but preferably beginners) in Ireland? Anywhere in the South is fine, though Dublin would be preferential. Thanks.

Nala

Try Boardwalk Pets on Wellington Quay (01 677 8160), they specialise in exotic pets and it's a well-run place.

koneko

Another vote for them aswell, they had tarantulas the last time I was in there (though admittedly that's a while back).

Hellrazer might be able to offer you some help aswell, he's got a few tarantulas. There's a few places in the UK he probably knows more about that can sort you out aswell.

Beginners spiders are probably Chilean Rose (the normal brown one you see) or Mexican Redknee (very purdy). I hear they're the most docile, and in the case of the Chilean Rose I can say from experience they are.

StephenR

Thanks. I'll have a look today.


I was looking for a Chile Rose, a Redknee or Pink Toe but the only place that I'd found any tarantulas in was Wackers on Parnell St, but none of the staff in there seemed to really know much about spiders.

StephenR

I tried Boardwalk Pets, good selection of spiders and snakes. I'm gonna go for the Redknee.

About €290 for large terrarium, heat pad, bedding, furnishings, vitamins, crickets and a 6 month old RedKnee.

Bottle_of_Smoke

reptile haven does em aswell

Hellrazer

If you want a Chile rose I have one going cheap with a small petpal bedding etc.Pm me and Ill give you the details.

But if not try www.bugsdirectuk.com

They ship to Ireland if you ve a credit card.Prices are about 70% cheaper than here.

A redknee over here is about €50-€70 for 1 cm spiderling.

From bugs direct theyre £10 + shipping which is about another £5 sterling.

And yer mad paying that much for that setup.
Buy a petpal from any decent petshop(€15-30 depending on size)
Bedding is a stuff called vermiculite (€5.00 from a garden centre-enough to last a year)
If youre keeping it in a house you dont need a heat pad as a house is usually 20+ degrees but if like me youre going for a big collection(I keep mine in a shed)use an ordinary red 15 watt bulb in each tank and your temps will be fine.
Tarantulas dont need vitamins,so whoever told you that is trying to do you.Crickets contain all the nutrients they need with the odd locust once a month or so.
As for the spider itself go for a Chile rose or any species of Brachypelma or Grammostola.Another good one is the Pink zebra beauty which is supposed to be the most handleable but are a bit harder to come by.
Pink toes are arboreal(tree dwelling) and are not the best for handling as they have a tendency to jump.But of all mine the pinktoes are the more interesting especially when they catch a moth mid-air.
Heres a good read on the different species

http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/tarantulas.html

Any more questions feel free to ask.
Richie

miticulis

Hi everyone,

do anyone knows something about the laws regarding possession or breeding of tarantulas in Ireland?
thanks

Our man in Havana

Its not illegial to keep or breed anything in Ireland - if its a cites species the animal will have a cites certificate. So I can LEGALLY buy 2 tigers & breed them as long as they are captive bred & have cites paperwork!

Not that I suggest owning or breeding tigers! If you can breed spiders in Ireland send me a pm & I will buy some from you!

I own a Chilean rose - lovely spider! I plan to get a red knee, a goliath bird eating spider & possibly an orange baboon. (the last 2 are NOT beginner species!!!!)

monty_python

StephenR wrote: »

Could anyone give me some suppliers of Tarantulas (any kind, but preferably beginners) in Ireland? Anywhere in the South is fine, though Dublin would be preferential. Thanks.

reptile haven is the best place to go for any exotics. they know alot and only sell healthy animals.

but you could get them a hell of alot cheaper from thespidershop.co.uk i have 4 salmon pink bird eaters and 4 white striped bird eaters on the way from them!!!! and small tubs to keep them in.... all for under 40euro including delivery!!!! ill be getting some king baboons early next year and im researching the best aboreal species for me at the moment!!!!!

you should defo buy online.... 100-200% cheaper than some of the ripp off shop over here. and keep the slings in small tubs untill they rae grown on. no need to buy an expensive tank untill they grow nice and big!!!!!

dbrock

monty_python wrote: »

you should defo buy online.... 100-200% cheaper than some of the ripp off shop over here. and keep the slings in small tubs untill they rae grown on. no need to buy an expensive tank untill they grow nice and big!!!!!

why does everyone slate of shops first chance they get ,,,
the fact is if a shop bought the same spiders your getting they would prob pay the same 40,,, then they would have to keep them for a bit before selling to make sure there ok,,, pay vat when selling them,,electricity, public liability insurance,rent, wages, rates, the list goes on and on and on, so thats why you pay extra when buying from shops but if you go to a good shop the extra you pay is well paid back in the back up service you get if there is a problem,,,,
sry rant over,,,

Hellrazer

dbrock wrote: »

why does everyone slate of shops first chance they get ,,,
the fact is if a shop bought the same spiders your getting they would prob pay the same 40,,, then they would have to keep them for a bit before selling to make sure there ok,,, pay vat when selling them,,electricity, public liability insurance,rent, wages, rates, the list goes on and on and on, so thats why you pay extra when buying from shops but if you go to a good shop the extra you pay is well paid back in the back up service you get if there is a problem,,,,
sry rant over,,,

Makes sense but the point is I can by Tarantulas on line for 5 pound sterling including delivery for a Chile Rose.Some shops in Dublin sell them for 80.
Typical rip-off Republic mentality.

dbrock

fintastic aquatics in dun laoighaire have a sub adult chilean rose for 35 euro,,, bit less than 80 i recon
you can get a very good spider and set up for under 100 there

monty_python

dbrock wrote: »

why does everyone slate of shops first chance they get ,,,
the fact is if a shop bought the same spiders your getting they would prob pay the same 40,,, then they would have to keep them for a bit before selling to make sure there ok,,, pay vat when selling them,,electricity, public liability insurance,rent, wages, rates, the list goes on and on and on, so thats why you pay extra when buying from shops but if you go to a good shop the extra you pay is well paid back in the back up service you get if there is a problem,,,,
sry rant over,,,

i got 8 spiders and tubs to keep them for 40. alot of shops over here charge that much for just 1 spider!!! and more for the set-up... and they dont even have the selection that the online shops have.....


i bet you work in a pet-shop:D

miticulis

Bond-007 wrote: »

Its not illegial to keep or breed anything in Ireland - if its a cites species the animal will have a cites certificate. So I can LEGALLY buy 2 tigers & breed them as long as they are captive bred & have cites paperwork!

Not that I suggest owning or breeding tigers! If you can breed spiders in Ireland send me a pm & I will buy some from you!

I own a Chilean rose - lovely spider! I plan to get a red knee, a goliath bird eating spider & possibly an orange baboon. (the last 2 are NOT beginner species!!!!)

thanks for your answer. In fact I breed tarantulas for about 10 years now. I have around 50 of them but they are in France. I plan to move to Ireland and I wanted to know what had to be done because in France there s a lot of paperwork to do if you want to do thing properly

I had in the past a chilean rose and a goliath bird eater they are nice but the goliath is really easily stressed so it needs a bit more care than a chilean rose which is really robust. I have a orange baboon one too that will go for a ride as soon as I got a mature male.
the other species I breed at the moment are (sorry I don't know all the english denomination for the species so I use the latin name)

Brachypelma albopilosa
Brachypelma smithi (Mexican red knee)
Brachypelma verdezi
Chromatopelma cyanopubescens
Davus fasciatus
Grammostola aureostriata
Grammostola pulchra
Hysterocrates gigas
Hysterocrates hercules
Lasiodora parahybana
Lasiodorides striatus
Nandhu coloratovillosus
Nandhu chromatus
Poecilotheria ornata
Poecilotheria regalis
Poecilotheria rufilata
Poecilotheria subfusca
Psalmopoeus cambridgei
Pterinochilus murinus (orange baboon)

I bred by the past:
Avicularia versicolor
Avicularia geroldi
Avicularia metallica
Avicularia minatrix
Brachypelma sabulosum
Ceratogyrus sanderi
Ephebopus cyanognathus
Grammostola rosea (chilean rose)
Holothele incei
Haplopelma lividum
Poecilotheria formosa
Theraphosa blondi (goliath)

the next ones I'll get are:

Poecilotheria metallica
Cyriopagopus sp blue
and maybe a few Avicularia sp again

monty_python

question for bond-007 and miticulis

..... is the orange baboon the same species as the king baboon?????
(Citharischius crawshayi)

miticulis

no they are not the same species and they don't have the same size neither. Both of them are agressive with active venom towards humans though. The orange baboon (P. murinus usumbura lives in Angola, Central, East, Southern Africa ) is quite small compared to the king baboon (C. crawshayi lives in kenya) but is easier to breed and grow fast (2 3 years to get an adult). For the king baboon it's a different story they are big when old enough but it take a lot of time for them to be adult (around 7 to 9 years) plus they are fragile and need specific conditions (temperatures, calm, hideout) in order to avoid stress.

Duzzie

miticulis wrote: »

thanks for your answer. In fact I breed tarantulas for about 10 years now. I have around 50 of them but they are in France. I plan to move to Ireland and I wanted to know what had to be done because in France there s a lot of paperwork to do if you want to do thing properly

I had in the past a chilean rose and a goliath bird eater they are nice but the goliath is really easily stressed so it needs a bit more care than a chilean rose which is really robust. I have a orange baboon one too that will go for a ride as soon as I got a mature male.
the other species I breed at the moment are (sorry I don't know all the english denomination for the species so I use the latin name)

Brachypelma albopilosa
Brachypelma smithi (Mexican red knee)
Brachypelma verdezi
Chromatopelma cyanopubescens
Davus fasciatus
Grammostola aureostriata
Grammostola pulchra
Hysterocrates gigas
Hysterocrates hercules
Lasiodora parahybana
Lasiodorides striatus
Nandhu coloratovillosus
Nandhu cristatus
Poecilotheria ornata
Poecilotheria regalis
Poecilotheria rufilata
Poecilotheria subfusca
Psalmopoeus cambridgei
Pterinochilus murinus (orange baboon)

I bred by the past:
Avicularia versicolor
Avicularia geroldi
Avicularia metallica
Avicularia minatrix
Grammostola rosea (chilean rose)
Poecilotheria formosa
Theraphosa blondi (goliath)
Haplopelma lividum
Holothele incei
Brachypelma sabulosum

the next ones I'll get are:

Poecilotheria metallica
Cyriopagopus sp blue
and maybe a few Avicularia sp again

You dont have a mature female Nhandu Chromatus by any chance do you?? I have a mature male that i would like to find a female for.

Duzzie

StephenR wrote: »

Could anyone give me some suppliers of Tarantulas (any kind, but preferably beginners) in Ireland? Anywhere in the South is fine, though Dublin would be preferential. Thanks.

Have a look at www.thespidershop.co.uk. Lee has a great selection of spids, not just your usual fayre. Well worth a nose

miticulis

Duzzie wrote: »

You dont have a mature female Nhandu Chromatus by any chance do you?? I have a mature male that i would like to find a female for.

yes i have one in fact Nhandu cristatus is a former denomination but as I specified before I am in France at the moment

Duzzie

miticulis wrote: »

yes i have one in fact Nhandu cristatus is a former denomination but as I specified before I am in France at the moment

Hmmmm interesting. When are you planning on coming over?? And would you be interested in breeding (50:50) split of any offspring?? Alternatively, would you be interested in selling her??

There arent that many spider breeders over here that I know of, so would be good to have some more choice. Most spiders here would have originated from breeders in the UK. I have 35 odd spids and all bar maybe 5 came from the UK. Some of the ones that you said you are breeding would not be readily available here.

miticulis

I should come by the end of november normally and yes i would be interested by a 50/50 but no I keep all my adults I usually just sell the kids

Most of mine come from friends who are breeding them, some of them are the people who brought them from the wild to be available in the hobby. The other ones I get them in germany in tarantula fair trades. Much cheaper than all I have seen people saying about the prices here ^^

for your male if the post is fast enough you can ship him to me in a well protected and insulated parcel.

EDIT: I forgot to ask you for how long is you male mature?

Duzzie

miticulis wrote: »

I should come by the end of november normally and yes i would be interested by a 50/50 but no I keep all my adults I usually just sell the kids

Most of mine come from friends who are breeding them, some of them are the people who brought them from the wild to be available in the hobby. The other ones I get them in germany in tarantula fair trades. Much cheaper than all I have seen people saying about the prices here ^^

for your male if the post is fast enough you can ship him to me in a well protected and insulated parcel.

My male only matured a couple of weeks ago so there is no hurry to breed him yet. I have never packaged and send T's before, only recieved them so would not be comfortable about sending him off, plus it is cooling down at the mo. I would be interested in arranging something when you do come over though. I'll PM you.

portelli

Available are Captive bred Poecilotheria Metallica spiders both males and females.I ship all over the world.For more details,
answer me to E-mail: sue.portelli75@yahoo.com for info.
Thanks

TheWolf-IsLoose

Reptile Haven in Dublin have the widest selection, and Ben the owner knows what he's talking about. Kinsealy Pet Store also have a wide range, got my Camel Spider and Trapdoor out there. Ask for Dave Gonzalez, he's the bees knees and a good friend of mine.

SCI

I would recommend Ben@ reptile haven or www.thespidershop.co.uk

Sars26

Hello everyone,

Im new to boards.ie and joined as I am looking for some advice. I am interested in purchasing a tarantula. I recently visited the academy of Sciences in San Francisco where they had a common pink toe on display. I never thought that spiders could be cute but I instantly fell i love with it. I am now seriously considering purchasing one. I have been doing a lot of research over the internet but sometimes it is easier to speak with someone rather then just reading information already posted.

I have never owned a tarantula before and want to make sure that I am capable of looking after one before I dive head first into it.

From what i understand the common pink -toe is not difficult to look after. Most sites have advised that the chilean rose hair is the preferred species for a beginner but my heart is set on the pink toe. I realise that both are venomous and can be very dangerous if one is allergic to their bite but to be honest i am more worried about the urticating hairs on the rose then the bite of either.

Also I am unsure where to purchase one from. Realistically, I would like to buy from a shop so i can speak to someone but Im not sure if there are any stores in Cork.

Can you order live feed via the internet?

Would i need to buy an under tank heater pad? I would probably keep it in my room which is quite cool in the winter time. (I live in a converted basement)

Can Spiderlings be put into adult housing straight away or do they need to grow in smaller housing and be transferred according to their size?

How does one go about "misting" the housing without flooding it?

My appologies for all the questions. I realise i should buy a book but as i said earlier, sometimes its easier to speak to someone.

FAYESY

Spiderlings are TINY! you would lose it in aduly housing & it would escape via the ventilation holes.

I would not suggest a spiderling to a newbie, however pink toes are a fairly docile species - obviously the pink toe is aborial rather than a burrower. So a taller cage would be appreciated - yes you need a heat mat.

As for misting you can get a plant mister from garden centres - use bottled water or rain water rather than tap water. You can order some foods online but you are best to find a good local supplier at this time of year - bugs die easily in the cold!

Not sure of good shops in Cork - you will have to see if other Cork guys can advise you on that matter,

Sars26

Thanks Fayesy.

So would you recommend a pink toe for a beginner, just not a spiderling?

It never even occured to me to get a plant mister bottle. I had visions of spraying a hose in the near vicinity of the tank - not directly at the tank mind you. Duhhh!!!

I think I have found a place in Cork. I have e-mailed them and am waiting a reply.

I have also been told that the crickets used to feed tarantulas stink and come in large boxes. I was informed this by a friend who owned some sort of lizard type thing. Can they be bought in smaller quantities for tarantulas who would not need to consume as many per week as a lizard would?

da-mahon-don

come in to petstop in cork and ask for tim.i will talk to u about spiders.we dnt usually have them but cud talk u through getting one and the care

FAYESY

I think a pink toe will be fine.

As for the crickets buy a cricket keeper about €30 & pop you pot of crickets in here - keep them fed - fish food & fruit & add some water gel available from most pet shops & the pot of crickets will be healthier & will last a lot longer etc.

Hellrazer

Just one more bit of advice.If youre getting a Pinktoe you`ll need the heat up high in the cage.Heat mats are useless in this case.A 15w pygmy bulb with a metal shield around it would do a better job.

As for the food.When I had only one spider I used to feed it on Locusts.You only get 5-7 in a pack and that will last 4-5 weeks once you keep them fed.They dont smell at all and especially with a Pinktoe its great to watch them chase the locusts around the cage.

Oh btw dont try to hand feed a Pinktoe--I still have the bite marks from my attempt to handfeed one that wasnt eating :D

FAYESY

Hellrazer wrote: »

Just one more bit of advice.If youre getting a Pinktoe you`ll need the heat up high in the cage.Heat mats are useless in this case.A 15w pygmy bulb with a metal shield around it would do a better job.

As for the food.When I had only one spider I used to feed it on Locusts.You only get 5-7 in a pack and that will last 4-5 weeks once you keep them fed.They dont smell at all and especially with a Pinktoe its great to watch them chase the locusts around the cage.

Oh btw dont try to hand feed a Pinktoe--I still have the bite marks from my attempt to handfeed one that wasnt eating :D

What about if you wall mount the heat mat at the back of the tank?

Also I want to see pics of the bite marks!

I plan to get some more 8 legged friends - mind you my folks want a bird eating spider! Not sure I am ready for a spider that big or aggressive!

Hellrazer

FAYESY wrote: »

What about if you wall mount the heat mat at the back of the tank?

I could never get the heat right with the mat taped to the side.

Also I want to see pics of the bite marks!

Quite faded now but Ill try get a decent pic for you.

I plan to get some more 8 legged friends - mind you my folks want a bird eating spider! Not sure I am ready for a spider that big or aggressive!

Do you mean a T Blondi?Id love one but wouldnt have one in the house with the kids.Too many things can go wrong there with a spider that big and aggressive.


For the OP--Heres a link to a care sheet for a Pinktoe I wrote 6 years ago.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=825135&postcount=1

Sars26

So you reckon I should just get the bulb and not a heat mat?

I think i would prefer getting a box of 5 or 6 locusts rather then a large box of crickets. Im terrified they'll escape all over the house. YUCK!!!

What was it like to get bitten? Does it really feel like a bee sting? I would also like to see photos!!

Thanks for all the help everyone.

The care sheet was also very helpful.

FAYESY

Yeah richie a T-Blondi!! SCARY! Think I would go more with a red knee, pink toe, & maybe a babbon!

Hellrazer

Sars26 wrote: »

So you reckon I should just get the bulb and not a heat mat?

Id go with the bulb but others would disagree--Its just that Ive had more success with bulbs than heat mats.

I think i would prefer getting a box of 5 or 6 locusts rather then a large box of crickets. Im terrified they'll escape all over the house. YUCK!!!

Yep I dropped a box of the noisy ones in the house one time and could hear them chirping for months from under everything.

What was it like to get bitten? Does it really feel like a bee sting? I would also like to see photos!!

I didnt even feel it until I noticed the blood--then I sceamed an felt the pain and it was more like a wasp sting (typical man really)

It was a single fang that got me.I was holding a cricket with a long tweezers up into its webbing and next the thing ran down the tweezers and caught me on the finger.There was a small blister on it that I burst the next day and thats what left a small round scar.Been trying to take a pic of it but its too faded.

Hellrazer

FAYESY wrote: »

Yeah richie a T-Blondi!! SCARY! Think I would go more with a red knee, pink toe, & maybe a babbon!

I want either a Pink Zebra Beaty (Eupalaestrus Campestratus)
http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/E-campestratus.html


Or a Metallica Pinktoe (Avicularia Metallica)
http://www.bighairyspiders.com/metallica.shtml


Preferably the Metallic though.The colouration on them is just amazing.

RaeRae

Maybe just a personal thing but I never use a bulb with a tarantula.

Most people keep their spiders in warm enough rooms so extra heat sometimes is not necessary, but with the likes of the pink toe, bit of extra heat is good. Make sure to mist every other day and that there's good ventilation.

I'm only just setting up my heat mats for winter now for my arachnids.

Hellrazer

RaeRae wrote: »

Maybe just a personal thing but I never use a bulb with a tarantula.

Most people keep their spiders in warm enough rooms so extra heat sometimes is not necessary, but with the likes of the pink toe, bit of extra heat is good. Make sure to mist every other day and that there's good ventilation.

I'm only just setting up my heat mats for winter now for my arachnids.

Good point assuming youre keeping them in a warm enough house.I kept mine in a garage that wasnt attached to the main house and it got below 0c in the winter.Heat mats only raise the ambient temperatures of "objects" in the cage by 5-7 degrees which still wasnt hitting the right temps for a Tarantula at night in my case anyway so I switched to low wattage 15w red bulbs and the T`s were much more active.

Theres an easy test you can do with a heat mat on the side of a cage to see how warm its getting.Put a stone in the cage and put your hands either side of it (kinda cup it) and you`ll feel that only the stone gets warm and not the air in the cage--its the same with the tarantula.The heat mat heats the T itself but not the air.
A bulb will raise the air temps aswell as heating the spider itself which (only in my opinion but Ive had a lot of success with this method) is better overall for the T`s wellbeing.

kartoonhead

please help little pink toe died this morning he had not eaten for a while
i thought he was going into molt and was told this was normal i am a first
time beginner keeper and would like to get another pink toe ,and may be talk to someone who does know about them as i got no help from pet shop where i purchased it especially about habitat