how do you keep track?

[Apocalypstick]

I chose other.

I only have one T at a time, but even if I were to have 50, I would do it the same way as for the one. I use a long strip of masking tape placed down the back of the tank. I chart approx. start of pre-molt date, molt date and length of molting time, then post-molt date of first food taken. I also chart size of exuvium. Sex is charted with first positively sexed molt.

When I completely change out the tank (about every 9-10 months).... I put those results in a notebook and start again on the new tape applied to clean tank.

If I have irregularities in molts, behavior, or illness.... I write those dates and details on the last pages of the note book to be later inserted into my log in the appropriate time lines.

It's so simple and their would be no mixups with multiple Ts.

 

[Raqua]

I track every individual spider that passes through my facility with an ID number. This applies to those that I breed, sell and maintain in my private collection. The number is six digits and the first two digits tell me who my source for the spider was.

I use a database program - I'm a Mac guy so I just use the simple database environment of AppleWorks 6.0, but have used FileMakerPro.

The fields are:

• ID number
• Genus
• Species
• Vernacular (Common Name)
• Date In
• Date Out
• Recipient (Buyer)
• Cost
• Sale
• Net
• checkbox (for IN possession or not)
• checkbox (for IN private collection or not)
• Sex
• Size & Molt Records
• Comments

The nice thing about using a database over a spreadsheet is that you can easily sort by field or prioritized fields. Most often I have it sorted: ID, Genus, Species and I also often sort by just scientific name [Genus, Species]. However, if I want to sort by customer it's nice to sort by Recipient.

Cheers, Michael

That is something I was thinking about ..
There is no doubt about database benefits. You gave some interesting ideas. I would add also feeding records.