Sticking T's in a fridge....??

[IrishPolishman]

I've heard of people actually cooling their T's by sticking them in the fridge to slow them down a bit. I was a bee keeper and know that cool weather or cold temps can drastically harm a honey bee pretty darn quickly. Is this really a proven thing or are people just nuts? I think this is a practice that could end horribly wrong very fast.

 

[MadCat2k3]

Some people do it, but...

Any sudden change in temperature causes stress, stress leads to all sorts of problems. I figure, if it's the same for plants, and all other life (even unicellular suffers from sudden changes in temperature), then it's going to mess with the T. Changing it's environment so quickly then shifted it back to it's original state may negate the effects of some stress, but at the end of the day, I really don't think it's safe to do it often.

I do know this. If you put a plant that's been growing under 32 celsius out in to about 5 celsius without a slow introduction to the cold, it's playing RUssian roulette, once you bring that in depending on the species, it is possible the plant MAY not recover.

Once again I doubt a quick cooldown then out of the fridge does much damage, but, I wouldn't do it personally.

 

[IrishPolishman]

I personally think that it's also a horrible idea. I wouldn't want someone to stick me in a fridge to cool me down.

 

[gambite]

I have done it, and none of my T's seemed to suffer much from it.

 

[CRX]

If someone is so bad at working with fast Ts that they have to stick them in a fridge to slow them down, they shouldn't be keeping those Ts at all.

 

[Atreyuhero4]

If someone is so bad at handling fast Ts that they have to stick them in a fridge to slow them down, they shouldn't be keeping those Ts at all.

I don't do this, but people don't do this so they can handle there fast Ts. People do this so they can rehouse there Ts without incident (like the T taking off and hurting itself.

 

[CRX]

I don't do this, but people don't do this so they can handle there fast Ts. People do this so they can rehouse there Ts without incident (like the T taking off and hurting itself.

I know that, and I should have worded my above post better. I fixed it.

 

[DrAce]

It shouldn't hurt the tarantula if it occurs over a short period.

 

[CRX]

That wasn't my point. My point was if someone has enough experience to handle fast aggressive species, they shouldn't need to refrigerate them before rehousing them.

 

[JDeRosa]

Actually I heard that it doesn't really slow them in terms of speed or aggression...BUT I did hear that it can slow their metabolism.

 

[CRX]

And how that would make rehousing them easier ?

 

[GailC]

I tried cooling once with a P. lugardi. 5 minutes in the fridge slowed it down to about a fast rosea speed and it recovered so quickly I didn't really see any benefit in the cooling.

 

[Talkenlate04]

That wasn't my point. My point was if someone has enough experience to handle fast aggressive species, they shouldn't need to refrigerate them before rehousing them.

Works wonders for packing them, and I have never seen a T have any lasting negative effects from this practice ether.

I tried cooling once with a P. lugardi. 5 minutes in the fridge slowed it down to about a fast rosea speed and it recovered so quickly I didn't really see any benefit in the cooling.

Few minutes more and things will be more manageable.

I don't do this, but I have had many people new to packing do it and everything I got was fine.

 

[kryptix]

Would c02 be a viable option for packing/rehousing an aggressive/fast T, or would that kill it? Not looking to do it or anything, just curious!

 

[Crusaderwithgat]

I've done it to open new arrival containers. No harm done.

Jim

 

[Talkenlate04]

Would c02 be a viable option for packing/rehousing an aggressive/fast T, or would that kill it? Not looking to do it or anything, just curious!

I have worked with c02 a bit and I would not recommend it for subduing a T for packing or rehousing. You can easily over do it and kill the T. Imo at least.

 

[KenTheBugGuy]

from

from what I have heard from people that use CO2 in the laboratories if you only use enough to stop them moving you are ok. I could see an overdose though and would worry about that. Someone I work with though says he never killed a T that way but I would not be stupid and pump it in there till it was not moving at all or anything. As to fridge ..I don't think I would trust that as much as the CO2 personally. Granted I fear the cold weather for shipping T's period really as I have seen death rates go up. Granted that is a small percentage but I ship enough that I see the extra deaths. I hate shipping in dead winter or summer really.

 

[Talkenlate04]

In my experience Ts handle being cold far far better then they do being hot.

I just stuff them in the shipping container lol. Resistance is futile!

 

[Widowman10]

most people don't have CO2 readily available though. the refridge method works well as long as you don't overdo it (like ryan said). you'll have to monitor it very closely the first time you do it to figure out how long is good, and to make sure your T is fine. too short = useless. too long = not good. find a happy medium and use it if this is something you need to do.

 

[Widowman10]

In my experience Ts handle being cold far far better then they do being hot.

totally agree.

I just stuff them in the shipping container lol. Resistance is futile!

yeah, but most of us "normal people" () can't get any 'ole T to go into a drinking straw