Best way to keep up with Molt Cycles

[crawley07]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what is the best way to keep up with molt cycles ? Lately I have been missing the dates every time my ts molt. Easy and efficient way ? Any input is greatly appreciated fellas

 

[Vanessa]

It depends on how many you have. I just put together a spreadsheet and I print it out every month and mark on it when they moulted. I use the same spreadsheet for my feeding schedule so I can keep better track of who is refusing food. I only have a couple of dozen to keep track of, though.

 

[johnny quango]

I do it the old fashioned way I write it in a diary and as I check on my collection daily and at worst when things are a little hectic every other day i know I'll only be a day out, unless it's moulted in it's burrow there's not really much you can do about it

 

[Trenor]

I track mine using an app (tarantula app) on my phone. You see a molt and click the molt button for that T and done. It'll list all the molt dates and you can start seeing a trend. Like others have said I still miss some like my M.balfouri communal because they hid all the molts in the communal burrow. When I rehoused them last week I found 7 molts in there from three different Ts. I knew they were growing I just never saw a molt. Others that are out more are easier to see when molting and the pokies all seem to throw theirs out with in a day or two of molting.

 

[Vanessa]

I track mine using an app (tarantula app) on my phone.

When I looked for that app, it was only available for android devices. Do you know if it is being offered for Apple?

 

[Trenor]

When I looked for that app, it was only available for android devices. Do you know if it is being offered for Apple?

As far as I know it is still only android. There is a decent developer fee to make apps for Apple and a lot of solo developers don't for that reason. I wish they would because it is a really easy to use application that works so well. You could always contact the developer and let them know of your interest. If they hear enough people want it they might work on one. Though it being a free app (donations can be made) makes the cost of the dev license kinda rough.

 

[viper69]

Lately I have been missing the dates every time my ts molt. Easy and efficient way ?

1. Be more attentive (the exact day isn't always mission critical)
2. Record keeping- paper and pen/pencil

• CHEAPEST method there is
• No electricity needed, nothing to backup etc (not exactly rocket science)
• Fastest method too- I can write faster than using any electronic device

Remember, if you use some electronic method your data is ONLY as good as your LAST backup. Assuming you back it up at all. If you don't, then you're wasting time.

Do you really want to rely on electronic methods that chronically fail, and will do so without warning at times?

 

[cold blood]

1. Be more attentive (the exact day isn't always mission critical)
2. Record keeping- paper and pen/pencil

• CHEAPEST method there is
• No electricity needed, nothing to backup etc (not exactly rocket science)
• Fastest method too- I can wright faster than using any electronic device

Remember, if you use some electronic method your data is ONLY as good as your LAST backup. Assuming you back it up at all. If you don't, then you're wasting time.

Do you really want to rely on electronic methods that chronically fail, and will do so without warning at times?

I could not agree more.

I record every molt in a notebook, along with every meal and whether it was accepted or refused. I also mark the number of days in the previous molt period next to each time I record a molt.....One glance and I can see all the info I need.

I too, find paper and pencil to be so much faster and easier, and I don't need to back up the info as my notebook will never crash.

 

[Trenor]

I can wright faster than using any electronic device

I'm going to need proof on this cause my app is a click an done.

You do need to back it up and it has to have power to work. Mine backs up nightly to my drop box and keeps the last 6 backups. I swapped phones about two weeks ago and had it re installed and backup restored in 5 min or so.

I have been thinking about asking for a excel export for it though. Something like a csv file format. If it had that I could push out a 'hard copy' as I needed to look at everything in a simpler format.

 

[EulersK]

I use a mix. I use Excel spreadsheets on my computer, and print them out monthly. My computer makes it easy, fast and organized - printing it out makes it easy to reference and impossible to lose by way of crashing.

However, I keep all of these files and back up automatically weekly Using the old Ctrl+F find function on the computer makes it very easy to reference back on tarantulas that have died.

 

[viper69]

I'm going to need proof on this cause my app is a click an done.

You do need to back it up and it has to have power to work. Mine backs up nightly to my drop box and keeps the last 6 backups. I swapped phones about two weeks ago and had it re installed and backup restored in 5 min or so.

I have been thinking about asking for a excel export for it though. Something like a csv file format. If it had that I could push out a 'hard copy' as I needed to look at everything in a simpler format.

Well, I think you have some proof already. Notice my misspelled word "wright", I would never have done that in writing by hand.

Also, to be a FAIR comparison, we would do it this way

1. My notebook closed, the smartphone/computer turned off, in short, both data repositories in their "off" state.

I KNOW I can write faster a few dates or more, and CLOSE my book, before either device is even ready to have data entered.

 

[EulersK]

Well, I think you have some proof already. Notice my misspelled word "wright", I would never have done that in writing by hand.

Also, to be a FAIR comparison, we would do it this way

1. My notebook closed, the smartphone/computer turned off, in short, both data repositories in their "off" state.

I KNOW I can write faster a few dates or more, and CLOSE my book, before either device is even ready to have data entered.

But what about finding average molt times with a few clicks? Or average size increases? And there's something to be said about the perfect charts that Excel makes!

A measley book of matches will destroy all of your records. My computer would need to crash, my backup hard drive would need to break, and then the internet would have to permanently shut down for me to lose mine

 

[Trenor]

Well, I think you have some proof already. Notice my misspelled word "wright", I would never have done that in writing by hand.

Also, to be a FAIR comparison, we would do it this way

1. My notebook closed, the smartphone/computer turned off, in short, both data repositories in their "off" state.

I KNOW I can write faster a few dates or more, and CLOSE my book, before either device is even ready to have data entered.

My phone hasn't been in a off state since I got it but I get what you mean. I do like the app though it's pretty good. As I said I would like to have a nice export to Excell which would be pretty easy.

I used to keep my mead notes in my paper log for years and I still keep a paper tracking book on the wine rack to make notes notes/track bottle in. I do make a back up of those notes in my excel log that is in the cloud for extra back up.

 

[cold blood]

A measley book of matches will destroy all of your records. My computer would need to crash, my backup hard drive would need to break, and then the internet would have to permanently shut down for me to lose mine

If my notebooks burn, it probably means I am starting over with my t collection as fire is just as detrimental to ts as it is to my notebook.

 

[viper69]

My phone hasn't been in a off state since I got it

I can't speak to your specific device, but generally speaking even with many new types of batteries these days, I'm pretty sure it's still a good idea to let it run down and do a full recharge. I know it is for the batteries Apple uses.

 

[viper69]

My computer would need to crash, my backup hard drive would need to break,

I regret to inform you, but a book of matches will torch a drive, internal and external- HD or SSD. As well as all the records and Ts that anyone owns. So at that point, it doesn't matter.

The thread of natural disasters isn't a reason as to why paper/pen isn't as good as some electronic device.

Paper can last 3,000 years, will your drive last that long?

 

[Thistles]

I write 'em on the cage stickers with the spider's ID and I've got an access database. I make my cage stickers with dry erase labels for jars. They're very easy to peel off if needed. Sharpie is smudge proof on them, but comes off with a bit of alcohol so they're reusable. I write the spider ID with sharpie and the last molt date with wet erase marker. Sometimes I smudge the wet erase while doing maintenance, but I've got my database so I can rewrite it quickly. I used to use pen and paper, but it was more of a hassle for me. I couldn't get it organized to my satisfaction, I move a lot and didn't want to have one more thing to pack, and when I buy 10 of something it's far easier to enter purchase date, seller, species, last molt date, sex etc. one time and then copy it down than to make a new page for each specimen. It's just a preference. I don't think it matters all that much.
...which it has in common with backgrounds.

 

[EulersK]

I regret to inform you, but a book of matches will torch a drive, internal and external- HD or SSD. As well as all the records and Ts that anyone owns. So at that point, it doesn't matter.

The thread of natural disasters isn't a reason as to why paper/pen isn't as good as some electronic device.

Paper can last 3,000 years, will your drive last that long?

But matches won't take down the internet! Cloud based backup, my friend. Redundant HDD's. I'll tell you what, if the internet goes down, keeping records of tarantulas will be the last thing on my mind. I would be rioting and looting literally immediately.

I heard this very passively the other day on NPR, I'd need to look up the specifics. I believe it was Verbatim who just came up with a type of archival CD that is supposed to last for up to 2000 years, although I could be wrong with the timespan. It was certainly in the 4-digit range, though.

...which it has in common with backgrounds.

That, sir, was the first time I had a good laugh all day.

 

[viper69]

But matches won't take down the internet!

Need reference on that Verbatim, the current media from them only lasts 100 years, jeez film lasts WAY longer than that!

But a virus could, or an EMP weapon could. Never trust electronics and the "cloud". Servers are man-made junk, nothing more. Relying on electronics makes day to day basics more complicated and expensive than it needs to be. Now if you are going to graph trends etc etc, have at it.

 

[viper69]

I make my cage stickers with dry erase labels for jars

@Thistles would you direct me to the specific labels you use. I have been looking for something like that to put on plastic containers, that comes off and doesn't leave glue behind (aside from Post-It notes).