Cage help

Rain_Flower

Arachnolord
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When you bring in things from outside, like a rock, or a stick, or plants even, what is the best way to sterilize them before you put it in a T's (or anyones) cage?
 

Harrod

Arachnoknight
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Apr 15, 2007
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As far as rocks go any that I collect from outdoors are usally boiled or put into the oven for a half hour or so.
 

lunixweb

Arachnobaron
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if you has gathered the rock or the item in a confidence place where you think there is not fertilizer you could put it into your enclosure with no problem, I have done that many times and my T's haven't had any kind of problem :cool:
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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as has been said..i use the oven and or freezing.
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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Soaking rocks in a 10% bleach solution works well. Its the standard protocol we use when cleaning gravel or rocks at my job. After soaking just let them dry for a few hours and everything should be good. Boiling in water for 10-20 minutes works well.

Sticks are harder, you can soak them in bleach as well and let them dry out or bake them at 200 degrees or so for an hour. I have been experimenting with bark I collected from the wild. I put it in an airtight bag and left it in a hot place (the trunk of my car) for a few weeks to be sure any multicellualr lifeforms had been killed. So far, I have not seen an outbreak of anything in the tanks.

As for live plants, I would wash the roots to get all loose soil off and re pot in sterlie soil. YOu can wash the leaves with rubbing alcohol to kill any bugs on them. I dunno if this would work but I have been toying with this idea for some terarriums at work.
 
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avocadoflavo

Arachnopeon
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Jul 21, 2007
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What I do

When I want to add stuff to the vivarium, I always ask myself if its necessary. Most spiders are blind and they wont really enjoy complicated enclosures. The basics are a water dish, a place to hide and space to climb or borrow depending of the specie. I try try to minimize any threats so I use vermiculite which is a mineral and is no home for mites and such. The only downside to vermiculite is that some spiders don't like it. Make sure you compress it as much as you can. I don't use live plants. Use fake plants if necessary. Bark seems to smell when kept in humidity after a while. If I need to add rocks, I wash them with soap then microwave them.
 

Drachenjager

Arachnoemperor
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When I want to add stuff to the vivarium, I always ask myself if its necessary.
hmmm i suppose that means nothing at all. actually the vivarium isnt necessary...

Most spiders are blind and they wont really enjoy complicated enclosures.
hmm I dont think thats a true statement. At least if by blind you mean sightless. Jumping spiders have excellent sight, and others do too. Also even the ones that dont use sight so mch still are not blind, taranutlas arent. They dont see real well but they arent blind... well i guess some may be blind, but some humans are too. Then again many sighted humans are blind... but thats a differant subject lol
 

adonis

Arachnosquire
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Jun 30, 2007
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I go the freezer route; I am a former oven'r but found it to be a pain. Just put what you want in the freezer, and 48 hours later it should be sterile.
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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I go the freezer route; I am a former oven'r but found it to be a pain. Just put what you want in the freezer, and 48 hours later it should be sterile.
I am not confident of this.. That majority of pathogens can most likely survive the temps your freezer can put them at. Heat is a much better method of sterilization.
 

Stylopidae

Arachnoking
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I'm very paranoid about external decorations...most of the stuff I use to make my cages look pretty is from the plastic plant division at Wal*Mart.

However, I have used rocks for scorp enclosures. I soak them in a 10% bleach solution for a few hours, and then after a good amount of rinsing with really hot water I cover it in a solution of 90% isopropyl alcohol and then let it sit until dry. After that, I bake it for 250 degrees for three hours and then freeze it overnight.

I'm paranoid about parasites. This process will kill about anything and usually takes me about a day or so if I take my time. This could probably all be done in a few hours.

If you're using wood, you're going to need to bake it because wood is porous and any chemicals you use to clean will soak into the wood and could expose your T to them.

250*F for 2 hours is what people generally use, I go three.
 

Drachenjager

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However, I have used rocks for scorp enclosures. I soak them in a 10% bleach solution
i am assuming you mean a 10% solution of household bleach and water. 10% bleach is what i buy for sanitization at the water treatment plant and if you soaked it in that ...whooo buddy... its about 2x as strong as chlorox lol
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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i am assuming you mean a 10% solution of household bleach and water. 10% bleach is what i buy for sanitization at the water treatment plant and if you soaked it in that ...whooo buddy... its about 2x as strong as chlorox lol
12 oz of household bleach in 1 gallon of water. Thats teh standard mix we use to sterilize cage furniture and cages at the zoo.
 

Rain_Flower

Arachnolord
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Jul 15, 2007
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How you guys feel about eco-earth? Good? yes? no? I like it, and plan to use it in my new enclosers.
 
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