Can someone explain what an “ICU” is and its purpose

[thatdadlife619]

So I’m fairly new to the hobby and have already amassed a small handful of t’s. I want to be as knowledgeable and responsible as possible and wanted to get some info on these “ICU” things I keep reading about. From what I’ve read there seems to be a mostly negative feel towards their uses but just want to get as much feedback as I can on their uses and if they’re more harmful than helpful. Thanks!

 

[Pyrelitha]

From what I understand theyre very dangerous if you dont do them absolutely perfectly, and theyre only used in cases of extreme dehydration. But most of the time they just hurt the tarantula.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

An "ICU" is usually a container lined with dampened paper towels which supposedly provide the benefit of extra moisture to a sick, dehydrated spider. However, this is a very dated concept. A stuffy, humid environment instead allows bacteria and fungi to multiply, which can easily kill an already debilitated animal. For this reason, they are frowned upon.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

The only thing they actually "treat" is extreme dehydration and there are more efficient ways to do this (place tarantula with mouthparts over shallow water dish/flip it and pipette water into mouthparts). More often than not they do more harm than good as you're effectively just putting your tarantula into a humid/stuffy death-trap.

 

[thatdadlife619]

An "ICU" is usually a container lined with dampened paper towels which supposedly provide the benefit of extra moisture to a sick, dehydrated spider. However, this is a very dated concept. A stuffy, humid environment instead allows bacteria and fungi to multiply, which can easily kill an already debilitated animal. For this reason, they are frowned upon.

Super informative, thanks for helping me prevent possibly doing something needless to one of my t’s in the future

 

[thatdadlife619]

The only thing they actually "treat" is extreme dehydration and there are more efficient ways to do this (place tarantula with mouthparts over shallow water dish/flip it and pipette water into mouthparts). More often than not they do more harm than good as you're effectively just putting your tarantula into a humid/stuffy death-trap.

I’ve heard this one too...seems to be the popular method. thanks for the info

 

[Vanisher]

A ICU is a thing that derives from reptike and frog hobby i suppose, and "people" think it is equal appropriate for spiders. Frogs can take up moisture from the air, spiders can not. Only time this maybe will work is for a severly dried T blondi to quickly moisten the booklungs? But better to keep the T blondi rightly set up from the beginning! People tend to think it is a good thing to use for any tarantula, dry living and moist living. Putting any tarantula in an ICU, especially a speicies that should be kept dry will defenatly make it more sick. Placing a Avicularia in an ICU will most likely kill it As said, dehydrated spider should have their mouth in water, not be placed in an ICU

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

So I’m fairly new to the hobby and have already amassed a small handful of t’s. I want to be as knowledgeable and responsible as possible and wanted to get some info on these “ICU” things I keep reading about. From what I’ve read there seems to be a mostly negative feel towards their uses but just want to get as much feedback as I can on their uses and if they’re more harmful than helpful. Thanks!

The ICU Explained

SPIDERS, CALGARY: The ICU.