Favorite tools for T husbandry

DrowsyLids

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
95
I'm curious to see what your favorite tools are for T keeping. Not really for any important reason but more for differences between some peoples preferences and what not. I love having a 10 ml syringe for wetting substrate in smaller enclosures and I have a ruler that I use as a poop squeegee after wrapping a moist paper towel around the end. Maybe I'll learn a new trick or two from some of you
 

Shudragon

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
43
Paintbrush for when you really need your t to move and they just wont listen to you.

Stubborn little things ;)
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Paintbrush for when you really need your t to move and they just wont listen to you.

Stubborn little things ;)
Wider brushes work even better when dealing with defensive bitey spiders. Instead of touching a leg, which elecits a threat reaction, there is a soft 'wall' slowly moving against the spider. Worked very well with housing my P.muticus and Ephebopus species.
Wouldn't recommend it for arboreals though, my Psalmopoeus just thought it a convenient escape route. :D
 

PanzoN88

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 15, 2014
Messages
713
Catch cup (I have quite a few)
Tweezers (3)
Extra enclosures for more new additions
 

MetalMan2004

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 14, 2016
Messages
676
I'll throw in a unique one. There is a marker made by a company called Araven. Its somehwere between a sharpy and a dry erase. Write on a surface and let it dry for a few seconds. Once its dry it is moisture proof and won't rub off unless you use hot soapy water. Its great for writing molt dates, feeding schedules etc right on the enclosures. It won't rub off but you can wash it off when you are done with it.
 

user 666

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 27, 2017
Messages
355
I'll throw in a unique one. There is a marker made by a company called Araven. Its somehwere between a sharpy and a dry erase. Write on a surface and let it dry for a few seconds. Once its dry it is moisture proof and won't rub off unless you use hot soapy water. Its great for writing molt dates, feeding schedules etc right on the enclosures. It won't rub off but you can wash it off when you are done with it.
I log that kind of detail on Google Calendar. I have different calendars for molts, feedings, and maintenance.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
adding to whats above, i have a spoon, a small knife, a straw, and pliers.
As spoon and knife are used in my room regularly.
Definitely syringes and paint brushes.
Paintbrushes are popular...but I don't have one...I don't understand why on earth so many people need to motivate their ts to move. I pretty much just leave my ts alone.

For re-housing I prefer a longish stick...IME natural wood is less likely to trigger a flight or fight response....so in these rare instances, I use a stick.
 

Venom1080

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Sep 24, 2015
Messages
4,611
As spoon and knife are used in my room regularly.


Paintbrushes are popular...but I don't have one...I don't understand why on earth so many people need to motivate their ts to move. I pretty much just leave my ts alone.

For re-housing I prefer a longish stick...IME natural wood is less likely to trigger a flight or fight response....so in these rare instances, I use a stick.
I believe people think a paintbrush will make the spider calm instead of aggravating it.
 

LuiziBee

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
321
As spoon and knife are used in my room regularly.


Paintbrushes are popular...but I don't have one...I don't understand why on earth so many people need to motivate their ts to move. I pretty much just leave my ts alone.

For re-housing I prefer a longish stick...IME natural wood is less likely to trigger a flight or fight response....so in these rare instances, I use a stick.
It's not so much the tarantula I'm moving, unless occasionally for rehousing, but more the pray. I film most of my feeding videos for the internet and sometimes I gotta motivate the cricket or whatever to the other side of the enclosure.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
It's not so much the tarantula I'm moving, unless occasionally for rehousing, but more the pray. I film most of my feeding videos for the internet and sometimes I gotta motivate the cricket or whatever to the other side of the enclosure.
Squirt it with a syringe...the prey that is. I either use that or just the light from a flashlight to motivate feeders.....shine a light in the face of a feeder and it generally moves away.....no need to even have the top open (unless of course you're filming).

Often when I get a roach or cricket frozen right in front of the spider, a small quirt of water from the syringe simulates the prey's movement, and generally as soon as the water hits the prey, the t crushes it....easy peasy and super effective.

If its to motivate feeders, wouldn't literally anything be comparable. It really doesn't matter what you touch a cricket with, they'll move. Ive even used fishing line...the t never even knows its there.
 

LuiziBee

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
321
Squirt it with a syringe...the prey that is. I either use that or just the light from a flashlight to motivate feeders.....shine a light in the face of a feeder and it generally moves away.....no need to even have the top open (unless of course you're filming).

Often when I get a roach or cricket frozen right in front of the spider, a small quirt of water from the syringe simulates the prey's movement, and generally as soon as the water hits the prey, the t crushes it....easy peasy and super effective.

If its to motivate feeders, wouldn't literally anything be comparable. It really doesn't matter what you touch a cricket with, they'll move. Ive even used fishing line...the t never even knows its there.
I've tried that and if it's small prey, they get stuck in the water (lol) and often don't move at all and my large balfouri, I gave her a roach for the first time and she started using it as a water dish instead lmao. And light won't work because I turn on the lights in my T room anyway. But otherwise, a paintbrush is nice because in case the tarantula does decide to teleport for the meal, (say it's stuck upside down in a web and not wiggling or something) it isn't biting anything hard. Paintbrush is my preference and it's not harming anything.
 

LuiziBee

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
321
Also, I use tongs as well. I'm big at losing the tools I'm using. So really anything near by. However, the paintbrush is my favorite. As per the threads question.
 
Top