Non-Equipment Used As Equipment

Jeff23

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Jul 27, 2016
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I am curious if anyone else has any non-spider related objects they use as a tool or equipment for their Tarantula Care. I suspect there are lots of other entries other than mine. Some I have seen on YouTube.

Muffin Pan - I now have a bunch of T's in those 5.5 oz deli cups. Rather than carrying them by hand in multiple trips and risking a disturbance inside the cup, I now load up an old muffin pan that was no longer in use. I can now carry six at once to my workstation for feeding, water, etc. The plastic deli cups are small enough to be easily inserted and removed from the full size muffin cups. But I just leave them in the pan when feeding since it adds support and adds one more level of protection against escapes.

Chop Sticks - Most grocery stores with sashimi and sushi in the deli area usually offer free wood chop sticks right next to them. These can be handy to keep around for miscellaneous uses whether used individually or as a pair. I use them to nudge things (like the water dish) around in the substrate. And since they are free you just throw them away with one less item to clean up.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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The caps from the CO2 canisters for SodaStream make for great sling water dishes! And I have access to hundreds of them per month.

Milkshake straws make for great sling hides when cut.

Terra cotta pots for hides! Never deal with mold again.

Bamboo BBQ skewers for webbing anchor points.

I once cut a computer CPU fan duct in half for a hide. Worked like a charm.

Pesticide sprayer for watering (irony!)
 

Tim Benzedrine

Prankster Possum
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Another example might be a cut 2-liter bottle as a transfer device. I have yet to use one, but it might be in my future.
 

sdsnybny

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Apr 29, 2015
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A Bamboo skewer cut in half with a sewing needle glued inside a hole in the end of each half to manipulate tiny molts for sexing. It doubles as a tiny hole maker for deli cups/vial lids when heated with a lighter.
 

Bugmom

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May 28, 2012
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A Bamboo skewer cut in half with a sewing needle glued inside a hole in the end of each half to manipulate tiny molts for sexing. It doubles as a tiny hole maker for deli cups/vial lids when heated with a lighter.
I saw this the other day and seriously, everyone needs these! Steve is a genius.
 

AphonopelmaTX

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Another example might be a cut 2-liter bottle as a transfer device. I have yet to use one, but it might be in my future.
I do this and it works great. The bottom of the bottle can be used as a water dish for large tarantulas and the rest make for good capture containers when you need to keep your hands away. All sizes of bottles work for different size tarantulas.
 

creepa

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
260
I use allmost everything that i can find to manipulate spiders...

Straws, wooden/plastic/metal cooking spoons, skewers, rulers u name it

Everything that looks like a container or enclosure ends up at one point or another as a enclosure/container

I use toilet paper or paper towels to block entrances for those nice burrowers
 

Kymura

Arachnoknight
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Oct 1, 2015
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182
Bamboo back scratcher for adjusting cleaning up the sub, my adult porteri likes to bury glass beads and there's continuously holes all over. (I put them back in a jar lid for her to bury again) I use it to neaten things up when I retrieve her toys .
 

Jeff23

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Jul 27, 2016
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620
Bamboo back scratcher for adjusting cleaning up the sub, my adult porteri likes to bury glass beads and there's continuously holes all over. (I put them back in a jar lid for her to bury again) I use it to neaten things up when I retrieve her toys .
This is interesting. As in jewelry beads or something else? I have often wondered if T's liked to have toys.
 

Formerphobe

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This is interesting. As in jewelry beads or something else? I have often wondered if T's liked to have toys.
Several of my Ts have ping pong balls that they move about their enclosures. One has a pink plastic lizard and several small pebbles that she moves around, buries, digs up, stacks, etc.
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
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I have a long handled "ketchup spoon", with the spoon part at almost a right angle to the handle, that has come in handy for a multitude of things.
 

Sarkhan42

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Dec 29, 2015
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I've definitely used paper towel rolls and wire hangers for rehousing, I'll never go without them again, so so useful for manipulating a flighty specimen exactly how you want to.
 

basin79

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I had one of Pandora shed wing feathers and used it to move T's out of the packaging they came in or my assassin bugs or another invert. Strong enough not to bend but soft enough not to cause any harm. Bloody lost it though so I'm waiting for her to shed another.
 

Kymura

Arachnoknight
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Oct 1, 2015
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This is interesting. As in jewelry beads or something else? I have often wondered if T's liked to have toys.
the glass drop type things often seen in cut floral arrangements, they are literally a drop of glass, smooth easily cleaned and harmless, my Yeti, adult female porteri, takes great enjoyment in burying them here and there, so, I keep some in a cup for her to have her bit of fun. she has her water dish and her glass bead dish lol
lemme dig up an image, IMG_1256.JPG
and before ANYONE says anything yes, I already know they are fat and spoiled, I like them that way <3
 

basin79

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An obvious one but keep the tubs your T's get shipped in. They make ideal homes for any baby T's, spiders or other inverts you may buy in the future. The bonus being they already have small holes pre drilled.


Also take note on how the T's you receive are packed. Even take some photos. They might come in handy if you ever decide to sell one of your own T's. Plus if you've done the above you'll have the perfect tub to send it in. It's also worth keeping some bubble wrap/polystyrene nuggets too.

I give mine to my mum for crafting.
 

Steve halward

Arachnopeon
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Sep 19, 2016
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Use an aquarium razor blade algae remover to get mess off the glass, no smears and done in seconds. bonus is they also have a v bit on the other end of the handle for reaching in your ow vivs without risking your fingers
 

Haemus

Arachnosquire
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Feb 11, 2016
Messages
128
I like using wiring for fishing molts or water dishes from burrows. Good for manipulating said molts for sexing too.
 

cold blood

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Another example might be a cut 2-liter bottle as a transfer device. I have yet to use one, but it might be in my future.
I do this and it works great. The bottom of the bottle can be used as a water dish for large tarantulas and the rest make for good capture containers when you need to keep your hands away. All sizes of bottles work for different size tarantulas.
+3

For re-housing or packing they're perfect. I have one with the top and bottom cut off, and one side I have a make-shift paper funnel attached. Makes packing a spider so dang easy its shocking. Just attach the funnel to the shipping container entrance and let the spider do the rest.


I also made my incubator out of a plastic cake holder...the bottom is now the top;)

A syringe is valuable for watering slings without opening cages.

I also have a large hook removing tool (the Xtractor) that I use to move or lift things just a bit too large for the tweezers to grasp reliably. Its got serious grip.
 
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