Recommendations for basic tools of the trade for beginners

[LailaQ]

So, found my dream T, it’ll be on its way in a few weeks, and I wanna be totally prepared. What are some basic tools for tarantula keeping? I have made a list, but please suggest more if I’ve missed some.

Paint brush (not sure of good length, 7-9”?)
Water bottle caps
Pipettes
Various sizes of deli cups w/ lids (various sizes of potential T homes)
Coir (coconut fiber)
Sphagnum Moss
Cork bark
Long tweezers
Little plastic plants
Hot glue gun + glue sticks
Soldering iron

Aaaaand, go! What has my tired brain missed? Also, what ISN’T essential??

 

[Paul1126]

Think you have everything you would need, i don't keep all these supplies on hand, I keep spare enclosures just in case a moult happens and they outgrow their enclosure.

 

[LailaQ]

Think you have everything you would need, i don't keep all these supplies on hand, I keep spare enclosures just in case a moult happens and they outgrow their enclosure.

Awesome! I think I’ve said it before, but I’m noticing a lot of overlap of used supplies from reptiles to T’s.

 

[Tenebrarius]

you just need stuff to put water in, I use a condiment dispenser. Something for maintenance, I use 11" forceps. and something for holes I use a dremel and a soldering iron. as far as tool go that's it.

Supplies is just something to house the T, a food container is fine, then sub, then a water dish, then a hide, moss adds clutter so clutter is also something to add

 

[CJJon]

Gloves for substrate maintenance for NW species. Angled tongs are a must and I like a small pair of tweezers for pinching worm heads.

 

[BoyFromLA]

• Thumbtack - I use it to make a little ventilation holes on various deli cups.
• Wet tissue - In my case, I often use it to wipe grain mites around the enclosures. They’re not harmful though, just annoying.
• Feeders colony - If you are planning to get more than a few tarantulas, this can be helpful to save some money in a long way.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

- Tools of the trade?

You need only to click a certain video made by that Eric Bana poor man clone living in the desert.

This one:

At 0:10 Eric even says: "Tools of the trade"

 

[LailaQ]

Thank you, everyone!

 

[LailaQ]

Oh! Also, anyone who uses tattoo ink cups as water dishes, what size do you use? I see S, M, and L offered, but am not sure what will be good for 1.5” slings.

 

[StampFan]

Awesome! I think I’ve said it before, but I’m noticing a lot of overlap of used supplies from reptiles to T’s.

True, but be cautious; for example, if you use a pair of tongs with your NW T to clean, feed, etc. then use it for your reptiles you may end up with a reptile that's suddenly very unhappy due to urticating hairs transferring from the T enclosure to the reptile. Its better to at least use separate tongs.

 

[LailaQ]

Wow—that’s really a great point! While I was talking more about the soldering iron and glue gun, you are right to point out about the irritating hairs issue—I wouldn’t have thought of that. Thank you! I’ll buy a second set of feeding and slanted tongs.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Oh! Also, anyone who uses tattoo ink cups as water dishes, what size do you use? I see S, M, and L offered, but am not sure what will be good for 1.5” slings.

I am certain there is a mixed bag with all sizes.

 

[LailaQ]

I am certain there is a mixed bag with all sizes.

Duh. Why didn’t I think of looking for that?? This is why I post things! Thank you, BoyFromLA!!

 

[BoyFromLA]

Thank you, BoyFromLA!!

You’re welcome.

 

[Vanessa]

How big is it going to be? Because there are some things that you require for spiderlings, while there are other supplies that you can put off getting until they get larger - like tweezers versus tongs. There was a great thread recently on what people have on hand. You can find it at
What do you keep in your T supply box?
The photo below is just the smaller tools and does not show things like my glue gun, drill, cork bark hides, substrate, etc.
The type of water bottle that I use is the best thing ever and I have used a few different ones over the years.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Check my post in this thread.

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/what-do-you-keep-in-your-t-supply-box.316907/page-2#post-2902192

 

[Minty]

Cut various sizes of plastic bottles in half and use them as catch cups, in case of bolting.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Cut various sizes of plastic bottles in half and use them as catch cups, in case of bolting.

Also good for packing Ts for shipping, just melt a few holes that are big enough to poke something through to coax the T back out.

 

[nicodimus22]

So, found my dream T, it’ll be on its way in a few weeks, and I wanna be totally prepared. What are some basic tools for tarantula keeping? I have made a list, but please suggest more if I’ve missed some.

Paint brush (not sure of good length, 7-9”?)
Water bottle caps
Pipettes
Various sizes of deli cups w/ lids (various sizes of potential T homes)
Coir (coconut fiber)
Sphagnum Moss
Cork bark
Long tweezers
Little plastic plants
Hot glue gun + glue sticks
Soldering iron

Aaaaand, go! What has my tired brain missed?

-Red flashlight so that you can see what they're doing at night without disturbing them. There is much more going on at night.

-Turkey baster for refilling water dishes easily (I drill holes in my enclosure lids so I don't have to open the enclosures just to top off water, but even if I didn't use the holes, it's an easy way to be precise with watering and also dampening substrate.)

-A label maker for putting the genus and species right on the enclosures when you inevitably get more Ts.

-A very small set of scissors. Helps you precisely cut away unnecessary parts of molt during molt sexing, and I've also used it to help a handful of slings that were stuck in their molts get free.

 

[viper69]

Search the forum, there are many threads like this. Then you can bookmark them and save them for later.