Sterilization of rocks - best way?

LadySharon

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In the past when I've sterilized things for my snake cages I've just soaked them in a bleach/water mixture - but I'm not sure I want to do that with stuff for my T's.

I'm going to be transfering all my T's to larger cages in the near future and I plan to get a few pieces of flagstone to put in one corner (one piece per cage)

Of course most of the cage will be peatmoss like I have now (just to clarify)

The main one I'm doing this for is my pulchra - if she sits on a larger rock it would set off her blackness more - though of course it would be her choice.

She will be moved to a a nice 12"x 12" cage I just had made for her.

I plan to put a slab about 4-6" x about 4" I am going to get this from an outdoor landscapeing place and would like to strelize it before putting it in.

I've heard you can "bake" rocks in the ovan to do this... but exactly how do you go about doing this?

What temp ... how long etc.

Does the fact that the oven is from the late 70s early 80s change anything?

Thanks much.

- Sharon
 

Greyhalo

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To sterilize the rocks you could bake them. However, I think I've heard that dry heat isnt as effective. As long as the rocks aren't too big to fit in a pot, you could boil the rocks on the stove for a while.
 

Hedorah99

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Boiling, baking, or a 10% Bleach solution. If you go with bleach, soak it down with teh solution, and let it dry in the sun for 24 hours.
 

LadySharon

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well I'm back from the rock store. my largest piece is 6 inchs so I could boil.

But I'd still like to know... how long?

heck I could do both (boil and bake) but again how long?
 

ScorpDemon

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Depending on the thickness of the rock, I would think half an hour would be fine. as long as it reaches a temp. of 140+F for 15 minutes or so I think you should be fine. I would wait for another answer or 2 before taking this advice though, you can never be too careful.
 

LadySharon

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Thanks... but is that boil or bake? lol.

yeah I'm not going to set up the cages until later anyway.

The cage I'm putting the pulchra in I'm putting her lunch in first... because she will now be on my dresser... and I want to make SURE I know what the cats are going to do first. It's a 12x12 x 8" cage... will be filled with 4" of peat moss so I HOPE it would be too hevey for a cat to knock off... plus it will be up against the mirror that is attached to the dresser.
I KNOW the cats will try to go after the crix so if they are able to knock the cage off that's when they will do it. So I'm not in a major hurry :)
 

Drachenjager

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Boiling, baking, or a 10% Bleach solution. If you go with bleach, soak it down with teh solution, and let it dry in the sun for 24 hours.
ummm i think you meant a solution of 10% household bleach and 90% tap water. 10% bleach solution is what we use to chlorinate out drinking water and about 1 cup of that will do 1,000,000 gallons of water :p
household bleach is generally a 5% to 6% solution
 

Drachenjager

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Thanks... but is that boil or bake? lol.

yeah I'm not going to set up the cages until later anyway.

The cage I'm putting the pulchra in I'm putting her lunch in first... because she will now be on my dresser... and I want to make SURE I know what the cats are going to do first. It's a 12x12 x 8" cage... will be filled with 4" of peat moss so I HOPE it would be too hevey for a cat to knock off... plus it will be up against the mirror that is attached to the dresser.
I KNOW the cats will try to go after the crix so if they are able to knock the cage off that's when they will do it. So I'm not in a major hurry :)
dont allow the katzen in the room with the Ts if you want to be safe. Trust me kats will get into them if they want to and if you are luck you will only loose a cat. but when its cat verses a T the cat usually wins sadly
 

LadySharon

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one bedroom condo - no choice.

Currently the pulchra is in a small cd case with holes melted in it - within a 10 gallan on the floor (ie a cage within a cage) I don't get to see her.

The slings are all in small sugar shakers up on a shelf the cats can't get too.

Please keep in mind also with me if there was a fire and I had the chance to resue my animals my cats would be first.

I do want to keep the spiders as safe as possible but the cats are more important.

When I move hopefully this summer I will try to have an exotics only room.

oh and on the blech... I knew what was meant. :)

- Sharon
 

TheDarkFinder

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One warning.

You will end up killing your tarantula. Period.

Either
1.) The tarantula will fall on a corner of the rock, a full tarantula can kill it self with a panic induce fall from 3 inches on to a rock.
2.) cats will push the container off the dresser and you will pin the tarantula between the rock and the lid.
3.) the tarantula will try to dig under the rock and either cause the rock to cave in on her or causing stress because the cats are harassing the tarantula and the tarantula can not dig around the rock to hide.

You have been warned.

This will end badly.
 

LadySharon

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ok I wondered about the digging part.

But I have seen quite a few pics on here where people have put rocks in the cages... even ones I wouldn't do because they stick up (this is a flat rock I'm talking about.)

So as to falling... if the rock is flat and doesn't have rough edges - shouldn't it be ok? In real life T's have to fall on ground/rocks all the the time without injury.:confused:
 

Drachenjager

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one bedroom condo - no choice.

Currently the pulchra is in a small cd case with holes melted in it - within a 10 gallan on the floor (ie a cage within a cage) I don't get to see her.

The slings are all in small sugar shakers up on a shelf the cats can't get too.

Please keep in mind also with me if there was a fire and I had the chance to resue my animals my cats would be first.

I do want to keep the spiders as safe as possible but the cats are more important.

When I move hopefully this summer I will try to have an exotics only room.

oh and on the blech... I knew what was meant. :)

- Sharon
I cant believe you , your guilty of special discrimination
of course , i dont like cats at all. in fact i am trying to fuggure out how to keep them away from my yard darn things kill everything smaller than they are. and i have painted buntings coming around !!
 

speedreader

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Put rock in industrial oven; wait till rock melts; shape rock as desired (caution: don't use bare hands); withdraw rock; your rock be clean now; enjoy rock! :eek:
 

Hedorah99

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ummm i think you meant a solution of 10% household bleach and 90% tap water. 10% bleach solution is what we use to chlorinate out drinking water and about 1 cup of that will do 1,000,000 gallons of water :p
household bleach is generally a 5% to 6% solution
Yea, sorry. Solution kinda implies its mixed with water.
 

Staley

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Put the rocks in a Heatable container. Then boil enough water to submerge the rocks.
I'd suggest Putting Baking soda on them.
Once the water is boiling, pour it on the rocks.

after was them off with clean water and dry :)
 

Moltar

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Rocks

One warning.

You will end up killing your tarantula. Period.

Either
1.) The tarantula will fall on a corner of the rock, a full tarantula can kill it self with a panic induce fall from 3 inches on to a rock.
2.) cats will push the container off the dresser and you will pin the tarantula between the rock and the lid.
3.) the tarantula will try to dig under the rock and either cause the rock to cave in on her or causing stress because the cats are harassing the tarantula and the tarantula can not dig around the rock to hide.

You have been warned.

This will end badly.

I've done a couple of enclosures with rocks and it seems ok if you take certain precautions. Basically i made a hide out of a big (7") slab of slate. I picked a rock with dimensions larger than the kk so it can't collapse on top of the spider. It is basically wedged in there at an angle with the kk walls supporting the weight of the higher end. The lower end is supported by a couple more small rocks under it so there's nothing for the t to burrow under. Rock all the way to the floor. I have a rsea and a c. fasciatum in setups like this. The rock is more or less the legspan of the spider below the roof in both cases. The rosea seems to really enjoy that big rock and relaxes all over it. Also, these spiders don't try to climb much. I wouldn't do this with my smithi cuz she thinks she's an arboreal.

I boiled them for about 15 minutes to sterilize. Keep in mind that rocks can crack under heat, sometimes quite explosively.
 
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