Confused on whether or not to heat Ts

[Meli]

I read that you should put heat on Ts and then I read that you don't have to so naturally I am confused.

I have the following Ts:

Avicularia versicolor 3/4 " sling
Avic sp peru purple 1/2" sling
Brachypelma smithi 2" or so

My house is always 70 degrees. Currently I am heating the Avics with a heat pad and the smithi with a red bulb over the tank but the temps don't get higher than 82. I am seriously wondering if it is even necessary at all.

 

[hairmetalspider]

I read that you should put heat on Ts and then I read that you don't have to so naturally I am confused.

I have the following Ts:

Avicularia versicolor 3/4 " sling
Avic sp peru purple 1/2" sling
Brachypelma smithi 2" or so

My house is always 70 degrees. Currently I am heating the Avics with a heat pad and the smithi with a red bulb over the tank but the temps don't get higher than 82. I am seriously wondering if it is even necessary at all.

DO NOT use a heat pad.
Is your house is at 70 degrees, that should be fine. If you're worried, just raise it a few degrees. Won't put massive strain on your heating bill and will give you reassurance.

 

[vbrooke]

As I have read, ambient temp is the better way to heat them. I personally don't heat my adult OBT's, but I keep my slings and juvies on top of my snake tank to get a little heat and create moisture. I'm sure to keep them far enough away from the ceramic heating element, and measured the exact temp where I place them at 81 degrees F.

 

[hairmetalspider]

As a rule of thumb, I've heard the exact phrase "If you're comfortable, they're comfortable" used by several people, including both breeders and highly experienced hobbyists.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

temps don't get higher than 82

Good, because much more than that and you'd cook the Ts. Like the others are saying, if your house is over 65F, don't bother with heat. It'll just be more harm than good.

 

[Venom]

Don't heat your spiderlings--it carries too great a risk of dehydrating/ overheating them if you don't do it right. Plus, the whole point of heating is to get them to optimal temperature. Basically, if it's above 70, it's fine. Spiderlings should NOT be kept in the 80's. If you really feel you need to heat them, put their individual tubs/ phials into a larger enclosure, like a 5 or 10 gallong tank, and place the heating pad on the SIDE of the enclosure. Then keep the spiders' tubs on the OPPOSING side from the one with the heat pad. But still, I don't recommend heating them. 70 is fine.

 

[Keith1212]

yep i keep all mine room temp.

 

[911]

All of mine are kept at room tempt which is between 70-75F. They all get along just fine.

 

[Widowman10]

like the others have said, don't bother. anything above 60-65 is fine. i keep mine on the cool side, just slows them down a bit. heating with pads and lamps and such is just an unnecessary pain in the butt. work for you, doesn't do much for them.

 

[Crazy0monkey]

Lol, dont use a heat mat, I have one and was greatly advised not 2. Its for humans and stuff so it dosent stick to teh container or anyhting. 70% will be just fine, no worrys.

 

[bakaichi]

ya like above said..
i think the best way is still to keep the ambient temp up...

i usually put a cup of water on my heater ..just for the fun of it..
coz it get kinda dry so i guess the heat would evap some water to make it maore humid

 

[lewisskinner]

I used to use a large heat mat (7" x 12") on half the tank, but it barely did anything, so I didn't bother. When I left my T in the charge of a friend, he over-watered, so I out said heat mat underneath the tank to dry the substrate out (which also of course raised humidity). I now have a small (5" x 6") heat mat placed directly under the water dish, and when I water, I flood the substrate. This keeps humidity up without the water being too hot.

 

[ttula]

I used to have UTHs for all mine, and a couple months ago I got rid of the UTHs because I felt they were sort of unnecessary - I think they were actually overheating the Ts, because they are doing much better without them, just at room temp, about 70 degrees.

 

[jazaman]

I keep all my T`s at my mums house as my girlfriend hates them. I think she is cold blooded orsomething as her house is like an oven...average around 80-85F and the sweat is pissing from me...all the T`s love it.....

 

[citizen_smithi]

I only ever turn my heat mats on when the heating is broken (old boiler), and I use tiny heat mate that only cover a quarter of the floor space (they are placed on the back though) and the temp never goes over 30 centegrade.

My slings are just in between my adults and just get the ambient temp of that side of the room, usually between 20-25 centegrade, and they are reasonably moist too.