Heat lamps vs heating pads

[otoha0309]

As a more inexperienced T-keeper, i wanted to raise this question. I only have one T at the moment but im planning an order for a pack of slings soon and i want to know which one more experienced T-Keepers suggest. I know that most Ts can survive in standard tempatures and such. But im forced to keep my Ts in a large closet in the basement. Its a half underground, recently remodeled, finished basement so it has proper vents throughout. When the AC gets going its much too cold in there for any spider. So for now i use the heat lamp ive had for a while. It works really well and i like that i can simulate a day/night schedule. But im wondering if the constant baking factor is an issue. Shes a desert dweller, but she seems to enjoy a moist substrate . The lamp cooks it all right out though. But it provides more heat than a heating pad ever would. It heats the whole very large closet.

Sent using Android ForumReader app

 

[scorpio948]

What species do you have right now? Also, if you are directing the heat lamp at the current enclosures, stop immediately. If you have it aimed elsewhere and are using it to heat the ambient air of the closet (pretty much what a space heater does), you should be fine.
You don't want to heat enclosures directly.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Oumriel]

I also keep my collection in a walk in closet, I use a ceramic space heater to warm the room and a light to light the room for simulated day.

 

[xirxes]

If you can heat the whole space, but not the enclosures directly, that's great!

I have had success, after many experiments, with many slings inside an aquarium, with 2" of Eco earth over raised egg crate platform inside to support sling enclosures.

I then use a large heat pad on thermostat set to 80F placed low on rear panel with styrofoam over rear panel and 85% of top of aquarium. I would use as large a pad heater as possible, and keep slings in middle of aquarium away from heavy radiant heat.

Water can be added to substrate in aquarium to manage whole system humidity.
You can also foam all sides of aquarium for more insulation.

Just one option!

 

[cold blood]

Not a fan of heating pads, but they are much safer than a lamp IMO, which I consider to be flat out dangerous. They just get too hot (both are, but lamp's even hotter), and the lamp will dry the air quickly and severely. Heat pads can be used if done right. The best way is to put one enclosure inside a larger one and heat the larger, outside one. Problem is that t's will be drawn, so even if you put a lot of sub over it, you can't prevent the t from burrowing down to it and parking on it or too close to it. Same for putting it on the sides.

When I feel the need to heat, I set up a water bath, which is easy and cheap to maintain specific temps, won't get too hot or create hot spots, and the surrounding water evaporation won't hurt either.

Like mentioned, best bet is to get a small space heater and heat the closet. It won't take much and small heaters are cheap to both buy and operate and very fire safe. Many are even safe to be touched. And with it being a walk in closet, you only need the very smallest heater, and probably only during the colder months, although my walk ins stay a little cool, even when its hot, but probably not cool enough to require heat most of the summer.

 

[edgeofthefreak]

I've never used heat lamps for tarantulas, but I do for my scorpion. She is a typical fossorial creature, and lives several inches underground where the heat makes it her, and if she wants to bask in the sun, she can.

My only large-ish tarantula lives in a cupboard, and her enclosure comes out every night, and sometimes during the day. There's a cute red table beside me that gets to hang out upon. For a small while, that table had an underpowered laptop on it. And that laptop puts out about 15 degrees of heat. Each night, within about 10 minutes, she'd be right where the heat vent of the laptop juts out. At the same time, it was very cold outside.

Now, this is a climate controlled apartment (concrete filing cabinet for humans) where the temp doesn't change much. But according to my heat gun, she'd be noticing the ever-so-slight heat increase, and thusly flocked to it (every night, very much every night, no coincidence). When she started to refuse food, darkened abdomen, etc., I stuck a very well worn UTH style heater to the side of her tank... on the opposite side that she'd flock to. This UTH upped the temp by 10 degrees at the apex, but most of the surface area (from the inside glass side) only by about 4-6 degrees. Yet she still found it, and loved it.

I let her have the heater up to and including the day of her molt (mayhaps through her recovery). Throughout, every 3 days (I waited until she was ready, for post-molt), I'd scoot her away from it and feel it with my hand. It was as warm as when you leave a hot coffee cup and your desk, and feel the spot about 3 minutes later. Not a huge effect, but I was still somewhat worried about her current 'heat addiction'. She no longer has it, and I feel like she never really needed it. In the event that it became several degrees hotter, no doubt, she would've likely hugged that UTH to death.


TL;DR: I think any spider will find and pursue heat, even if it's just a few degrees higher. Not worth it to add heat to the enclosure, but much better to heat an enclosure outside the actual enclosure, as has been stated. Safety first!

 

[brianp]

As a more inexperienced T-keeper, i wanted to raise this question. I only have one T at the moment but im planning an order for a pack of slings soon and i want to know which one more experienced T-Keepers suggest. I know that most Ts can survive in standard tempatures and such. But im forced to keep my Ts in a large closet in the basement. Its a half underground, recently remodeled, finished basement so it has proper vents throughout. When the AC gets going its much too cold in there for any spider. So for now i use the heat lamp ive had for a while. It works really well and i like that i can simulate a day/night schedule. But im wondering if the constant baking factor is an issue. Shes a desert dweller, but she seems to enjoy a moist substrate . The lamp cooks it all right out though. But it provides more heat than a heating pad ever would. It heats the whole very large closet.

Sent using Android ForumReader app

I've used both because I keep my Ts in my garage. Both work equally well, but I prefer to use one or more 150 watt infrared reptile lamps to warm an "area" in which several tanks
reside, just to eliminate the chill on cold nights.

 

[otoha0309]

I have a b. vagans. I dont heat it directly. I have a custom acryilic enclosure with venting that lets me lay a thick cloth over the top of it to shade her whole area, none of the light hits her or her enclosure directly. I keep the lamp about 2 feet away, pointed somewhat in her direction. I do have a space heater but its neither ceramic, nor cheap enough to run constantly. But i think my investment soon will be a small ceramic one for sure. Thanks for the advice folks.

Sent using Android ForumReader app