How do i stop this from happening?.

[Dorifto]

I simply don't understand the purpose of statements like these. Are you taking your tarantulas out on walks? If not, of what relevance is the external temperature? It's the average temperature of your tarantula's room that has any bearing on this discussion. Heat the room, not the enclosure.

When you live in a old house, in a mountain, in a moderate cold climate without any heating source in the house... etc, maybe is more relevant. Here the electricity cost tree times more than in USA, and the salary is lower, so it is much more cost effective for me to heat a tank properly, than heating the whole house.

I only replicate the best way what they found in the nature. A basking zone heated by the "sun" (the evil mat controlled by 3 more evil thermostats), a good hide and a cool spot with plants to stay cool. It's better to heat the whole room? For me no, because heating the room to 26 °C will put the pebbles at room temperature, so 26°C, the same that I achieved with a simple and cheaper mat. To be more precise, heating the entire room will cost me a minimum of 120€ month, x12=1440€=1650$... A mat the entire year 30€=35$.

Heat the rom yo say? I prefer an extra 1615$ to expend on holidays or in new additions.

 

[basin79]

When you live in a old house, in a mountain, in a moderate cold climate without any heating source in the house... etc, maybe is more relevant. Here the electricity cost tree times more than in USA, and the salary is lower, so it is much more cost effective for me to heat a tank properly, than heating the whole house.

I only replicate the best way what they found in the nature. A basking zone heated by the "sun" (the evil mat controlled by 3 more evil thermostats), a good hide and a cool spot with plants to stay cool. It's better to heat the whole room? For me no, because heating the room to 26 °C will put the pebbles at room temperature, so 26°C, the same that I achieved with a simple and cheaper mat. To be more precise, heating the entire room will cost me a minimum of 120€ month, x12=1440€=1650$... A mat the entire year 30€=35$.

Heat the rom yo say? I prefer an extra 1615$ to expend on holidays or in new additions.

I heat my tarantulas/inverts with heat mats connected to thermostats on the BACK of their enclosures. NEVER use mat UNDER their enclosures and ALWAYS make sure heat mats are connected to a thermostat.

 

[MissouriArachnophile]

I simply don't understand the purpose of statements like these. Are you taking your tarantulas out on walks? If not, of what relevance is the external temperature? It's the average temperature of your tarantula's room that has any bearing on this discussion. Heat the room, not the enclosure.

It did say 17 in the house.

 

[Dorifto]

I heat my tarantulas/inverts with heat mats connected to thermostats on the BACK of their enclosures. NEVER use mat UNDER their enclosures and ALWAYS make sure heat mats are connected to a thermostat.

This is the only part that the mat heats the enclosure, the pebbles. They can't burrow on them, they only stay on top at a temp of 26°C controlled my 3 thermostats. Here is the main thermostat on top of the pebbles 26°C and the enclosure temp. 23°C. The humidity is high because I recently watered the plants. The setup:

 

[basin79]

This is the only part that the mat heats the enclosure, the pebbles. They can't burrow on them, they only stay on top at a temp of 26°C controlled my 3 thermostats. Here is the main thermostat on top of the pebbles 26°C and the enclosure temp. 23°C. The humidity is high because I recently watered the plants. The setup:
View attachment 288853 View attachment 288847 View attachment 288849 View attachment 288850

By thermostat I mean a device that controls the heat not a thermometer that measures it. For example on warm days here my heat mats don't even turn on. The thermostat stops them.

 

[buzz182]

I've just bloody bought it, it cost me a BOMB £60.00 I paid I can't afford anymore enclosure I've spent enough of her as it is. I can't win with people the enclosure looks fine to me I have seen them in with other pet owners and people don't tell them to get a new enclosure?.



I've just bloody bought it, it cost me a BOMB £60.00 I paid I can't afford anymore enclosure I've spent enough of her as it is. I can't win with people the enclosure looks fine to me I have seen them in with other pet owners and people don't tell them to get a new enclosure?.

There are much cheaper more adequate enclosures you could have bought if you sought advice prior to spending £60.
The enclosure can be adapted quite easily by either replacing the mesh with acrylic/plexiglass. As a cheap temporary fix you could use fabric or transparency sheets ( the kind used in old syle overhead projectors) secured to underside of the mesh. Also raise the height of substrate to lessen the chances of her being hurt by a fall.

People here primarily care about the health of your T and may not be overly concerned with how much you have spent. take this as a lessen learnt for next time. I'm not sure I would be willing to pay so much for an enclosure without knowing it was fit for what I was putting into it.

 

[Dorifto]

60bucks to maintain this

By thermostat I mean a device that controls the heat not a thermometer that measures it. For example on warm days here my heat mats don't even turn on. The thermostat stops them.

That's not a thermometer. It's a trixie reptiland thermostat and hygrostat. This one controls the entire enclosure temperature and humidity. Aside from this one, each mat, main and secondary, have their own thermostat who cuts the power when certain temperature is achieved in the mat.

 

[basin79]

60bucks to maintain this


That's not a thermometer. It's a trixie reptiland thermostat and hygrostat. This one controls the entire enclosure temperature and humidity. Aside from this one, each mat, main and secondary, have their own thermostat who cuts the power when certain temperature is achieved in the mat.

Apologies for that then.

Like I typed earlier though my mats are on the rear or side of enclosures. Just gives a very gentle warmth that puts the ambient temperature a few degrees. Mats under enclosures, particularly ones with a few inches or solid substrate is dangerous or not effective. If the stat is touching the mat no hear will get through. It the star is in the enclosure you'll get thermal blocking which is extremely dangerous.

 

[Torech Ungol]

It did say 17 in the house.

So it did. My apologies for that section, but the statement remains accurate, in general.

(That's what I get for posting while exhausted at work!)

 

[Dorifto]

Apologies for that then.

Like I typed earlier though my mats are on the rear or side of enclosures. Just gives a very gentle warmth that puts the ambient temperature a few degrees. Mats under enclosures, particularly ones with a few inches or solid substrate is dangerous or not effective. If the stat is touching the mat no hear will get through. It the star is in the enclosure you'll get thermal blocking which is extremely dangerous.

The mats only heats the pebbles, not the substrate at a max of 26°C. The mat as a cuttoff temp of 30°C. Those pebbles don't act like a solid substrate, because there are air gaps between each pebble, and is this air that is heated more eficiently the one who heats the enclosure. It cost way more to heat this way the enclosure, but it only heats the pebbles and the air. The substrate is between air temp and few degrees below that.

Her hide is in the opposite side of the mat, below the driftwood and the plants. So she has her cool and warm spot separated and thermically insulated, because the substrate between the pebbles and the hide act like a natural thermal barrier.

She basking:



She cooling

 

[basin79]

The mats only heats the pebbles, not the substrate at a max of 26°C. The mat as a cuttoff temp of 30°C. Those pebbles don't act like a solid substrate, because there are air gaps between each pebble, and is this air that is heated more eficiently the one who heats the enclosure. It cost way more to heat this way the enclosure, but it only heats the pebbles and the air. The substrate is between air temp and few degrees below that.

Her hide is in the opposite side of the mat, below the driftwood and the plants. So she has her cool and warm spot separated and thermically insulated, because the substrate between the pebbles and the hide act like a natural thermal barrier.

She basking:

View attachment 288873

She cooling View attachment 288874 View attachment 288876

That's a MASSIVE gap between the sub and top.

 

[Dorifto]

L

That's a MASSIVE gap between the sub and top.

Yes, 3 feets more or less, joking xD

That's the perspective. She still is a juvie. There is 25cm gap, it's a big gap, but not as much as it looks.

 

[basin79]

L

Yes, 3 feets more or less, joking xD

That's the perspective. She still is a juvie. There is 25cm gap, it's a big gap, but not as much as it looks.

Hopefully the little 1 doesn't decide to climb.

 

[cold blood]

Im shocked no ones mentioned the ts in divided enclosures...not a good idea....that tends to only last until it doesnt. IMO thats even more of a concern than the mat.

 

[MintyWood826]

25cm gap

What's the DLS?

 

[MissouriArachnophile]

Semi off topic..trying to find a thread for future reference for L W H enclosure size, regardless of size for each type arboreal, terrestrial, fossorial, just a link will do. Thought it would of been under the beginner guide section, but no luck.

 

[Dorifto]

Im shocked no ones mentioned the ts in divided enclosures...not a good idea....that tends to only last until it doesnt. IMO thats even more of a concern than the mat.

Is not divided, they are two different enclosures. They share the mats because they have almost identical climate values.

What's the DLS?

I couldn't measure her las mold. She maybe has 3'1/4 inches?

 

[Torech Ungol]

L

Yes, 3 feets more or less, joking xD

That's the perspective. She still is a juvie. There is 25cm gap, it's a big gap, but not as much as it looks.

Unless that picture is a massive optical illusion, it still looks to be no less than 3X DLS to the ceiling (over rocks, no less). You don't want more than 1.5X DLS for a terrestrial. Anything else risks a tarantula's life, and not insignificantly.