Tarantula Cabinet?

[Wonder Walrus]

So I have an idea, and I kinda want to get some feed back on whether or not this is viable. I'm only 22 and don't have a room that I can raise the temperature in and keep all my tarantulas in, so I thought to myself, what about a small heated cabinet?


http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10011055

PLUS

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Flex-Wa...e3eSc38TaNqNe34Pa38Ta38Schv0?sc=2&category=14

If properly hooked to a timer/thermometer I would be able to regulate and make sure I'm not cooking my Ts. I was thinking of raising the temp in the cabinet to around 80 and it would better contain the raised temperature than a room, save on energy, also with this I would have a neat way of displaying my T's. Thoughts?

 

[hasani1408]

what about ventilation? i think it might work but I know some T's need good ventilation. but i have seen other people with set ups something like this. but I'd wait and see what some of the more experienced T. keepers have to say.

 

[MizM]

Personally, I consider lots of ventilation to be a very important factor in keeping all my species, and it is imperative for the success of some. I just use nice shelving and goose-neck lamps to warm up the entire area if things get too cool. A ceiling fan in the room keeps the air circulating, although I didn't have one in my last T room.

 

[Drachenjager]

i am thinking of getting a refrigerated wine cellar (its a refrigerator with wine racks lol) and changing the thermostat to handle higher temps to cool my bred females ...not the same thing i know but ...

 

[Wonder Walrus]

Personally, I consider lots of ventilation to be a very important factor in keeping all my species, and it is imperative for the success of some. I just use nice shelving and goose-neck lamps to warm up the entire area if things get too cool. A ceiling fan in the room keeps the air circulating, although I didn't have one in my last T room.

Yes, but if ventilation is an issue, the installation of a 80mm fan to each side or one even can solve that issue.

 

[MizM]

Yes, but if ventilation is an issue, the installation of a 80mm fan to each side or one even can solve that issue.

As long as you're introducing fresh air. I don't think recirculating would be beneficial to ANY creature.

 

[Travis K]

I have actually been thinking of doing almost the exact same thing. get on Craigslist and do a search for "curio" and you will see what I am talking about. If you need heat there are lots of ways to do that in the curio. As for vetilation I think a computer fan would would quite well maybe inset with a hole drilled in the back or side of the curio cabinet. I want to keep my Ts out in the living area and not have to worry about babies and toddlers getting into them.

 

[ShellsandScales]

I keep many of my T's in cabinet style furinture. The thing that was brought to my attention when I first set them up is even reclusive nocturnal animals benefit from a day and night cycle. In my cabinets I solved the total darkness problem by putting a screw in the back of one of the cabinet doors so it can not close all the way and lets some light in during the day. I don't heat my cabinets anymore though. I think keeping the door proped open would work in opposition to keeping the temps up. I used to heat them in the cabinets but it seemed to dry them out too quickly. I think dessication is much more likely to be a problem than slighlty low temps. When I did heat them, I just used heat mats and flexwatt on the interior cabinet walls and cut holes in the back of the cabinet for the power cord(s). Very easy to plug into a rheostat to control temps. However in nature T's aren't hanging out at 80 degrees all day and night. Even in tropical climates it can get a little cooler sometimes.

 

[Ice Cold Milk]

I personally keep most of my 'breeding projects' in cupboards that aren't ventilated... it's much easier to regulate heat in a cupboard.
I have had no problems with keeping them in complete darkness 90% of the time (open up the cabinet a few times a day to work on them).
Nor has ventilation been an issue. I think though that ventilation occurs from diffusion by simply having a few parts of the cupboards not close to an airtight seal (i don't think many would be airtight).

However, i think the idea of putting in a small computer fan or something would be pretty neat!!

 

[Travis K]

I like the idea of a curio cause it would be a secure yet stylish way to display your Ts in living spaces. Vent and temps can be solved in numerous ways. My plan is to find a nice BIG curio for keeping my T's that way I can justify getting more Ts to ffill the cabinet.

 

[Travis K]

My Dream Curio~~~~~

Now I just need to figure out where to put it?:?

 

[ReMoVeR]

i love the curio ideia ill remember that in a couple of years when i have lots of Ts =) Right now isnt possible cauz im living with my parents. xF Next year ill get an avic avic cauz ill be out but still at the university, after that, if i get a job right away imma be spending some of my 1st pay on some pretty Ts heheheh =)

 

[Travis K]

yeah... Just imagine that big beautiful cabinet FILLED with T's Ahh, what a nice thought...

 

[Moltar]

Walrus, my question to you is are you sure you need to heat them at all?

It's a common misconception that tarantulas need tropical temperatures to survive when in fact most species are just fine down into the upper 50's.

 

[Travis K]

Walrus, my question to you is are you sure you need to heat them at all?

It's a common misconception that tarantulas need tropical temoperatures to survive when in fact most species are just fine down into the upper 50's.

With a very small fan a heating pad(or black light) and thermostat that turns it all on, you could keep your curio at a constant 80 degrees F. If you wanted to spend a little more you could have a day night fluctuation as well. I use a similar setup in a styrofoam cooler for my leopard gecko eggs. I use a black light for the heat, and the temp is controlled via the thermostat that the light is plugged into. You might not have to have it, but you might want to as well.

 

[Wonder Walrus]

Walrus, my question to you is are you sure you need to heat them at all?

It's a common misconception that tarantulas need tropical temperatures to survive when in fact most species are just fine down into the upper 50's.

Yeah, I'm fully aware that room temp is probably good enough, but I figured hey why not try for optimal conditions. Plus since I'm the cnicago area I want to make sure that our winters don't take my T's with them. In regards to the day and night I was going to hook up the heater to the thermometer and then a time. In doing so the time would allow the heat to be applied only during the day, and with the thermometer it wouldn't allow the temp to get too hot.

One of the biggest reasons though, is for display, it would look alot nicer in a cabinet than just on a shelf, I think at least.

 

[MizM]

LOL Travis, that MIGHT hold a decent collection!!

I long ago gave up the idea of keeping them all in a cabinet when my collection got big enough for a whole room. I simply turned my dining room into the critter room and kept it warm enough for the Ts, scorps, snakes, monitor, tegu, etc. In my new home, they will have their own bedroom, much easier to control temp and humidity. My husband's guitars will get their own room as well, since they need an absence of humidity and we've moved to Texas!

 

[ShellsandScales]

With a very small fan a heating pad(or black light) and thermostat that turns it all on, you could keep your curio at a constant 80 degrees F. If you wanted to spend a little more you could have a day night fluctuation as well. I use a similar setup in a styrofoam cooler for my leopard gecko eggs. I use a black light for the heat, and the temp is controlled via the thermostat that the light is plugged into. You might not have to have it, but you might want to as well.

Whats with the blacklight??? This doesn't produce much heat and I have heard from a couple of sources that blacklight is not good for inverts.

 

[Travis K]

Whats with the blacklight??? This doesn't produce much heat and I have heard from a couple of sources that blacklight is not good for inverts.

Incandescent black lights produce loads of heat and not a lot of light, and they are cheap. I get mine at the dollar store.

 

[gvfarns]

So the reason for the blacklight is so the light doesn't bother the humans who live there? That makes sense I guess. Otherwise it's not altogether clear that the inverts can't see it, and we do know that they can't see red light.