# Tarantula heating/lighting



## hairmetalspider

I got into a 'discussion' with someone at a Pet store today on tarantula lighting.

I've heard many different opinions from many different people- I'm throwing this out to you guys now to get opinions.

Do tarantula's need heat lamps or not?

I've seen people with both.

Me personally, the only tarantula who has a heat lamp is my 6" G. Rosea, who has a larger cage.

My house is kept at 74 degrees constantly (Love Wisconsin weather) and the tarantula's seem active and eat well.

Opinions? Suggestions?

Reactions: Face Palm 1


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## David_F

Do tarantula's need heat lamps or not? Nope.  Not necessary.

I've seen people with both. That's okay.

Me personally, the only tarantula who has a heat lamp is my 6" G. Rosea, who has a larger cage. That's okay, too.  As long as it doesn't get too hot, like much above 85*F.

My house is kept at 74 degrees constantly (Love Wisconsin weather) and the tarantula's seem active and eat well. 74 is a fine temp.


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## robc

David_F said:


> Do tarantula's need heat lamps or not? Nope.  Not necessary.
> 
> I've seen people with both. That's okay.
> 
> Me personally, the only tarantula who has a heat lamp is my 6" G. Rosea, who has a larger cage. That's okay, too.  As long as it doesn't get too hot, like much above 85*F.
> 
> My house is kept at 74 degrees constantly (Love Wisconsin weather) and the tarantula's seem active and eat well. 74 is a fine temp.


If at all possible use a tank with a stand and use a warm mist humidifier to get your heat.....I have mine in a temp/humidity controlled room....if you dont have that option room temps are fine .....heatlamps in my opinion dry out the substrate and the T. Lighting: I use blue atinic #3 ....they simulate dusk/dawn. My T's are not bothered by these at all.


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## pearson340

well its cold in my house so i got heat lamps for day and mats for night to keep my T's at a nice even level.

Reactions: Sad 1 | Face Palm 1


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## cacoseraph

robc said:


> If at all possible use a tank with a stand and use a *warm mist humidifier to get your heat*.....I have mine in a temp/humidity controlled room....if you dont have that option room temps are fine .....heatlamps in my opinion dry out the substrate and the T. Lighting: I use blue atinic #3 ....they simulate dusk/dawn. My T's are not bothered by these at all.


this would just "piss off" a lot of the drier species. would be ok (if a bit of overkill) for tropicals



pearson34 said:


> well its cold in my house so i got heat lamps for day and mats for night to keep my T's at a nice even level.


being as you are from wales, your cold is probably a lot colder than my cold... but... my bugs are chilling at ~55*F right now.  it was a little colder than that before but *i* was getting to cold so i raised the temp a little bit.  they are all doing fine.  they hardly eat and need almost no water.  it's vacation time for me hehehe


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## bushbuster

I use the LED's for aquariums, but they don't emit heat. The white LED simulates the moon, the blue, dusk/dawn...nice soft lighting, kinda pricey though. My furnace does the rest, about 74 degrees.


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## scottyk

A recent discussion along the same lines that you may find interesting...

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=1074178#post1074178


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## Cocoa-Jin

My light is a 60w grow lamp some two feet or so above the tank.  Its on a timer to simulate day-light cycles.  It gently warms the tank and has a soft diffuser to soften the light to more of a sunny glow.

As long as you give the T the option to get out of the light you may find that the T makes good use of the light to sun bathe then retreat to shade to manage her temp.

My Rosea has house plant next to her tank thats casts a nice shadow in the tank.  That shady area is her favorite spot.  She has her silk mat there, molted there and basically hangs out there when not sun bathing

Reactions: Face Palm 1


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## Stylopidae

cacoseraph said:


> being as you are from wales, your cold is probably a lot colder than my cold... but... my bugs are chilling at ~55*F right now.  it was a little colder than that before but *i* was getting to cold so i raised the temp a little bit.  they are all doing fine.  they hardly eat and need almost no water.  it's vacation time for me hehehe


Same here. Temps at night can drop to 45*.

I'm going to get a thermometer and start plotting temps next week to see exactly what type of temps I have in my house.

Tarantulas do not need any source of external heat unless you wake up with a layer of frost on your sheets every morning.


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## fartkowski

Yeh I agree with cheshire. 
If your house is kept at 74 all the time then they for sure don't need any extra heat.
I keep my T room at about 70 at all times. Tarantulas can handle the cold pretty well. It's the sudden drop in temps that can harm them.


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## Mrarachnid1st

hairmetalspider said:


> I got into a 'discussion' with someone at a Pet store today on tarantula lighting.
> 
> I've heard many different opinions from many different people- I'm throwing this out to you guys now to get opinions.
> 
> Do tarantula's need heat lamps or not?
> 
> I've seen people with both.
> 
> Me personally, the only tarantula who has a heat lamp is my 6" G. Rosea, who has a larger cage.
> 
> My house is kept at 74 degrees constantly (Love Wisconsin weather) and the tarantula's seem active and eat well.
> 
> Opinions? Suggestions?


Heat lamps (or heat mats) are NOT necessary...not even a little bit.  If the ambient temperature is over 55 degrees not to worry.  If the inside temperature dropped below 65 I would call a heating technician to fix your home's heater.  My T's are kept at ambient temperature of 65 in winter and around 75-80 in the summer.  All do fine, eat fine ,and are active.

Heat lamps and mats are just risky and not recommended by anyone who has been keeping for any length of time.  If it seems cold where you keep your Ts bump up the heat in the home....its the best and safest way to raise the temperature in the enclosures.


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## spanes

So your tryin to say i shouldn't have a heat pad on my blondi tank ok?! Well first off i dont have a "home heater" and i live by the coast my temps get about 70 today and about 50 f tonight, i monitor her tank multiple times a day and only notice the substrate to get warmer than usual whens its more than 85 degrees f in my room which it isnt..ever    

Her terrarium stays at 73-80 with what my humidity meter reads at 72-88

Reactions: Face Palm 1


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## Urban Country Spider

Hey I am just wondering I got 3.5 gallon tank and it has a 85 watt light that goes with it will this harm my T. (B. Vagan)?


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## AnimalNewbie

Urban Country Spider said:


> Hey I am just wondering I got 3.5 gallon tank and it has a 85 watt light that goes with it will this harm my T. (B. Vagan)?


is it for heat


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## The Grym Reaper

Urban Country Spider said:


> Hey I am just wondering I got 3.5 gallon tank and it has a 85 watt light that goes with it will this harm my T. (B. Vagan)?


Yeah, pretty much all lights put out heat (a bulb at half the wattage will get pretty hot with prolonged use), if the tarantula can get to it then it can burn itself on it.

Additionally, they don't need a supplemental light source (or for you to simulate a day/night cycle if they're kept in a room without windows).


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## Urban Country Spider

AnimalNewbie said:


> is it for heat


Well yes and no it to simulate the day and it time the lid is black and I do not want the T. to get all confused or anything like that



The Grym Reaper said:


> Yeah, pretty much all lights put out heat (a bulb at half the wattage will get pretty hot with prolonged use), if the tarantula can get to it then it can burn itself on it.
> 
> Additionally, they don't need a supplemental light source (or for you to simulate a day/night cycle if they're kept in a room without windows).


I do have a window but its painted over and the lid is black so I was wondering the 85 watt bulb will hurt it it or not


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## The Grym Reaper

Urban Country Spider said:


> I do have a window but its painted over and the lid is black so I was wondering the 85 watt bulb will hurt it it or not


Yeah it will, if you absolutely have to add lights then use LED lights but, again, they don't need it. Tarantulas generally detest light.


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## Urban Country Spider

Ok thank goodness it a removable light source


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## SonsofArachne

I keep a heat lamp on my desert scorpions during the day (they love it, will move as close as possible when it's on). I notice my G. pulchra on the same level in the next rack over clings to the side of her enclosure nearest the lamp when its on. The room is between 70 and 80 degs, depending on the temp. outside (and if the lamp is on).


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## The Grym Reaper

SonsofArachne said:


> I keep a heat lamp on my desert scorpions during the day (they love it, will move as close as possible when it's on). I notice my G. pulchra on the same level in the next rack over clings to the side of her enclosure nearest the lamp when its on. The room is between 70 and 80 degs, depending on the temp. outside (and if the lamp is on).


Yeah, I'm not so sure about scorps but tarantulas will move right up to a heat source with little regard for their own safety, back when I used heat mats my A. geniculata would spread herself out on the glass on the side the heat mat was stuck to and wouldn't move for anything other than food.

If it hadn't been regulated with a stat then she'd have probably sat there until she cooked herself.


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