B. smithi temps and heating

Dylan Bruce

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
88
Hey guys,

looking for a little advice on my temps for my B. smithi. I've been researching the hobby for a good few years and have had my juvenile for around a month. I've heard a lot of people say if you are comfortable at that temp then the spider will be fine but my house is always on the colder side. I've been monitoring the temps the last week or so and it usually sits around 17-18 degrees although it has dipped to 16 and I had to borrow a space heater for a few hours to bump up the temperature. This temperature doesn't bother me but I'm pretty sure its too cold for my T. if these temps are too low then would a heat mat be suitable to bump up the temps a few degrees, I know they aren't thought of very well in this hobby but I don't see why they would be dangerous if used properly for example a good head mat used with a proper thermostat and stuck to the side of the enclosure and not the bottom. it just seems that every bad story I have heard has been from misuse like sticking it to the bottom of the enclosure or using them without thermostats so they get overly hot and burn the T.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Hey guys,

looking for a little advice on my temps for my B. smithi. I've been researching the hobby for a good few years and have had my juvenile for around a month. I've heard a lot of people say if you are comfortable at that temp then the spider will be fine but my house is always ohe colder side. I've been monitoring the temps the last week or so and it usually sits around 17-18 degrees although it has dipped to 16 and I had to borrow a space heater for a few hours to bump up the temperature. This temperature doesn't bother me but I'm pretty sure its too cold for my T. if these temps are too low then would a heat mat be suitable to bump up the temps a few degrees, I know they aren't thought of very well in this hobby but I don't see why they would be dangerous if used properly for example a good head mat used with a proper thermostat and stuck to the side of the enclosure and not the bottom. it just seems that every bad story I have heard has been from misuse like sticking it to the bottom of the enclosure or using them without thermostats so they get overly hot and burn the T.
Those temps are too cold imo, especially for extended periods if time.
You could get a heat mat, just don't buy one of those sticky things that you have to stick on the enclosure.
I would place it near the enclosure with a cm or two between it. You can lay it on top of the enclosure as well.
Get one that doesn't get hot to the touch, with a low watt percentage.
You can also use a heatcable, same rules apply, but you can loop it around the enclosure. Make sure the cable doesn't cross itself.
 

Dylan Bruce

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
88
Those temps are too cold imo, especially for extended periods if time.
You could get a heat mat, just don't buy one of those sticky things that you have to stick on the enclosure.
I would place it near the enclosure with a cm or two between it. You can lay it on top of the enclosure as well.
Get one that doesn't get hot to the touch, with a low watt percentage.
You can also use a heatcable, same rules apply, but you can loop it around the enclosure. Make sure the cable doesn't cross itself.
Thanks for the advice :)Yeah I thought it might be a little too cold for it, the T still seems OK its fairly active especially at night. ill use a space heater for the next few days and invest in a good heat mat possibly about 10w or so and a good thermostat like the habistat mat stat just to make sure the temps don't get too high. are there any particular heat mats that you would recommend?
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Cheers for that, I'll order one soon as it shouldn't be a bother to put a UK plug on it and I will order a thermostat to go with it. hopefully this will keep him nice and warm and he will either moult or take some food so I can stop worrying about it:happy:
Yea, that is why i don't like to keep them colder than 20/22. They pretty much stop doing everything, feeding, molting and moving. That they can be kept colder doesn't mean you have to, imo.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
To use the heat mat, you should heat an aquarium, and then put the smithi enclosure inside the heated aquarium...voila! Potentially dangerous direct heat, turned into much safer secondary heat.
 
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