Heat heat heat

Czech prime

Arachnoknight
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So i'm looking for additional heat for the P. metallica while she gets ready to (hopefully) drop a sac. I was advised to use an infra red heat lamp by a pet store empolye instead of a heat mat on the side of an enclosure.
Any thoughts on the lamp? Safe to use or not? It would defenetely not shine into her hide at all so no worries there
 

KezyGLA

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Do you have an space/oil heater that you can use and set a timer for daytime ? I think it is safer option than going for mats and bulbs
 

Czech prime

Arachnoknight
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Do you have an space/oil heater that you can use and set a timer for daytime ? I think it is safer option than going for mats and bulbs
I'd defenetely rather use that but i do not have one.. I also do not feel the need to heat any other enclosures.
 

KezyGLA

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I would still say bulbs at a distance are better safer than mats on the side. I have used moonlight bulbs years back and nothing bad happened during that time. They dont get crazy hot.

If you only need for the one T I would go with a bulb of sorts.
 

BobBarley

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I also do not feel the need to heat any other enclosures.
I mean it can't hurt... If you're willing to pay for a small space/oil heater, I'd get one over a bulb or a heat mat. The bulb will dry things out pretty quick.
 

basin79

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So i'm looking for additional heat for the P. metallica while she gets ready to (hopefully) drop a sac. I was advised to use an infra red heat lamp by a pet store empolye instead of a heat mat on the side of an enclosure.
Any thoughts on the lamp? Safe to use or not? It would defenetely not shine into her hide at all so no worries there
They're frowned upon on here but I've been using mats on the side of tanks for 20 years. Stat and they're fine.
 

Czech prime

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I mean it can't hurt... If you're willing to pay for a small space/oil heater, I'd get one over a bulb or a heat mat. The bulb will dry things out pretty quick.
Hmmmm that might not be that bad since i'm planning to simulate a dry period
The room would be a bit large tho. And to heat it to 25-30ish (celsius) would take a lot of power (i'd guess)
 

Chris LXXIX

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Yes basin79 is right, if you really need to, there's no need to waste money for a space heater or else, for one Theraphosidae only. While I've never bought nor used one, I know people here (and pretty skilled) that used always heat pads on the side of the enclosure without issues.
 

Czech prime

Arachnoknight
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Yes basin79 is right, if you really need to, there's no need to waste money for a space heater or else, for one Theraphosidae only. While I've never bought nor used one, I know people here (and pretty skilled) that used always heat pads on the side of the enclosure without issues.
Hmmm. I'll try both and see how they work out.
 

Walker253

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Mats on the sides work fine. Economically, they are way cheaper as well. A space heater on full power is 1500 watts and between 750-900 on the lower setting. A mat is cranking out between 13-30 watts of electricity. It's effective distance is pretty close, but if the tank is near a wall and the mat is between the tank and the wall, it should radiate enough heat to make a difference.
 

mack1855

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Well,at the risk of receiving howls of protest and damnation,the correct use of heat emiting ceramic bulbs can
provide heat for the area around the enclosure.I use this to simply heat the air around the area of the enclosure,
not directly on the T,s.
before I get hanged,please look at the lamp placement,its not heating any T,s enclosure directly.
 

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cold blood

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So i'm looking for additional heat for the P. metallica while she gets ready to (hopefully) drop a sac. I was advised to use an infra red heat lamp by a pet store empolye instead of a heat mat on the side of an enclosure.
Any thoughts on the lamp? Safe to use or not? It would defenetely not shine into her hide at all so no worries there
Lamps are worse than mats.

Shift her nearer a radiator or oil heater :)
Agreed, a space heater is the best option.

It's never on during the day :/ Starts heating at around 6 pm
Why not just leave it on?

I'd defenetely rather use that but i do not have one.. I also do not feel the need to heat any other enclosures.
No, but its an added bonus for the rest.

I would still say bulbs at a distance are better safer than mats on the side. I have used moonlight bulbs years back and nothing bad happened during that time. They dont get crazy hot.

If you only need for the one T I would go with a bulb of sorts.
I disagree. As @BobBarley mentioned, the issue with lamps is not really the heat, its the excessive drying of the air in an enclosed cage that is the problem. There's no way I would ever even consider a lamp.

I disagree on the mats as well, they're not good, just because some others don't have issues, it ignores all those that do. Not worth the risk, especially for an expensive t that might be gravid. IMO the only way to utilize a heat mat is to place it on one larger enclosure, heat that, and put the enclosure with the t inside the heated one. This makes your direct heat of a mat, and turns it into a much safer secondary heat.

Drying period for inducing a sac? I've always done the exact opposite, I add moisture, and in many cases, almost flood the enclosures.
 

mack1855

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Lamps are worse than mats.
Again,the lamp is not in contact with the enclosure,simply heating the air around it.NO different than a oil heater would do,or a room heated by a furnace heating the entire room.But whatever.Using a 1500/1000/500 watt oil heater for a single T is a waste.IMHO.
 

cold blood

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Again, its not the heat of the lamp that's dangerous, its the excessive drying of the air. We've seen way too many dead or dying ts under lights to ever change my mind.

These are not problems we ever see with a space heater, so its clearly is different.
 

mack1855

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How does running a 1500 watt space heater dry the air less than a 40 watt ceramic heater bulb?Or running the home furnace at 80?
I'm not following your logic.
 

cold blood

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Its not just logic, its that one has a history of putting ts in peril, the other does not.
 

mack1855

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Logically,if you place a 1500 watt space heater next to your T,s,it will dry their enclosures out.All sources of heat remove moisture.
Furnances at 80 will remove moisture.The OP was concerned about raising the temps for the P.mettalica only,if I'm reading the post correctly.
 
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