Heat mat question

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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wow, one of the first big debates i want a participate in. i feel left out.. :(

OP, i believe heat mats can be used if you have a single large tarantula and dont plan on getting more, which isnt very likely lets be honest. use a stat, timer, and make sure its not even touching the tank, keep it like 6" off. they are meant for reptiles who like hotspots at least in the low 90s. not for tarantulas who are comfortable at 70. its a lot of work to ensure your spiders are comfortable, a space heater is the better alternative in almost every way.
I agree with litterally about 98% of what you have said. But... I can't remeber the user that posted the pic in this thread earlier of his cabinet but cabinets heated with flexx watt when executed correctly are pretty efficient..
About 10 years ago I lived in an apartment in buffalo NY that would not stay above 60 on the really cold days of winter even with the heat cranked to 80.. The windows barely slowed the cold wind and I swear the walls were insulated with pizza boxes.. I could of spent say 80-100 bucks on a couple of space heaters and an extra $100+ a month on my electric bill or I could spend $60 on MDF and build a heated cabinet.. I heated it with flexx watt and wired in 2 small computer fans( one input and one exhaust) wired to timers set to 30 mins to circulate the air and minimize hot zones.. I think the whole thing cost me about 80 bucks.. I already had the flexx watt thermostats and timer.. The fans were like 8 bucks. Lol

So in the long run to heat my collection of about 30 Ts I spent maybe 10 dollars a month after the initial cost of hardware.

With all of that said set ups like that are not needed in most situations and the best way to heat Ts is by elevating the room temp with a space heater.
 

Venom1080

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I agree with litterally about 98% of what you have said. But... I can't remeber the user that posted the pic in this thread earlier of his cabinet but cabinets heated with flexx watt when executed correctly are pretty efficient..
About 10 years ago I lived in an apartment in buffalo NY that would not stay above 60 on the really cold days of winter even with the heat cranked to 80.. The windows barely slowed the cold wind and I swear the walls were insulated with pizza boxes.. I could of spent say 80-100 bucks on a couple of space heaters and an extra $100+ a month on my electric bill or I could spend $60 on MDF and build a heated cabinet.. I heated it with flexx watt and wired in 2 small computer fans( one input and one exhaust) wired to timers set to 30 mins to circulate the air and minimize hot zones.. I think the whole thing cost me about 80 bucks.. I already had the flexx watt thermostats and timer.. The fans were like 8 bucks. Lol

So in the long run to heat my collection of about 30 Ts I spent maybe 10 dollars a month after the initial cost of hardware.

With all of that said set ups like that are not needed in most situations and the best way to heat Ts is by elevating the room temp with a space heater.
where did i say cabinets dont work? i almost built one my self a while back. its just that my collection keeps growing.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
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its like using a kitcken knife to pound nails...yeah, it might work, but its far from the best tool for the job.
heat mat issues are not a myth...theyre the wrong tool for the job with ts...designed for reptiles and thats what its use should be relegated to IMO.
To a man with a hammer every problem is a nail.

I agree with you. To me it's like saying it's not the poorly designed intersection that's killing people... it's the confused driver that's going into the intersection wrong that's killing people. After all, it's not the poorly designed heat pad (being used in a way it was never intended) that's killing these Ts.. it's the owners using those poorly designed heat pads wrong that's killing the Ts.

Heat pads can be used, but with a lot of stipulations. Don't put them under the enclosure... don't let them touch the enclosure... don't use them without a thermostat... don't use one that actually gets hot... don't use them if the moon is in the 4th house... don't use them and then feed your Ts after midnight. Ok, ok, so maybe those last two are not real rules :D but the others are and a lot more considerations are required to keep your Ts from harm when using them. I see lots of people posting vids and enclosure blogs all over the internet using heat pads in a way that would IMO harm the T.

Given the right set of stipulations I could argue that the kitchen stove is a valid way to warm Ts. Can I do it? Sure. If I goof up am I more likely to cook my T with the stove than other methods? Yeah..

If you're going to use heat pads read up on them really well so you're less likely to make a mistake that could kill your T.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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where did i say cabinets dont work? i almost built one my self a while back. its just that my collection keeps growing.
Didn't mean to imply you did.. I was just saying under certain applications flexx watt can be used safetly.. On this forum most people( not necessarily you ;) I'm generalizing here! Lol) view it as the devil.. It's like that old saying guns don't kill people people kill people..
So IMO saying flexx watt or heating pads kills Ts is like saying guns kill people.. It's people using heat tape/ pads incorrectly that kills Ts..
 

Venom1080

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Didn't mean to imply you did.. I was just saying under certain applications flexx watt can be used safetly.. On this forum most people view it as the devil.. It's like that old saying guns don't kill people people kill people..
So IMO saying flexx watt or heating pads kills Ts is like saying guns kill people.. It's people using heat tape/ pads incorrectly that kills Ts..
thats what i said..?
 

Python

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wow, one of the first big debates i want a participate in. i feel left out.. :(

OP, i believe heat mats can be used if you have a single large tarantula and dont plan on getting more, which isnt very likely lets be honest. use a stat, timer, and make sure its not even touching the tank, keep it like 6" off. they are meant for reptiles who like hotspots at least in the low 90s. not for tarantulas who are comfortable at 70. its a lot of work to ensure your spiders are comfortable, a space heater is the better alternative in almost every way.
The best explanation so far, although I am no fan of space heaters. I've had too many catastrophic failures with space heaters over the years. To be clear I wasn't using them with animals, mostly workplaces and the like. I have used heat mats withoit issue but I prefer to not use heat. The only time I have used mays has been in circumstances where I needed an isolated heat source. At any rate, heat mats can be used, no they are not optimum and frankly, I haven't seen an argument against their use in this thread aside from saying they aren't necessary, which is true. Of course it's also true that most of the time, no extra heat source is needed.

That said, many people have no problem with space heaters and I probably wouldn't if I hadn't had such problems with them in the past. I know that the majority of my concerns are unfounded since many of the heaters I had problems with were old, abused, cheap or any number of other factors which helped them to fail in the first place. Paranoia is a powerful thing though and it's a hard thing to shake. In the end, no heat source is 100% reliable and in most cases, no heat source is exactly what you need.
 

Nightstalker47

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The grand majority of people live in a home that's kept over 65 degrees, in the odd case that you do not then heat pads are a decent alternative, if it's done right. But for most people this is not the case, that's why the general consensus around heat pads is that they are unnecessary and or harmful.

I still wouldn't go through all the trouble setting up a heat pad system when you can buy a space heater at a very reasonable price.
 

Chris LXXIX

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Ah ah ah ah... muahahahahah! I love those heat math discussions because, from my sweet Lombardy domain where IMO weather is perfect for raise Theraphosidae (and for have a Scolopendra subspinipes living wild on my garden as well) I can watch those whole threads without the need to use those, nor for waste cash on space heaters of all sorts that sucks electricity like not even a Gym enthusiast suck steroids.

I have Theraphosidae that molt and eat without issues nor "sluggish" behavior of all sorts even in January, and Lombardy is supposed to be among the three/four more colder region of Italy, fantastic.

I'm a lucky man and God bless the weather climate disaster :)
 

Trenor

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Ah ah ah ah... muahahahahah! I love those heat math discussions because, from my sweet Lombardy domain where IMO weather is perfect for raise Theraphosidae (and for have a Scolopendra subspinipes living wild on my garden as well) I can watch those whole threads without the need to use those, nor for waste cash on space heaters of all sorts. I have Theraphosidae that molt and eat without issues nor "sluggish" behavior of all sorts even in January, and Lombardy is supposed to be among the three/four more colder region of Italy, fantastic.

I'm a lucky man :)
Gloating isn't cool man. :p
 

Chris LXXIX

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Gloating isn't cool man. :p
I love to joke :kiss: (still with a touch of verity... it's amazing how much IMO almost perfect the balance here where I live between high humidity, fresh air of the hills, and nice sun matches).
 

Trenor

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I love to joke :kiss: (still with a touch of verity... it's amazing how much IMO almost perfect the balance here where I live between high humidity, fresh air of the hills, and nice sun matches).
I'm planning on retiring early and I'm looking at the Mediterranean as a good place to spend a lot of time. :D
Some people are lucky to be born into that area. :p
 

boina

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I love to joke :kiss: (still with a touch of verity... it's amazing how much IMO almost perfect the balance here where I live between high humidity, fresh air of the hills, and nice sun matches).
Italy is too hot in Summer. :p:p
 

Chris LXXIX

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Italy is too hot in Summer. :p:p
Here in the "Tuscany of the North", on the other hand, is lovely. That feeling when, at late July, you need at night a light sweater :)

But truth is, Lombardy is a blessed by God land. After all you Germans basically build that: long live King Autari and Queen Theodolinda. Winnili power! Lombardy Stronk, best economy of Eye-taly! Lombardy gut for Theraphosidae :kiss:
 

Chris LXXIX

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Ok, ok :-s
So time for Chris LXXIX to deliver to mortals a bit of his Extreme Wisdom arrived (full pluralis majestatis or royal "we" mode turned 'on' :troll:).

A bit of a background, before.

I belong to a nation where, thank God, the Theraphosidae hobby was (and to an extent still is) always a 'niche' one. You don't have the idea of how much of a relief is to never had to do with handling maniacs, Petco and such, impulsive 'OBT' buyers that never witnessed a molt and so on.

One of the 'cons' is that, obviously, majority of keepers (mostly almost in their 40 like me, someone older) turned 'Talibans'.
Not purists, like I view myself in a humble and honest way, but 'Talibans'.

For give you an example, type Grammostola rosea instead of Grammostola rosea more than two times on a forum here in Italy, and a mod will 'pull' your ears in public for that, cheered by the others. I agree, btw... I fail to realize why being lazy enough even for not use the huge "I" that lives above ^ but that's not important.

Anyway, a situation like the one I described involves that 'Taliban' rapture involves temperature, lol, of course. So (mere example just for talking using the first Theraphosidae on my mind... don't quote those numbers I'm saying) if the 'right' temperature, according to her native environment, for a Brachypelma albopilosum (or whatever) is 26° Day (or whatever) then "you" need to reach 26° Day.

I couldn't disagree more, obviously. To the point that I was labeled as "heretic" (me... the keeper of the Goddess 0.1 an heretic -- unbelievable!) for not using space heaters nor heating devices of all sorts. I've stated above, while joking a bit, why I've never, I don't, nor I will use tomorrow those.

Now, I personally know keepers that, in UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland and whatnot (definitely nations more colder than mine) use those devices. And they never had particular issues.

Granted: they know the "how to" and what to do. This, however, is a thing that I have reasons to believe we can't take for granted for everyone, that's why a lot of keepers, here, doesn't suggest those or, let's say, turn up their nose about. I understand those as well.

But ask to yourself this, and I mean this. Internationally speaking, TSS (The Spider Shop) has an excellent reputation, in UK just like in Europe as well for "here" in the U.S (this forum is mostly Canada/USA based, on numbers I mean).

While everyone that is 'against' those device say that LPS needs to sell (pure truth) no one of those would call/view TSS as the average, crappy "pet shop". Fact.

Well, TSS sell and always sold those devices, because, frankly, in Europe there's keepers (yes, even those amazing uber-duper breeders with rare T's and cheap prices) that use those devices without particular issues. Ain't one of them, of course, since I don't use those.

Here, as you can see:

http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/heating-c-36_93.html
 
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