Heating solutions

[eggsbenedict]

Good afternoon,

I am getting my first tarantula, a G.pulchripes juvenile, hopefully next week. I'm living in an old house and my room seems to get fairly chilly, to around 15 degrees Celsius and below. I want to make sure I have a heating solution in place ideally before my juvenile arrives and having done a bit of research I'm aware that heat matts are generally frowned upon, and I can understand why as they sound potentially dangerous. I am looking for suggestions for a good heating solution, preferably something not too expensive as I'm on a fairly tight budget currently. I am also looking at putting some more weather stripping around my window as that seems to be a source of cold air into my room.

Cheers.

 

[Brewser]

Welcome,
Congratulations...
small space heater suggested
Best Wishes & Keep Warm

 

[Andrew Clayton]

Good afternoon,

I am getting my first tarantula, a G.pulchripes juvenile, hopefully next week. I'm living in an old house and my room seems to get fairly chilly, to around 15 degrees Celsius and below. I want to make sure I have a heating solution in place ideally before my juvenile arrives and having done a bit of research I'm aware that heat matts are generally frowned upon, and I can understand why as they sound potentially dangerous. I am looking for suggestions for a good heating solution, preferably something not too expensive as I'm on a fairly tight budget currently. I am also looking at putting some more weather stripping around my window as that seems to be a source of cold air into my room.

Cheers.

A space heater is going to be your best option, although heat mats are generally not advised, as long as you use it correctly it's fine.
By putting it on a side of the enclosure rather than underneath it, also you don't want to cover the whole side of it.

 

[viper69]

Space heater

 

[TenebrisAvicularia]

Spacial heater are the best for something like this. One with a timer is preferable, though I'm sure that you could just turn it off every 30-60 minutes or when needed. Just make sure to keep your Ts water dish full, the heater will dry it out faster in my experience.

 

[Dorifto]

Being from UK, get a nice ultratherm heat mat and place it in one side.

Use a thermostat to control the heat, placing the probe on top of the mat, so it measures the actual glass temperature rather than the air.

Placing it beneath the soil it's not advised, but it can be done if it's done correctly. I do it this way to minic how the burrow behaves on winter, but you need to take a lot of precautions.

The proper use of heat mats

Mods could you please make this a sticky as there's so much misinformation about heat mats? So heat mats are perfectly safe to use IF they're used properly. They're like a mini space heater when used properly. 1) Heat mats MUST be plugged into a thermostat. That's a thermostat NOT a...

arachnoboards.com

Feel free asking any questions!

 

[cold blood]

The best method is to get a tank you can put your sling enclosure (or any size t) into, and heat the tank with a heat pad in the side....this way you avoid direct contact with the t enclosure while gently heating it by essentially creating a micro-climate.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

Placing it beneath the soil it's not advised, but it can be done if it's done correctly.

Never do this it's that simple. It even tells you that in the information you shared.

 

[Dorifto]

Never do this it's that simple. It even tells you that in the information you shared.

You can do it, but you need to take a lot of precautions, precautions that most people are not aware off. The way it heats, the way that heat spreads, the material used to spread that heat, the amount of heat, the heated area size, the soil above the heated area, moisture levels, probe placing, the enclosure size... etc. That's why it's not recommended, not because we shouldn't.

People tend to place then beneath and voila, done, wrong! Big mistake.

If you only are providing heat, without providing any temp gradient big enough to allow them to thermorregulate (cool down or heat up), the T will be in serious trouble. Provide those gradients and the T is able to choose where it needs to move, don't do it, and you will "cook" your T. This is what causes problems, not the placement of it.

How do you believe burrows act during different season? They offer a warm spot during winter, and a cool one during the hotter seasons. With a bit of rational thinking you can mimic it easily and in a very safe way.

Anyway I use to recommend to place it in one side because it's a lot simpler and usually stupid proof. Aniway this way needs to take several precautions too, same as heating the whole room. Every option has benefits and drawbacks.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

You can do it, but you need to take a lot of precautions, precautions that most people are not aware off. The way it heats, the way that heat spreads, the material used to spread that heat, the amount of heat, the heated area size, the soil above the heated area, moisture levels, probe placing, the enclosure size... etc. That's why it's not recommended, not because we shouldn't.

People tend to place then beneath and voila, done, wrong! Big mistake.

If you only are providing heat, without providing any temp gradient big enough to allow them to thermorregulate (cool down or heat up), the T will be in serious trouble. Provide those gradients and the T is able to choose where it needs to move, don't do it, and you will "cook" your T. This is what causes problems, not the placement of it.

How do you believe burrows act during different season? They offer a warm spot during winter, and a cool one during the hotter seasons. With a bit of rational thinking you can mimic it easily and in a very safe way.

Anyway I use to recommend to place it in one side because it's a lot simpler and usually stupid proof. Aniway this way needs to take several precautions too, same as heating the whole room. Every option has benefits and drawbacks.

Couldn't care less about what you're saying that's not what I'm getting at. Don't tell a new keeper it's ok to keep a heat mat under a T it's that simple there are far too many ways it can go wrong. There is no reason at all to use a heat mat underneath a T enclosure. Don't do it that simple.

 

[Dorifto]

I'm gonna share all the information and experience I have, now it's his own decission to use it or not.

I'm not encouraging anybody to use it underneath, but it can be done, and quite safely, now, it's not a method I suggest simply because of it's "complications".

I'm quite fed up of people telling somebody don't do it, just afterward to not to explain them why, that's why I explained it that way.

You don't find it useful? Look elsewhere. You have a different opinion about it? Let's discuss it, everybody wins, the more trusted information we share, the better.