Heating

[Kodi]

So before I even ask any questions I'm gonna guess that everyone is going to suggest a space heater, but it's summer and I definitely don't want my bedroom 75+ degrees. I'm trying to increase the temperature of my tarantulas enclosures to encourage growth, but I'm not sure what the best approach is. I do have an infrared thermometer so whatever I do decide to do I can measure the exact temperature in any area of the enclosure that I want.
I was thinking a heating pad under the enclosures that has different settings (The human kind, not reptile) with a timer attached to keep the temperature right where I want it during the day and night. Does anyone else have any other methods or suggestions?

 

[shining]

What's your room's temperature?

 

[Sana]

I wouldn't personally use any kind of heat pad. I honestly wouldn't heat individual enclosures at all. Unfortunately if I went higher temps I take the safe route and run a space heater. I understand the agony of having a super warm bedroom. Mine averages 75-80F year round. The spiders love it and I just live with it.

 

[cold blood]

Don't use a pad, even one for humans, those things also get crazy hot.

If you have slings or small enclosures, you could set up a heat bath, easy and economical, and it won't effect your rooms temperature at all.

 

[Venom1080]

i don think youre going to get any answer besides space heater. if its warm enough, open the window.

 

[ratluvr76]

So before I even ask any questions I'm gonna guess that everyone is going to suggest a space heater, but it's summer and I definitely don't want my bedroom 75+ degrees. I'm trying to increase the temperature of my tarantulas enclosures to encourage growth, but I'm not sure what the best approach is. I do have an infrared thermometer so whatever I do decide to do I can measure the exact temperature in any area of the enclosure that I want.
I was thinking a heating pad under the enclosures that has different settings (The human kind, not reptile) with a timer attached to keep the temperature right where I want it during the day and night. Does anyone else have any other methods or suggestions?

as asked by another user... what is the temperature in your room? For the most part, if you are comfortable, your tarantulas are comfortable too, unless you like to keep your room in the 60's temp wise. I really don't recommend using any kind of heat pad/mat/rock or lamps. Even if you do manage to regulate the temperature in the enclosure at, for instance, 75-80 degrees, which would be great for increasing a T's metabolism, I'm not sure it would be such a great idea. The major reason I can think of would be that kind of direct heat in the enclosure can be very drying. If the ambient temp in the enclosure is 75 - 80, then most likely the temp in the substrate could run as high as 85. Even if the T stays on the surface and is not subjected to that level of heat, that can be very desiccating. T's are susceptible to that. The best thing to do imo, is use a space heater if you really feel you HAVE to supplement the heat. But really, ambient room temperature is fine. Please don't take a chance and use a heat pad.. of any kind.

 

[Kodi]

@shining @ratluvr76 The temperature averages about 65. I understand the tarantulas are perfectly fine at room temperature. I'm only trying to speed up growth to exit the fragile spiderling stage. And of course I would do extensive testing with the settings and temperature of different areas, without a tarantula in the picture, if I chose to try a heating pad.
@cold blood A heat bath?

 

[ratluvr76]

@shining @ratluvr76 The temperature averages about 65. I understand the tarantulas are perfectly fine at room temperature. I'm only trying to speed up growth to exit the fragile spiderling stage. And of course I would do extensive testing with the settings and temperature of different areas, without a tarantula in the picture, if I chose to try a heating pad.
@cold blood A heat bath?

65 is pretty cool. I think it's on the low end of the "safe" temp range tbh. Still, I would not suggest a heat mat or pad for the reasons I pointed out earlier. Testing and settings and all of that is fine, but it's all fun and games until something goes wrong weeks or even months down the road. Why take the chance? Could you just get a small space heater placed about 2feet away. Maybe in a corner so that it helps keep the rest of the room a bit cooler? It will raise the temps in the rest of the room sure, but not too much I don't think. But still, it's your spiders, your choice.

 

[Kodi]

65 is pretty cool. I think it's on the low end of the "safe" temp range tbh. Still, I would not suggest a heat mat or pad for the reasons I pointed out earlier. Testing and settings and all of that is fine, but it's all fun and games until something goes wrong weeks or even months down the road. Why take the chance? Could you just get a small space heater placed about 2feet away. Maybe in a corner so that it helps keep the rest of the room a bit cooler? It will raise the temps in the rest of the room sure, but not too much I don't think. But still, it's your spiders, your choice.

Thank you for respecting the "your choice" aspect of the hobby. Many people on this forum forget about that. I'll browse Walmart for mini space heaters. I'm still open to other suggestions.

 

[ratluvr76]

Thank you for respecting the "your choice" aspect of the hobby. Many people on this forum forget about that. I'll browse Walmart for mini space heaters. I'm still open to other suggestions.

well, in all honesty I kind of tend to go with what the most experienced keepers recommend. The reason for this is most of these people, old timers I mean, have been dealing with Tarantulas for years, some of them decades and in those years and decades they have seen a LOT. They recommend not using heat pads and direct heating options because they have had experience with them. Friends of theirs that have been dealing with T's for decades have experiences with them and they have learned that it's not really a safe option and that there are better ways.

hopefully @cold blood will be able to chime in soon and tell you about the heat baths he uses. For smaller spiders, I think the heat baths may actually better then the space heaters but I don't have any personal experience with that.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

But... Christ... it's that cold in Transylvania, ops pardon, Pennsylvania?

 

[Kodi]

But... Christ... it's that cold in Transylvania, ops pardon, Pennsylvania?

It's mid 70's right now, but we have fans in the windows constantly. The boyfriend wouldn't agree with an 80 degree bedroom let alone entire apartment.

 

[Kodi]

We vampires prefer the cold.

 

[cold blood]

• @shining @ratluvr76 The temperature averages about 65. I understand the tarantulas are perfectly fine at room temperature. I'm only trying to speed up growth to exit the fragile spiderling stage. And of course I would do extensive testing with the settings and temperature of different areas, without a tarantula in the picture, if I chose to try a heating pad.

@cold blood A heat bath?

For a sling, 65 is too cold, but its not like they need to be hot, 70 is a good starting point, anything above that is gravy and purely up to the owner, I wouldn't want to sleep in an 80 degree room either, but 70-72 is a perfectly comfortable temp, summer or winter, so if you used a space heater, it wouldn't need to really heat the toom up that much, and only when the temps dip below 70.

If you have small enough enclosures, like with slings, can use an aquarium heater, which is neither expensive, or costly to run and pretty darn accurate. I fill a tub with water, submerge a platform (anything will do), put another smaller tub or Tupperware and put a little water in the bottom of that (just enough to submerge the bottoms of your enclosures in), then I place that in the large tub on the platform...I do this strictly or stability, you don't want slings dumped in the water, regardless of how high they float. The heater goes in the big tub and I keep a thermometer in the water to monitor the temps.

The only maintenance you need to do is keep it filled with water as it evaporates, you can't have an aquarium heater exposed to air, it needs to be submerged.

Back when I used this method I got great growth rates, although the heated bottom does very much encourage burrowing. No worries though, as the water not only keeps the temp from rising too high in any one place, but it makes for consistent, gentle heating without hot or cold spots. Looks something like this.

1108140016 (1)

• cold blood
• Jan 28, 2016
• 5

 

[Chris LXXIX]

We vampires prefer the cold.

<--- Eek!

 

[Kodi]

For a sling, 65 is too cold, but its not like they need to be hot, 70 is a good starting point, anything above that is gravy and purely up to the owner, I wouldn't want to sleep in an 80 degree room either, but 70-72 is a perfectly comfortable temp, summer or winter, so if you used a space heater, it wouldn't need to really heat the toom up that much, and only when the temps dip below 70.

If you have small enough enclosures, like with slings, can use an aquarium heater, which is neither expensive, or costly to run and pretty darn accurate. I fill a tub with water, submerge a platform (anything will do), put another smaller tub or Tupperware and put a little water in the bottom of that (just enough to submerge the bottoms of your enclosures in), then I place that in the large tub on the platform...I do this strictly or stability, you don't want slings dumped in the water, regardless of how high they float. The heater goes in the big tub and I keep a thermometer in the water to monitor the temps.

The only maintenance you need to do is keep it filled with water as it evaporates, you can't have an aquarium heater exposed to air, it needs to be submerged.

Back when I used this method I got great growth rates, although the heated bottom does very much encourage burrowing. No worries though, as the water not only keeps the temp from rising too high in any one place, but it makes for consistent, gentle heating without hot or cold spots. Looks something like this.

1108140016 (1)

• cold blood
• Jan 28, 2016
• 5

Intuitive! Why do you prefer this method over a heating pad?

 

[cold blood]

Intuitive! Why do you prefer this method over a heating pad?

because heating pads are dangerous, theyre too hot...way too hot, they dry the enclosure as well and provide a hot spot, which ts often aren't inclined to move off of.

Like I said: "No worries though, as the water not only keeps the temp from rising too high in any one place, but it makes for consistent, gentle heating without hot or cold spots"

 

[Kodi]

So after moving recently I finally set up my desk in the spare room (storage room full of crap that has no place yet) where my T's now reside. The room is usually closed and no fans so the temperature is at a perfect 80 degrees with no heating or cooling. Let the growing begin.

 

[bryverine]

So after moving recently I finally set up my desk in the spare room (storage room full of crap that has no place yet) where my T's now reside. The room is usually closed and no fans so the temperature is at a perfect 80 degrees with no heating or cooling. Let the growing begin.

Another option I didn't see mentioned is to put them in a closet or a cupboard with a heater.

I can keep a cool house and keep my tarantulas warm much easier this way. I know you figured it out, but just thought I'd offer food for thought.

 

[antinous]

How large is your collection? For juvies and slings I make an incubator using a styrofoam ice chest and a heat pad. This helps me keep them around 87 during the day and 80 during the night.


What you'll need:
Styrofoam Ice Chest/Cooler
RELIABLE Thermostat (I use an old Herpstat 2)
Heating Pad - needs to fit along the sides inside the ice chest (I use a UTH)

First, I made a small indent on the lip of the ice chest to allow the wires (temperature probe and heat mat) to run out to make sure there aren't any openings when you close the chest.

Second, you're done! Just add in your heat mat and hook it up to your thermostat (give it a run for a day without anything in it to make sure no malfunctions occur) and then add in the enclosures and watch the growth spurt increase! Make sure to spot clean as often as possible as they can mold up a bit faster in the increased temps.

I know this was pretty much simple, but if don't have the money to make a heated cabinet/shelf (like I did), this works pretty good.