Housing questions: heat pads, hides for slings

astraldisaster

Arachnobaron
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Mar 5, 2011
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I'm relatively new to the hobby, and have recently become the proud owner of both an h. lividum and a GBB. I've heard both of these species like it on the warmer side, and since the temperature in my apartment this time of year tends to be around 65º, I figure I should give them each a heat source. I've purchased two small heat pads, and plan to affix them to their new tanks (which are on their way from tarantulacages.com) once they arrive. So, my question is: is it safe to stick the heat pads directly on the side of the enclosures? I've heard this is preferable to putting them on the bottom, but I also wouldn't want the Ts to get burned should they decide to crawl around the sides.

Secondly, I was wondering what sorts of hides people tend to use for slings. I also just recently got a 1" a. geniculata, and right now I'm using a small cut-in-half yogurt cup for it. However, being somewhat of an aesthete, I find this ugly and would love to replace it with something more natural-looking. Are there any companies that make really small wood or fake stone hides?

Thanks in advance!
 
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xhexdx

ArachnoGod
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I don't use hides for slings. I don't really use hides at all, actually.

It's better to put the heat mat on the side and not on the bottom, as you said. There's always a risk when you add heat, but they should be ok. Once the temps indoors get around 70, I'd take the heat pads off though.

My spider room has dropped below 65 at night quite a few times this winter, and all my spiders are fine. Keep in mind though that this is only for a few hours at a time, not constant.
 

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
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They dont need hides but will make good of them. You might want to try building your own hides out of clay. Shape them and bake them. After they are hard and cooled off, you can seal them with mod podge so they are smooth and water tight. I got the idea from "Taboomoko" on youtube. He made some nifty sling water dishes with clay. :)
 

astraldisaster

Arachnobaron
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Ah, okay, thanks. I was worried that I might be stressing the sling out by not providing anything for it to hide in/under. I hear genics tend to hang out in the open anyway...I just wanted to give it options.

As for the heat mats, it does bother me that even having them on the side is a slight risk. It's probably better than making the poor things deal with temperatures 20º below what they prefer for a couple of months, though.

---------- Post added at 11:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 PM ----------

They dont need hides but will make good of them. You might want to try building your own hides out of clay. Shape them and bake them. After they are hard and cooled off, you can seal them with mod podge so they are smooth and water tight. I got the idea from "Taboomoko" on youtube. He made some nifty sling water dishes with clay. :)
That's a fantastic idea! I should get some Sculpey and start on this right away.
 

xhexdx

ArachnoGod
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Try keeping the heat pads on for a few hours at a time, instead of constantly. This should help warm them up without as much of a risk of burning them up. The main concern with cooking spiders comes into play when they burrow and end up burrowing to the side (or bottom) of the enclosure, against the heat pad.

If your spiders haven't burrowed and have plenty of ventilation in their enclosures, this decreases the risk of cooking them as well.
 

Rob1985

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I use a heat mat attached to the back of an old 30 gal. aquarium. I made a T micro-climate with a styrofoam lid that has a few holes in it.

I place all the T's in their separate enclosures inside the aquarium with wet paper towels inside of a large glad container in there to keep the humidity up, Then a heat mat attached to that back that keeps it around 80 F.... even if my room is 60 F. I turn the heat mat off at night and it stays around 65-70 F.
 

flamesbane

Arachnobaron
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Dec 10, 2008
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If you are worried about temps getting too high use a small thermostat or rheostat like you would use for reptiles. That takes the guess work out of it.
 

grayhound

Arachnosquire
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Oct 3, 2010
Messages
65
sling water dishes

For my slings..... i put in a SMALL clam / sea shell for water...... you can buy a whole bag of them for $3 at hobby lobby or Michaels. I do however have trouble keeping the slings from filling them with substrate though..... Slings get most of their moisture from their prey anyway. And drinking mist droplets.

A friend of mine just cuts off the bottom of those REALLY small vials that slings get shipped in.....
 
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