Is this wise?

YearsOfDecay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
6
Okay, first things first - A big "Hi" to you all.

Now then, although a newbie when it comes to T's, I have experience with exotic pets as a former keeper of reptiles. The reasons for getting into T's....I've always wanted one, and at the moment I have no room to put my huge reptile viv lol!!!

So then, this is what I want to know.....On the spidershop website here in the UK, I noticed that on their page for setting up an enclosure using their starter package, it shows the heat mat being fixed to the INSIDE of the plastic tank (Exo Tera Faunariums)??? Surely this would be ill advised, as the potential for harming the spider is greatly increased (even if the mat is hidded behind a plastic plant), and also, heat mats don't actually heat the air, so shouldn't it therefore be fixed to the outside of the tank??? However, being plastic, would this then not be at risk of melting and worst case scenario catching fire???

Excuse my ignorance on this matter but I've always used ceramic heating elements in my viv controlled by a HabiStat pulse proportional stat so my knowledge on mats is limited and I'd like to get this sorted before I get my first T as I'm going for one of these starter packages just to get me up and running (husbandry wise).

Any help or advice on this will be greatly appreciated :confused:
 

Hobo

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Staff member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
2,208
The best place to put a heatmat is back on the shelf at the petstore, unless your place gets below 65 degrees constantly. I've kept my spiders without heatmats in a canadian winter, and they did fine. I never let it dip below 65 though.

If you do use one, then yes, you are correct. The heatmat should be placed on the outside and depending on the type of spider, on the side of the tank or at the bottom.

What kind of T are you planning on getting?
 

YearsOfDecay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
6
Thanks,

Was originally thinking of a RCF G_rosea (surprise eh? NOT lol) but to be honest I've really taken a shine to G_pulchripes at the moment, although no doubt my mind will change before I get it, like with the reptiles I used to keep, I tend to possibly over research the subject lol. Will definately be a new world terrestrial species though to start with, after that....possibly an Avic for an arboreal sp??? Who knows, either way the wife won't like it lol!!!
 

matthias

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 24, 2006
Messages
393
The best place to put a heatmat is back on the shelf at the petstore,
+1

Even if it is cold there it is better to get a radiant space heater and head up the room a little than add heat (mats, tape, or bulbs) to the cage.

Regardless most head mats are not water resistant so putting it in a viv is just asking to burn your house down.

There are some Heat Rocks, that can be in a cage and even get wet. But that is also under the "NO, BAD, Just don't do it" catigory for most animals not just T's.
 

YearsOfDecay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
6
Well, in the Autumn/Winter months here with the heating on, the room is usually at around 72F sometimes a little higher, in the summer, shouldn't have to really worry about it, just that the heating's on a timer so only comes on in the morning and evening, so would be a little concerned during the day when no-one's home and it gets a bit cold.
 

pok2010

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 12, 2010
Messages
30
i live in the UK on the coast mate... i live in the east, never have used a heat mat mate, never needed to the temps .. although not great, but i just put the heating on if it gets toooo cold :D
 

Ictinike

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
460
Just use the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Silly) theory on this..

Except in some species that have higher than "typical" environmental conditions (most likely *not* a new keeper T) if you are comfortable they will do just fine.

If you find yourself thinking it's cold most likely so are your T's. That is to say if they are in your main living areas. Some have cabinets in basements/garages/etc so this rule applies to the place in which the T's are store/housed. It may be 80 in your home but 60 in the basement so evaluate it by where they are located.

Others will post of not using extraneous heating and while again unless you find < 60 or 50F pleasing there's no need. If indeed you are one of these people then you should look into extra heating measures.

Cheers,
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
Thanks,

Was originally thinking of a RCF G_rosea (surprise eh? NOT lol) but to be honest I've really taken a shine to G_pulchripes at the moment, although no doubt my mind will change before I get it, like with the reptiles I used to keep, I tend to possibly over research the subject lol. Will definately be a new world terrestrial species though to start with, after that....possibly an Avic for an arboreal sp??? Who knows, either way the wife won't like it lol!!!
Those are all excellent choices, but what won me over was our Avicularia metallica. That fuzzy, blue, pink toed little bugger broke down my resolve of never handling, or being near when their lid was open. :D Then the addiction started and only the realization of how many tanks(we like planted naturalistic enclosures) we will actually have around when the babies grow up, has ceased our hoarding! We still have 2, maybe 3 species that we have on our wish list, but we will need to get some P. irminia off the shelf first!

............ back to the original post.....

I do wonder what the rest of the recommended startup kit is, if they have such an inaccuracy with the heat mat. It might be prudent to either post us a description/ pic/ link/ to help you out with the rest of it!(though others here may be familiar with the product, I am not) If you would rather not do that, there is a great link in my signature with tons of great information to peruse and there are stickies at the top of this forum with more.:D

Welcome to the forum! :)
 

YearsOfDecay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
6
Sure, here's a link to the product

http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/insect/product_info.php?products_id=531

and here's one to the page detailing setting it up

http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/insect/settingup.php

By all accounts, these guys are actually really good and know their stuff when it comes to spiders and I've not heard anything bad about them from anyone who's bought from them. But like I said, I've been a keeper of reptiles, and the huge viv that I have is all singing and dancing with ceramic heating elements, pulse stats etc and is all wood and glass, so this type of enclosure set up is new to me lol
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
1. Large Exo Terra Faunarium (Enclosure)
2. Coir Block (Substrate)
3. 4" x 6" Heat Mat (Heater)
4. Small Exo Terra Water Bowl (Water Bowl)
5. Half a Flower Pot (Shelter)
6. Exo Terra Disc Thermometer & Hygrometer
7. Small Plastic Plant, Moss & Bark Chips (Decoration)


You do not need number 3,6, or 7. I can't seem to find the price they are asking for all of that, but I bet it is waaaay too high.

If you are getting an adult T, you can buy either the same type enclosure they have there for a terrestrial(Kritter Keeper) from a L(ocal)P(et)S(tore), or you can get a small fish tank(we use 10 gallon, because of the cheaper cost)

Coconut Coir is a good substrate to use, but peat and potting soil are too and can be cheaper. You will need to be able to fill your enclosure enough to only allow about a legspan and a half from the top of substrate to the top of the enclosure. This is to prevent falls if they decide to try out the arboreal life. Bark is generally called a no-no for tarantulas, because of the abrasiveness of it, so it is unnecessary. You can get plain sphagnum moss if you want a mossy look, but it isn't required or needed.

A water bowl can be as simple as a peanut butter lid, or you can get a similar water dish to what they have in the kit, from a LPS.

Flower pots(terra cotta) are super cheap if you want to use that as a hide, but once again there are other options such as cork bark.

You have no need for the Thermometer or the Hygrometer, unless you plan to be breeding. Humidity is pretty easy to get the hang of and it doesn't have to be an exact number. Some maintain almost all species with just a large water dish, so no need to fret over specifics. If you afraid of the house temp getting too low, I am pretty sure a thermometer could be purchased separately for cheaper.

Like I said though, I could not find a price. Personally though I wouldn't get the kit regardless, it has unneeded items that your will be charged for.
 

YearsOfDecay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
6
Thanks for that, although I have got the kit coming, but I got it brand new off of eBay mega cheap so haven't had a large outlay money wise. On the spidershop site it costs around £35 then add the £11 postage, so it's quite costly from there I guess.

Again, thanks for your input :)
 
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