cchardwick
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2010
- Messages
- 0
I just bought my first ever tarantula and it's a 1.5 inch King Baboon! I need some help, I'm really confused about heating and humidity. I've read posts that say to heat the tank and keep it humid, and others that say it's a waste of time. Which is it? I assume it's species specific, and for this tarantula I'm guessing it's tropical? Right now I have him in a 5.5 gallon Critter Cage, like a small glass aquarium with a sliding screen top that locks with a padlock. I first had bark chips on the bottom and he dove in and hid for several days, so I changed it out with coconut fiber, which is like a finely ground up peat moss, and I keep it moist. I also have a heat pad on the side of the tank, one for reptiles and I spray the substrate with water. I also keep a styrofoam cover on it. Ever since I changed over to the coconut fiber he crawled up to the top of the tank and balled up in the corner above the heater. The guy I bought him from said he kept it in a heated cabinet at 82 - 88 degrees, I'm guessing he is heading to the top of the tank because it's warmer? The heat pad on the side of the tank isn't very effective, I'm wondering if I should get a different kind of heater, perahps heat it from the bottom? The heat pad I bought said it wasn't recommended for tank bottom placement without tank risers to get air circulation under the tank and a special protective mat on the inside of the tank to keep reptiles from getting burned, etc. etc.. Any suggestions on heating / tank setup / humiditiy / etc...????????? I've had him for about a week and he hasn't eaten anything yet, he doesn't seem very happy. Too cold maybe?
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