Light

[BinarySpider]

Should tarantulas recieve light each day

If yes then how many hours

If yes is it the same # hours all year around

If yes is it the same for breeding and/or brooding

If no then is keeping them in total dark for the most part best

Mine are in a room with NO open windows so NO sunlight and they get 14 hours of flourescent light per day that is indirectly near them. The light is actually on a cage with some White's Tree Frogs. So the light is very dim near my tarantulas cages 14 hours a day and total darkness for 10 hours a day. Tempurature is about 70F at night and about 75F during the day. I have Avicularia versicolor.

BinarySpider

 

[Cirith Ungol]

T's like it (short and simple) the better, the darker it is.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I disagree..... my T room is exposed to normal light and dark with the cycle of the day. They are nocturnal by nature and without an indication of when its day and night their cycles get messed up......
NO DIRECT SUNLIGHT, direct sunlight can kill your T....... but I dont have blackout shades or dark drapes.

I dont know of to many breeders that try to keep it dark all the time..... actually I dont know any.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

I disagree..... my T room is exposed to normal light and dark with the cycle of the day. They are nocturnal by nature and without an indication of when its day and night their cycles get messed up......
NO DIRECT SUNLIGHT, direct sunlight can kill your T....... but I dont have blackout shades or dark drapes.

I dont know of to many breeders that try to keep it dark all the time..... actually I dont know any.

Guess it's just a perspective problem (from my part). All my T's besides the lividums are in my living room. I myself like it dark so all they ever get exposed to is whatever get's through the drapes during the day.
I guess I just made it confusing then with my assumption

 

[Talkenlate04]

Oh well see that light that gets through is enough for them to keep up with the time of day...... I notice on a regular basis that my Ts dont do much when the room is lite up from the sun, but as soon as it goes down they start coming out and doing this and that. I normally feed at night as well.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Oh well see that light that gets through is enough for them to keep up with the time of day...... I notice on a regular basis that my Ts dont do much when the room is lite up from the sun, but as soon as it goes down they start coming out and doing this and that. I normally feed at night as well.

Now we agree

 

[BinarySpider]

Pictures

The curtains behind the stand also have cardboard behind them that completely blocks out the sunlight. Even with the White's Tree Frog lights on 14 hours a day they are still in very dark area. Like a room at 12 noon with every window closed, very dark thick curtains, and no lights on.

You can probably see the little All-glass 20 inch aquarium light fixture that is sitting above the Avicularia versicolor cages. It has an all-glass 18 inch aquarium flourescent 15 watt bulb in it. The light is probably about 6500K which is nothing spectacular, just a very nice white light flobulb. It sits about 16 inches away from the tops of the T. cages. I use it for when I am removing dead crickets and adding live crickets.

Would you use it on the same timer as my son's White's Tree Frogs at 14 hours a day

Thanks,

Owe, I found these today at one of my local pharmacies. They are medicine cups. I got them for a dime each plus tax. I placed my pocket knife on a piece of plastic that was about a 1/2 of inch thick. Then I turned the medicine cup upside down and rotated it against my knife about 3 times. I used a pair of sharp scissors normally used to cut hair to trim around and get about a one tablespoon size container. I did this so that if a medium sized cricket falls in it can get out easily.

FYI. For those who do not know.

1 Fl.oz = 2 Tbsp = 29.57 ml

BinarySpider

 

[Lover of 8 legs]

Just because Ts are more active in low light doesn't mean that no light all of the time is good for them. Humans are more active(working not partying LOL) during daylight but I've lived and worked in areas of 24 hours of daylight and it can be very stressful. Light levels should resemble the natural environment as much as possible. They too have a body clock.

 

[phil jones]

i put my light in the ( t ) room on about 8.30 am and it turn off at 9.pm and it works ok for me and the ( t ) just act normal **** phil

 

[Pyst]

Light levels should resemble the natural environment as much as possible.

I'm going to have to disagree with this. I've kept my spiders void of natural light for more than a year and a half and all of them are doing wonderful. Even the lights in my spider room stay dimmed. I haven't had a single problem and don't foresee one in the future. Maybe more board members will jump in and give their experienced opinions.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Light levels should resemble the natural environment as much as possible.

If you have 1 or 2 T's that wouldn't be a big problem.
But lets see about three :
- Female blondis are opportunistic squatters = close to pitch dark.
- Mature male blondi, out roaming = anything, but unlikely bright light.
- Mature GBB, out roaming = any light levels, including direct sunlight.
Are you starting to see the problem?

It is a good thing to look what the environment has to say, but don't remove the T from that observation because that's what matters in the end: It's like saying that avics live in the jungle and accepting that as 100% correct and telling all of the story. It doesn't. Avics live on the outskirts of the jungle where there is a lot more wind and less humidity than in the center (source: Sheri, after a field trip).

No, I think whatever little indirect daylight they get to see is indication enough, besides, putting a tank into direct sunlight is a nono anyway. There again we come to the problem of "what is natural" vs. "what is reasonable we supply them with"...

 

[phil jones]

no natural light as no widows in the room and the ( t ) are happy with the light that i put on for them and turn off for them it works for me lol **** phil

 

[verry_sweet]

no natural light as no widows in the room and the ( t ) are happy with the light that i put on for them and turn off for them it works for me lol **** phil

Thats how it works at my house also. My B. smithi and one of my G. roseas really seem to enjoy some bright light and come out to sit in it. Those are the only ones though all the others stay hidden.


Steph

 

[VxXDJXxV]

i thought it was good for them to have some kind of light, i have UV lights on all my T's

 

[Lover of 8 legs]

My statement was "resemble the natural environment" not that they must have natural light. Also all Ts live in a world where the sun rises and sets every day. Where do the Ts exist that can thrive only in areas devoid of light?

 

[BinarySpider]

How many hours per day ?

i thought it was good for them to have some kind of light, i have UV lights on all my T's

How many hours of light per day do you use with your T's

Do you use an electric timer for your lights

Thanks,

BinarySpider

 

[phil jones]

i would not use u/v / lights NO WAY not for my ( t ) any way :? :? then that may be just me !!!

 

[BinarySpider]

How many hours of light ?

i would not use u/v / lights NO WAY not for my ( t ) any way :? :? then that may be just me !!!

How many hours of light per day do you use with your T's

Do you use an electric timer for your lights

Thanks,

BinarySpider

 

[phil jones]

from 8.30 am - 9.pm and i just do it by hand LOL

 

[VxXDJXxV]

i put mine on for about 12 hrs

i would not use u/v / lights NO WAY not for my ( t ) any way :? :? then that may be just me !!!

y wouldnt u use u/v lights phil