My tarantula only sits at heating mat, should I be worried?

[Danny Phantom]

Hello,

I don't know if this topic has been discussed already, but I couldn't find anything related to it. Which is why I decided to ask it myself.

I got my first tarantula about 3 weeks ago. She's a juvenulie GBB around 5-6 cm I'd say. I bought a heating mat since I live in country where it gets pretty cold during the night. The heating mat covers around 1/3 of the enclosure (I put it on the side of the tank).

Ever since she's been into her enclosure, she doesn't seem to move away from the heating mat. Could it be that it's still too cold for her and she needs aditional heating? I got a thermometer which shows it's around 19-20 degrees celcius during daytime. That doesn't seem too bad in my opinion, but I don't understand why she doesn't move away from the heating mat.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Brachyfan]

I personally wouldn't use a heat mat as they can kill tarantulas quite easily. Use a space heater to heat the room instead. How cold does it get at night? If you are comfortable then the tarantula is fine.

 

[PidderPeets]

Is the heat mat actually attached to the wall of the enclosure, or is it attached to insulation so it's not actually touching the enclosure? You want to avoid having a heat mat physically on the enclosure, because the tarantula will do exactly what you're experiencing. They instinctively go towards the warmth, and it often causes dehydration or even burns.

Most people recommend against heat mats in general, but they can be safely used (if not touching the enclosure). It seems to be more common practice in Europe though, so I'll leave it to someone else to explain exactly how it's done. I also know there's a few tutorial videos on here if you can find them.

19 Celsius is probably the lowest I let my tarantulas get, though many can survive slightly lower as long as it's not for an extended period of time. If that's the lowest the room gets, you don't need a heat source. But I would check the night time temps beforehand.

 

[Danny Phantom]

I personally wouldn't use a heat mat as they can kill tarantulas quite easily. Use a space heater to heat the room instead. How cold does it get at night? If you are comfortable then the tarantula is fine.

Are they that dangerous even if they only cover 1/3 of the enclosure? A space heater is fairly expensive from what I've seen. Don't most of them use around 1000W - 1500W per hour? In comparison, my heating mat only uses 8W an hour.

For the past few days it's been around -5 degrees outside. Don't know what the temperature inside is like, but it isn't comfortable for me.

 

[cold blood]

This isn't a sign that it needs warmth... tarantulas are drawn to heat like a moth to the flame. And like the moth, often drawn to their detriment.

This is why direct heat sources are so dangerous for tarantulas. A heat mat can safely be used by heating a larger enclosure with the mat on the side, and placing your tarantula enclosure within that heated enclosure. This turns a dangerous direct heat into a much safer secondary heat creating a microclimate instead of a hotspot.

A space heater heating a room is the most ideal way to warm ts. This IMO is the best kind.....safe, and fairly energy effecient compared to other heaters....its an oil filled radiator style space heater.

Space Heater

• cold blood
• Nov 18, 2017
• 5

 

[Danny Phantom]

Is the heat mat actually attached to the wall of the enclosure, or is it attached to insulation so it's not actually touching the enclosure? You want to avoid having a heat mat physically on the enclosure, because the tarantula will do exactly what you're experiencing. They instinctively go towards the warmth, and it often causes dehydration or even burns.

Most people recommend against heat mats in general, but they can be safely used (if not touching the enclosure). It seems to be more common practice in Europe though, so I'll leave it to someone else to explain exactly how it's done. I also know there's a few tutorial videos on here if you can find them.

19 Celsius is probably the lowest I let my tarantulas get, though many can survive slightly lower as long as it's not for an extended period of time. If that's the lowest the room gets, you don't need a heat source. But I would check the night time temps beforehand.

The heating mat is physically attached to the enclosure. I did not know that they were this dangerous. I don't know if it matters, but the glass of my enclosure is pretty thick (6mm). The heating mat itself gets around 24-28 degrees, so trough the surface of the glass, it should be even colder. Will it still be too hot then?

19 degrees celcius is what it's like during daytime. During the night it's definately colder than that. She definately needs a heating source of some sort. I'm just not sure what to use then, since I thought heating mats are the best choice.

This isn't a sign that it needs warmth... tarantulas are drawn to heat like a moth to the flame. And like the moth, often drawn to their detriment.

This is why direct heat sources are so dangerous for tarantulas. A heat mat can safely be used by heating a larger enclosure with the mat on the side, and placing your tarantula enclosure within that heated enclosure. This turns a dangerous direct heat into a much safer secondary heat creating a microclimate instead of a hotspot.

A space heater heating a room is the most ideal way to warm ts. This IMO is the best kind.....safe, and fairly energy effecient compared to other heaters....its an oil filled radiator style space heater.

Space Heater

• cold blood
• Nov 18, 2017
• 5

Alright, thanks alot! I will definately remove it tommorow. But unfortunately, I still gotta use it tonight, since I have no other ways to keep her warm. It gets way too cold inside during the night.

 

[Dry Desert]

Hello,

I don't know if this topic has been discussed already, but I couldn't find anything related to it. Which is why I decided to ask it myself.

I got my first tarantula about 3 weeks ago. She's a juvenulie GBB around 5-6 cm I'd say. I bought a heating mat since I live in country where it gets pretty cold during the night. The heating mat covers around 1/3 of the enclosure (I put it on the side of the tank).

Ever since she's been into her enclosure, she doesn't seem to move away from the heating mat. Could it be that it's still too cold for her and she needs aditional heating? I got a thermometer which shows it's around 19-20 degrees celcius during daytime. That doesn't seem too bad in my opinion, but I don't understand why she doesn't move away from the heating mat.

Any help would be appreciated!

If your daytime temperature in your room is 19/20 -- which is the lowest you should go to -- and you have trouble keeping warm at night, you will find your night time ambient temperature is very low. Also an 8watt mat covering only one third of the tank is not sufficient for cold ambients. Purchase a higher wattage heat mat that will cover the whole length of the tank. Mount the mat outside the tank along the back making sure it's above the substrate level, insulate the rear of the mat with thick polystyrene sheet then most importantly purchase a good quality thermostat. Mat stats that are available can take up to 100watts..Once this is complete place the probe of the thermostat between the mat and the glass of the tank. Then adjust the thermostat to achieve a good temperature close to the mat, then the T can move around the enclosure depending on your room ambient temperature and the thermostat/ mat combination should maintain the temperature 24/7. You must always use a good quality thermostat with heat mats.

 

[PidderPeets]

The heating mat is physically attached to the enclosure. I did not know that they were this dangerous. I don't know if it matters, but the glass of my enclosure is pretty thick (6mm). The heating mat itself gets around 24-28 degrees, so trough the surface of the glass, it should be even colder. Will it still be too hot then?

19 degrees celcius is what it's like during daytime. During the night it's definately colder than that. She definately needs a heating source of some sort. I'm just not sure what to use then, since I thought heating mats are the best choice.



Alright, thanks alot! I will definately remove it tommorow. But unfortunately, I still gotta use it tonight, since I have no other ways to keep her warm. It gets way too cold inside during the night.

The glass would have to be much, much thicker for it to provide enough of a buffer for the heat. I can't find any of the videos I was talking about for how to use them safely, but if I remember right, what you do is attach the heat pad to a piece of insulation/styrofoam, then use more insulation to attach the insulation & heat pad to the side of the enclosure without letting the heat pad actually touch the enclosure.

You could also go with the other method suggested, which is putting the heat mat on a larger container, and then putting the tarantula enclosure inside that larger container. Basically, you just want to avoid direct contact. The best comparison I can think of is like a stove. The warm air above the stove is warm and safe, but actually touching the stove is dangerous. In this case, the heat mat is the stove.

Another important thing is to make sure you have a thermostat attached to the heat mat, to avoid it overheating.

 

[mack1855]

Don't most of them use around 1000W - 1500W per hour?

Keep in mind,you don't need to set the oil-filled heater that @cold blood showed you,at maximum power.
Most of the better heaters let you to set the power level at various wattage.It dosent take full power/wattage
to warm your area by 3 or 4 degrees.

 

[jaw6053]

Your easiest and safest solution is what COLD BLOOD suggested in my opinion

 

[Polenth]

The heater wouldn't run constantly for hours. It switches on and off with the built-in thermostat. If you need it more accurate, you can attach it to a thermostat socket that'll turn the power on and off for the heater. You can cut costs even more by plugging up any gaps in the room where heat might escape.

One big advantage is the cost is going to be fixed regardless of how many animals are in the room. Most people who keep invertebrates end up with more than one. Heat mats quickly stop being practical.

 

[TriMac33]

The heating mat is physically attached to the enclosure. I did not know that they were this dangerous. I don't know if it matters, but the glass of my enclosure is pretty thick (6mm). The heating mat itself gets around 24-28 degrees, so trough the surface of the glass, it should be even colder. Will it still be too hot then?

19 degrees celcius is what it's like during daytime. During the night it's definately colder than that. She definately needs a heating source of some sort. I'm just not sure what to use then, since I thought heating mats are the best choice.



Alright, thanks alot! I will definately remove it tommorow. But unfortunately, I still gotta use it tonight, since I have no other ways to keep her warm. It gets way too cold inside during the night.

How cold are your lowest ambient room temps getting? I'm from Canada and we get as low as 62°f inside this time of year. I just use a small space heater. If that is a cost concern, do the enclosure in an enclosure method so that you aren't heating your main enclosure directly. It doesn't matter how thick the glass, a heat mat right on your enclosure, side or bottom, is not safe.

 

[Danny Phantom]

How cold are your lowest ambient room temps getting? I'm from Canada and we get as low as 62°f inside this time of year. I just use a small space heater. If that is a cost concern, do the enclosure in an enclosure method so that you aren't heating your main enclosure directly. It doesn't matter how thick the glass, a heat mat right on your enclosure, side or bottom, is not safe.

I'm not sure exactly how cold, but I assume it's around 12C-15C (55F - 59F) on average. My room is poorly isolated, so it can get pretty cold inside. I decided to get a small low watt heater which is enough to make it warm around the enclosure. Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[NolanRobertsIntrovert]

Hello,

I don't know if this topic has been discussed already, but I couldn't find anything related to it. Which is why I decided to ask it myself.

I got my first tarantula about 3 weeks ago. She's a juvenulie GBB around 5-6 cm I'd say. I bought a heating mat since I live in country where it gets pretty cold during the night. The heating mat covers around 1/3 of the enclosure (I put it on the side of the tank).

Ever since she's been into her enclosure, she doesn't seem to move away from the heating mat. Could it be that it's still too cold for her and she needs aditional heating? I got a thermometer which shows it's around 19-20 degrees celcius during daytime. That doesn't seem too bad in my opinion, but I don't understand why she doesn't move away from the heating mat.

Any help would be appreciated!

I don’t think heat may is a good choice
It will burn your tarantula
These are inverts not reptiles