New tarantula!

SIOBHANBAKER

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 3, 2018
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9
It looks like the heat mat, well 1 of them is underneath the enclosure. That's a big no no. Is he a mature male (MM)?
It’s just one Heat mat underneath. Would you advice putting it on the side? I had it on the side originally but the spider literally laid sideways against it.

He is a male but I wasn’t told how old he was :)

Staying away from this Heat Mat vs. Americans debate...

If he hasn't been moving much or showing interest in anything, just give him some time. Some Ts take just a few days to get settled in, some take several weeks. My chalcodes took 3 weeks to finally start acting "normal." And even after that Ts don't move much anyway!
Thankyou for that, I know they don’t move much but I’m just worried he’s dehydrated as he’s not eating. Thanks though :)
 
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basin79

ArachnoGod
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It’s just one Heat mat underneath. Would you advice putting it on the side? I had it on the side originally but the spider literally laid sideways against it.

He is a male but I wasn’t told how old he was :)
100% it needs to be on the side. That's what I put in my OP. Side or back. But it needs some sort of insulation behind it or the heat will just be wasted.
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
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498
Thankyou for that, I know they don’t move much but I’m just worried he’s dehydrated as he’s not eating. Thanks though :)
I wouldn't worry about that, I've only caught my T drinking twice but obviously she drinks more than that. As long as you've given him everything he needs just give him time and he should be fine.
 

SIOBHANBAKER

Arachnopeon
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Dec 3, 2018
Messages
9
100% it needs to be on the side. That's what I put in my OP. Side or back. But it needs some sort of insulation behind it or the heat will just be wasted.
Okay I will do that now ! He’s just moved around the tank abit so he must be kinda ok!!!
 

The Seraph

Arachnolord
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Sep 14, 2018
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601
He is a male but I wasn’t told how old he was :)
Unfortunate. Males do not live long after maturing, only a few weeks/months/maybe a year. Their only purpose will be to reproduce and they will ignore food and water to do so. He looks mature, or almost mature, so he must be at least 5-8 years old. If it was female it would have lived decades.
 

SIOBHANBAKER

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 3, 2018
Messages
9
I wouldn't worry about that, I've only caught my T drinking twice but obviously she drinks more than that. As long as you've given him everything he needs just give him time and he should be fine.
Okay thankyou ! Think it seems he just needs to settle in :)
 

Minty

@londontarantulas
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Messages
488
I run hot. Unless I'm ill. Handy in winter as it's great in a shorts and vest/t-shirt. But summer, or anything over 10c is bloody awful.
Agree that hot temps in summer are awful. I keep the thermostat at 22°C.
 

boina

Lady of the mites
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That's not only a male, that's a mature male. Unless you want to breed you have been ripped off by the store. That tarantula is only going to live one more year, two years tops, he will hardly ever eat, just run around and wear himself out in search for a female and then die. He should be with a breeder who has females of the species.

Your enclosure is too wet. There are drops of water against the side - a really big red flag. Do not mist. They don't need humidity. They need slightly - slightly! - moist substrate.

Is that a cardboard role? Take it out. It will rot and make your spider sick. As a hide it's useless and too small anyway.

Heat mats under the tank are only good for cooking spiders. He will be drawn to it, like a moth to flame, and like the moth he will burn, or in this case dessicate. The ONLY way to use heat mats is the one @basin79 described and don't set the thermostat too high.
 

cold blood

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100% it needs to be on the side. That's what I put in my OP. Side or back. But it needs some sort of insulation behind it or the heat will just be wasted.
See what I was talking about with regards to how people want to use mats.

OP, the t gravitating to the mat is precisely why they can be so dangerous....ts are drawn to heat like a moth to a flame....and like the moth, draw to their detriment.

Mats can work, but as illustrated, not in direct contact and not in conventional fashion. Another option is to heat a larger enclosure with the mat on the side, and place the ts enclosure inside that....like basins method, takes direct heat and turns it to a much safer secondary heat.

All us northerners are getting a good chuckle about your perception of cold....it's truly baffling that you don't turn on your heat....heating costs are a basic part of living in a cold climate....but, your call.

As for the t, being that its a mature male, it's naturally going to wander a lot, have a very poor appetite, and head on an eventual downward spiral. Just keep the water dish full for him.

The warmer a MM is kept, the shorter his time will last....just so you are aware.
 

basin79

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See what I was talking about with regards to how people want to use mats.

OP, the t gravitating to the mat is precisely why they can be so dangerous....ts are drawn to heat like a moth to a flame....and like the moth, draw to their detriment.

Mats can work, but as illustrated, not in direct contact and not in conventional fashion. Another option is to heat a larger enclosure with the mat on the side, and place the ts enclosure inside that....like basins method, takes direct heat and turns it to a much safer secondary heat.

All us northerners are getting a good chuckle about your perception of cold....it's truly baffling that you don't turn on your heat....heating costs are a basic part of living in a cold climate....but, your call.

As for the t, being that its a mature male, it's naturally going to wander a lot, have a very poor appetite, and head on an eventual downward spiral. Just keep the water dish full for him.

The warmer a MM is kept, the shorter his time will last....just so you are aware.
I'm still baffled why mats are so misunderstood for inverts even by pet shops when the correct info is out there on the WWW.

There are 3 reasons (for me) why a mat 100% shouldn't be used under an enclosure.

1) Thermal blocking. The substrate stops the heat for dissipating and it creates a hot spot that can cause a fire.

2) As above. The substrate will stop any heat actually getting into the enclosure. If the correct depth is used. But if deep substrate was used see above. Again.

3) It's natural for an invert to dig down if it gets too hot. Digging down will just result in getting hotter.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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I almost never heat my spiders and they do fine, if I do I just use the house’s heating


You Englishmen and your freezing temps, mid twenties is perfect weather. Leaving for WA tomorrow and the forecast is pretty mild for a WA summer
That's ridiculous. I was mincing chicken carcasses in my dad's outdoor shed yesterday in a vest and shorts. Door open. It was 3c. I was warm.
 

Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
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Oct 21, 2017
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672
That's ridiculous. I was mincing chicken carcasses in my dad's outdoor shed yesterday in a vest and shorts. Door open. It was 3c. I was warm.
Now that is ridiculous. I’m cold enough in winter clothing when it’s 10 degrees C
 

The Grym Reaper

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You Englishmen and your freezing temps, mid twenties is perfect weather.
25°C is about as hot as I can tolerate. The cold I can deal with. I do my shop/post office runs in shorts and a hoody, last one I did was Monday and it was 5°C and raining.
 

Teal

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Now that is ridiculous. I’m cold enough in winter clothing when it’s 10 degrees C
I would die of heatstroke if I wore winter clothing in 10°C lol

25°C is about as hot as I can tolerate. The cold I can deal with. I do my shop/post office runs in shorts and a hoody, last one I did was Monday and it was 5°C and raining.
25°C is way too hot! 5°C is better... but I am out working dogs in the morning in a t shirt and jeans in -1°C. If I want to wear long sleeves, it has to be like -6°C... and forget wearing a sweatshirt unless there is a serious windchill along with it lol
 

Thekla

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Oct 13, 2017
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That's ridiculous. I was mincing chicken carcasses in my dad's outdoor shed yesterday in a vest and shorts. Door open. It was 3c. I was warm.
Aye. I run really hot. Far too hot of the UK. Really frustrating unless it's winter.
Has your thyroid gland been checked recently?

And just to make it clear, I'm only half-joking. ;) I suffered from hyperthyroidism a few years back and back then I walked around in a t-shirt in winter (and I'm a woman! :p), still too warm.
 
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