Portable heaters....safe next to Ts?

[AHMR]

Hello
Ok so my T lives in my room. So she can have peace and quiet lol
I like my window open and my room chill at night to sleep(as I sleep better that way). Our actual bedroom heater is on the same dial for my son's room. He to needs a cool room to sleep(to warm makes it hard for him to breath). So our actual heaters are pretty much never turned on. Even in the winter.(as the heat from the rest of the apt keeps the rooms room temp). But even in the winter I have my window cracked for cool air at night.
Weather is starting to get cool now,as we're going into winter(western Canada winter brrrr lol) and the room gets a tad chilly at night. I've been shutting my window to ensure it stays room temp for my T's sake. But I've been having issues sleeping.
So I was thinking maybe of getting a small plug in heater to have beside her tank to help her stay warmish. But I know heat pads and lights pose safety concerns so I'm worried a plug in stand up heater could cause the same safety issues for her.
So....individual stand up heaters....safe or no?(it would be about 4-6" away from her tank aimed her way at a low setting).

 

[ledzeppelin]

Hello!

I think that as long as the glass nearest to the heater does not exceed idk lets say 30°C, you should be fine.. But you should try this on an empty tank first for some time to get consistent results.. The one problem I have with this is the wind.. tarantulas hate windy environments so this could pose a problem if the heater would blow through the vent holes of the enclosure.

 

[AHMR]

I don't think it would blow in her habitat as I'd place it a tad lower and all her ventilation is at the top of her cage. Only a small strip is on one side of the tank.
My worry is the hot spots it could potentially cause for her. But I could do a test run on the empty tank I have to see how it would effect the glass and inner environment.
Should I set it up like a real habitat or would it be ok if empty do you think? One difference would be the empty tank I have is slightly bigger and has no top.
Or maybe if I put it below her and aim it up that would be better? So it should still warm the air around her but not really come into contact with the tank at all. As she's opposite of my bed it would still allow a cracked window while she has warmth without effecting my sleep.
Worse thing I'll get a fan and sleep with that blowing at me with the window closed to keep the room warm. Even though I hate fans lol
Her comfort over mine any day. As warm air won't kill me but cold could kill her.
Altho she's a g.porteri and they are a tad more hardy.

 

[14pokies]

What species? If it's a Grammastola sp. as long as you can live in that room without supplemental heat it can also..

*Edit*

If your talking about Jello your G.porteri she is fine with temps in the low 60s during the winter..

 

[AHMR]

Ya I'm talking about Jello lol
The chilliest it's gotten in my room is where I need a thin fleece sweater on. But I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold I'm told lol(I like it chilly to sleep cuz I can wrap in blankets but cold while awake,I don't like lol)
I just know when I say I'm cold,my man says it's not that cold at all and to toughen up lol
But I'm also trying to plan ahead as Jello isn't the only spider I'll own for long lol as soon as I can afford more,I plan to get more.(probably after Christmas is done).
So in trying to find a way I can have my chilly room for sleep,but have the tank(eventually tanks) warm enough.
Worse thing I can use a fan for me or I can empty my storage room of the junk and use that as a t room lol(but if I did that I'd have to get shelving to secure the tanks down as my cat has access to that room.(it's where his litter box is).

 

[bryverine]

Ya I'm talking about Jello lol
The chilliest it's gotten in my room is where I need a thin fleece sweater on. But I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold I'm told lol(I like it chilly to sleep cuz I can wrap in blankets but cold while awake,I don't like lol)
I just know when I say I'm cold,my man says it's not that cold at all and to toughen up lol
But I'm also trying to plan ahead as Jello isn't the only spider I'll own for long lol as soon as I can afford more,I plan to get more.(probably after Christmas is done).
So in trying to find a way I can have my chilly room for sleep,but have the tank(eventually tanks) warm enough.
Worse thing I can use a fan for me or I can empty my storage room of the junk and use that as a t room lol(but if I did that I'd have to get shelving to secure the tanks down as my cat has access to that room.(it's where his litter box is).

Not sure if you considered this, but during the evening, you could use a large plastic storage tub (e.g. sterilite) as a sort of incubator by putting a heat mat inside this but not directly on the tarantula enclosure. You get the benefit of the heat mat without the danger of putting it on the tank.

You can always put a blanket over this whole thing to help insulate it from the cold (AFTER adding a heat source).

I've heard of people (@cold blood ) using water with a fish tank heater to warm up areas. This could also be used with probably even less concern than a heat mat in a closed tub.

 

[AHMR]

The heat mat wouldn't melt the plastic? I thought of that,but thought it could be a fire hazard?
I may just have to suck it up and close my window. Like I have been doing. Then get a fan to blow on me to keep me cool.
As her health is what is most important.

 

[cold blood]

Yes a heat bath is very safe and economical...its also only really usable with small enclosures or you would need a kiddie pool to put the enclosures in.

I would consider just putting the ts in a closet...at least at night. Even a slightly cracked window in the winter can bring a chilly breeze and sometimes it can have a much greater effect than other nights...open windows with ts in the room in a northern climate is just asking for tarantulasicles.

As for heaters, I use a oil filled that basically runs 24/7 from October till May...never had any negative issues aside from an extra $30 or so on the heating bill.

 

[cold blood]

The heat mat wouldn't melt the plastic? I thought of that,but thought it could be a fire hazard?
I may just have to suck it up and close my window. Like I have been doing. Then get a fan to blow on me to keep me cool.
As her health is what is most important.

Heat mats are a hobby NO NO...do not use heat mats....theyre spiders, not reptiles...save the heat mats for the snakes.

 

[FASSETT]

Honestly i was think about using a ceramic heater this winter that fits in a light socket and a temp meter to turn it on and off. You can buy them at any pet store and are used for nocturnal reptiles.

 

[AHMR]

Heat mats are a hobby NO NO...do not use heat mats....theyre spiders, not reptiles...save the heat mats for the snakes.

Oh I know
Was just thinking if I did a heat mat in a plastic tub,with the lid on it and then set her tank on top,so mat is never in contact with her tank at all.(what I envision like a incubator). But I'm thinking the mat would melt the plastic.
I'd put her in my closet but it's open to the room(no doors)so it's not any warmer.
She's in a tank that's approx 12x12x16 ish. Attached a pic to show it.
I've also thought of moving her to my living room where it's always warmish but I think that would stress her. As I have a preschooler who isn't exactly quiet lol also there my cat would always be on/by the tank I'm sure.(cat is kept out of my room for this reason).
So ya....I think I'll just keep the window closed and a fan just blowing at me.

 

[AHMR]

So what I did was rearrange my room,so I could put the shelf Jello(T) is on next to the room heater and then turned the heater on low(so it doesn't overly warm the bedrooms) so both my son and I can sleep well and she can stay warmer. Where she is,is opposite wall of the window she's in no risk of a draft.
Then I switched shelves....put her on the second and my books on the top so she's closer to the heater.
She should be ok there right?
Pic to show what I mean....
Also,the bottom container will be housing another T shortly(I'm going to the expo this weekend on the hunt for one. Aiming for a p.cancerides)....that enclosure is ok there to?
Heater is set for 20. But is a hot water heater(meaning hot water runs thru the pipes behind the metal to give off warmth. So it's not a strong heat).

 

[acrooks]

As for heaters, I use a oil filled that basically runs 24/7 from October till May...never had any negative issues aside from an extra $30 or so on the heating bill.

I've been looking to buy an oil filled radiator to supplement heat top my office/T room. I use a noisy portable space heater now, and hate it. Glad to see others are using them for this purpose.

 

[Poec54]

I use a thermostat-controlled space heater in my spider room (I haven't turned on the house furnace in 5 years). It will significantly dry the air in the room, so be sure the water bowls are kept full. When I lived up north I used a humidifier in my spider room, along with jugs of water (with the top half cut off).

 

[AHMR]

Oh I make sure water is always full and clean in the bowls.
Ya that's one thing I hate about heaters,dries the air out.
So I'll be sure to dig out my humidifiers and have them running.
I have small humidifiers meant to add essential oils to,that I can place on the shelf with the Ts(without the essential oils in them of course lol)
So that'll help with the moisture/humidity in the air for sure for them

 

[mack1855]

Honestly i was think about using a ceramic heater this winter that fits in a light socket and a temp meter to turn it on and off. You can buy them at any pet store and are used for nocturnal reptiles.

 

[mack1855]

that's what I finally decided to use.Its a 40 watt heat element.i find it keeps the temps about 80 all day.
here in Colorado,its dropping to the upper thirtys at night.So at night it keeps it in the low 70,s.
So far so good.

 

[mack1855]

heres what I'm using