Red light's for the tarantula room.

[SpaceM]

Although i'm sure this is something many people here are fully aware of I just wanted to bring up the brilliance of having a red light for night viewing. Since i installed red led's in my cabinet i've been able to see my T's being much more active at night and displaying natural behaviours like hunting and webbing. Not to mention some species (like P.murinus, P.irmina, C.minax) which i would probably never see if i didn't have it. I'd highly recommend that anyone who keeps tarantulas and doesn't already have one to get one.

Would anyone else agree or am i over hyping them?

 

[nicodimus22]

I just use a $10 red flashlight. It would take a lot more money to light all my shelves with LEDs. But it is nice to see them when they're more active, and the reclusive ones actually come out.

 

[viper69]

Although i'm sure this is something many people here are fully aware of I just wanted to bring up the brilliance of having a red light for night viewing. Since i installed red led's in my cabinet i've been able to see my T's being much more active at night and displaying natural behaviours like hunting and webbing. Not to mention some species (like P.murinus, P.irmina, C.minax) which i would probably never see if i didn't have it. I'd highly recommend that anyone who keeps tarantulas and doesn't already have one to get one.

Would anyone else agree or am i over hyping them?

Over hyping- I’ve used a blue light instead that simulates the moon. Makes it easier to see than using a red light of course, and doesn’t affect their behavior.

 

[MrTwister]

I have colour changing leds on the T shelf. During the night they are on red and I see some of the more photo sensitive critters out.

 

[Predacons5]

Yeah, I agree with viper69. I use a blue pen light and the blue light from the cellphone and pretty much all my T's just sit there like nothing happened. I don't think it is the color of light that bothers them. I use blue colored lights (and bright ones at that) all the time - even on the most skittish species I have, and they are unaffected by the color of the light.

I think it could be movements or wind vibrations or ground vibrations or something. I think they visually sense movement more than light. Some T's come out during the day in the wild and it doesn't bother them much. If it is a sudden shining of the light or turning on of the light - this freaks them out. That is perceived as a sudden movement. Sudden, quick bursts of movement or persistent frantic type of movements can be interpreted as the movements of a hunting predator. If things are done slow and steady, the T's just sit there and do nothing - even if you're moving the entire container they're in (yes, even Pokies will sit there and do nothing if you pick up the container nice and slow with no sudden jerky movements).

It would be interesting to test this out...

If anyone has dimmable lights in a room, they can try going from a completely dark room to a room with full on bright lights, but try to do it very slowly and gradually and see if the T's start bolting. If they don't do anything, then you can try putting some T's in a completely dark room with a light switch that only turns on and off, and then try going from a dark room to a bright room all of a sudden and see what happens. If the T's don't do anything when the lights are turned on gradually, but the T's with the light switch do bolt when the lights are turned on, then you'll know if it is because of the sudden changes/movements.

Next time you want to look at your T's in a dark room or at night, try turning on the lights away from the T's enclosures and then slowly move the light over the animal.

While I was typing this, I just used a blue pen light to look at some of my T's, but I moved it around slowly. One of the T's was out in the open - it just continued sitting there without flinching.

I don't have special red lights, and I see some of my T's web up all the time in normal lighting in the evening hours or sometimes during the day. They are less likely to be active if they sense it is not safe to come out and play.

 

[chanda]

I have a portable red light that I sometimes use in the classroom to let my students observe some of the night-active species hunting (though really, it's more for the crayfish and the centipedes - the tarantulas seem less concerned about just the regular room lights).

 

[Asgiliath]

Sounds really cool! I had a regular flashlight to look into my T Stirmi’s deep hide sometimes but I do worry that it annoys the shit out of her.....?

Sounds really cool! I had a regular flashlight to look into my T Stirmi’s deep hide sometimes but I do worry that it annoys the shit out of her.....?

“Use” not “had” wth

 

[LurkingUnderground]

I have a clock in my room that has a low blue light and my H. Javana in the closet trying to make it as dark as possible. But will the Alarm clock light disrupt him/her at night.
The clock is an iHome iBT232 I put the light dimmer at low. I also have a printer that has green light in my room

 

[Teal]

I just use my regular ol' little bedside lamp and I get to see all the Ts doing all their spoodery things. None of mine seem particularly photosensitive... no one bolts when I turn on the lamp or use a small torch to look at them closely.

 

[LurkingUnderground]

I just use my regular ol' little bedside lamp and I get to see all the Ts doing all their spoodery things. None of mine seem particularly photosensitive... no one bolts when I turn on the lamp or use a small torch to look at them closely.

Yeah but I hear the Stoney Huntsman is and I got one for free. I just wanna make sure they eat. Are able to hunt. Have the light level they need. All that

 

[Dry Desert]

Yeah but I hear the Stoney Huntsman is and I got one for free. I just wanna make sure they eat. Are able to hunt. Have the light level they need. All that

Just leave them be, they will hunt and eat when you are asleep mostly anyway. They will however get used to any sort of low light in time. Red lighting is used mainly so the keeper can observe for longer. I use blue moon light bulbs and they are more pleasing to the eye and my scorpions don't mind the moon light , more natural nocturnally I assume.

 

[laservet]

I have a headlamp with red leds, in addition to showing me some neat behaviors it allows me to focus my macro lens in the dark.