Regarding temperature and humidity; Safetly heating your T's enclosures.

[Fran]

Its very common to ask what are the proper temps and humidity for your tarantulas,and how to achieve those readings...
Well, first things first.

I'm sure all of us have heared that keeping tarantulas at room temperature is fine for them. But we need to specify.
Room temp is a pretty wide term.Some people loves to be home at 65F while some others wont go any lower than 83F, so room temp...What is room temp?
If your home is somewhere between 68F and 90F, most of the tarantulas will be "fine", that means, you wont really need any extra source of heat in order for them to feed, grow and live in your tanks.

But we need to consider a couple of factors. Tarantulas have a very slow metabolism to begin with, and if you keep most of them on the low side (Under mid 70's), specially those native to the jungles of Central/South America, their feeding patterns are gonna decrease considerably, which means that they are gonna be even less active and they are gonna grow quite slower.
There are species like Lasiodora that will grow quite fast pretty much anyway you keep them...but some others are gonna take many years to reach their adult stage.



So its recommended to keep the temps a bit higher, at least in the mid/high 70's.
I personally consider the region of origin of where they came from and try to emulate the average temperature and humidity of their respective natural homes.

Now, if you need to provide heat to reach such temperatures, then you have several ways to achieve your goal.Ill give you 4 examples:

1: Heating your home/the room where you have your T's.
Heating the entire room where you have your T's will be the most "natural like" way, but most likely the most expensive.

2: Using a space heater ,near to to the tanks.
You need to make sure the heater is not really close to any of the tanks, extreme heat will kill your tarantulas.


3:Ceramic bulbs/heaters. You can find them in your local pet stores.They have different types and different sizes, make sure you get one that will fit your tank and your budget. If you keep your T's in a closet, you can get higher wattage and heat the entire rack of tanks.
As an example, a 50 W bulb will be enough to heat a 10G tank. It will increase around 8-10 degrees the temperature in the tank.
Make sure you don't put the heater right on top of your enclosure, but tilted.
Those ceramic heaters will dry out pretty fast the tank, so you need to find a way to provide heat without desiccate your animal or overheat it.

http://www.spiralysis.com/eBay/exoterra100wceramic.jpg


4: Heat mat.
This is the least of my recommendations because, normally, they are way too expensive for the very little heat they emit. Put them on the upper side of the walls of your tank and never under the tank.
You will need to make sure the wall of the tank doesn't get too hot, it could literally burn your pet.



Now lets talk about humidity.
Most of the T;s, specially New World tarantulas that come from rain forest of South America, will need a high humidity environment.
This is extremely importantfor them, an extremely dry enclosure could kill in a matter of days most of the NW species.

High relative humidity will be between 70% and 100%. Most of the NW T's will be comfortable between 70% 90%.(Except a few exceptions, thats why it is a mustto do research of the specie you are keeping prior taking any determination).

To achieve those levels you have several options:

1 and foremost: Keep a large, full and clean water dish, at all times. Only if you are keeping slings under 1-2 inches you wouldn't require one, but you would have to make extra sure the substrate is really moist/very regular mistings.

2: Keep always a moist substrate. Moist, but not damp.
You need to be able to squeeze the substrate and make it compact, but never too wet that you can easily drain water out of it.
Damp substrate is a substrate full of mites, sooner or later.

3: Regular mistings. Mistings are recommended to those species that require a moderated/high humidity levels. Make sure you don't spry directly to your pet,that will stress it.

4: Cover part of the lid of your enclosure.
That will help to maintain the humidity and the heat, but allow a good amount of hair flow at all times.


I hope this thread can be helpful and has helped you to provide your pets with the proper cares.
Remember, tarantulas are easy to take care of , but it is your hobby,put a little effort, research the specie you are keeping and give them the care they need, is the least you can do for them.



PS: I think this could be a good sticky thread. Thanks,Fran.

 

[Sevenrats]

I disagree.

Tarantulas position themselves within their environment to maintain their conditions. Desert species are not out in the sun and heat they're under the ground in a 65 degree burrow.

The ideal conditions for almost all of them is 70 to 75 degrees. Not the extremes of their natural habitat.

I've raised a lot of slings in 65 to 75 degree temps. No trouble.

 

[ghordy]

Now lets talk about humidity.
Most of the T;s, specially New World tarantulas that come from rain forest of South America, will need a high humidity environment.

Here you need to be more specific. You say "most of the T's" need a high humidity environment... but that's simply not true.

 

[Fran]

Most of the NW taranulas come from the rain forest.
Theres no question about that.

I pointed out several times that there are expecptions and that you should RESEARCH first.

 

[Fran]

I disagree.

Tarantulas position themselves within their environment to maintain their conditions. Desert species are not out in the sun and heat they're under the ground in a 65 degree burrow.

The ideal conditions for almost all of them is 70 to 75 degrees. Not the extremes of their natural habitat.

I've raised a lot of slings in 65 to 75 degree temps. No trouble.

 

[Exo]

I get the impression that temperature is probably not all that important. I keep most of my Ts at about 68-72F and they all eat like pigs and are quite active. They will grow faster at higher temps and they also seem to breed better, but for day to day keeping I don't see the point of keeping them hot.

I do however feel that humidity is important for proper molting, at least for the rainforest species. I know it is of the utmost importance for many scorpions, so I feel it may be just as important for many tarantulas. This may explain why T.blondi are notorious for having molting problems.

 

[BCscorp]

Most of the NW taranulas come from the rain forest.
Theres no question about that.

I pointed out several times that there are expecptions and that you should RESEARCH first.

Heres a post by the Tarantula Whisperer himself regarding this topic.

Then you need to read http://www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html ASAP!



Way overkill! How big (or tiny) are these supposed to be? It doesn't really matter because you can keep them in one of these arrangements and save your money for another tarantula! Pill bottles from a drug store also work well.



Here's the basic setup:

Size: The smallest width or diameter of the floor area should be 2 to 3 times the leg span of the spiderling. Be generous about changing to a larger container as they grow.

Ventilation: If you can, drill or melt 6 to 10 holes through the container walls, around the top of the container. They MUST be small enough that the spiders can't get out. For many baby tarantulas 1/8" IS WAY TOO BIG! Be careful that the cover won't plug them when you put it in place.

If you can't put the holes in the side walls you'll have to put them through the lid as we did in the photo.

Substrate: Use pure horticultural peat. Others have suggested shredded coconut husk but it sometimes molds or rots more than peat. Horticultural vermiculite was used for many years, but is falling out of favor now. It's too fluffy and unstable. Others recommend mixtures of several of these, but there's little or no advantage to using mixtures (the spiderlings grow well anyway), and the added work and expense ordinarily can't be justified.

Use a layer at least 1" (2.5 cm) deep. We preferred 1-1/2" to 2".

Moisture/Humidity: What substrate you use should be damp enough that it'll retain the shape of your fist if you squeeze it hard, but should be dry enough that you can't squeeze water out of it. Maintain this level of dampness over time by occasional slight additions of tap water. Use distilled or bottled water only if your tap water is extremely heavily laden with salt or minerals, or has a really bad smell.

Temperature: Room temperature is just fine as long you're comfortable. If you live in a cold basement a reptile heating pad may be justifiable, but apply it to the side of the cage, not the bottom. Usually, spiderlings live and grow just fine at room temperature, so don't obsess about this.

Feeding: Feed baby crickets. Pinheads (newly hatched crickets) are fairly easy to produce in quantity, so if you need them get back to us for instructions. Larger crickets are best bought from a neighborhood pet shop. When you get a lot of tarantulas you might consider breeding one or another of the tropical cockroaches to feed them.

The general rule of thumb is that the cricket or cockroach shouldn't be larger than the abdomen of the tarantula. Feed 4 to 6 a week. Some of us throw all the food in at once. If you have a lot of time to waste you can feed one cricket at a time. It really doesn't matter to the tarantula. If you have to miss a feeding now and again (e.g., crickets didn't come in or you were on holiday), it's okay. Feed them normally when you can again and they'll do just fine. Just don't make a regular practice of starving them!

Best of luck. Enjoy your newfound little buddies!

 

[equuskat]

I live in Florida, so temperature-wise, I can't really comment. My home is never below 60 degrees or so, and that's only at night. None of my spiders have ever suffered for it.

Yes, SOME SPECIES (T. blondi, maybe?) need high humidity (70-90%) but most? Nah. Definitely not. Many species common in the pet trade are from scrublands or desert. There is not a single enclosure in my entire collection with "moist" substrate. In fact, I don't have water bowls in most enclosures. Why? Well, they fill up with dirt anyway and there's no point. I also don't mist any terrestrials. Ever. I only mist the arboreals, and only because they drink off of the sides of the container and the web. SO, how do I water my Ts? Wet a corner of the substrate 2-3 times a week and guess what? They all thrive. I've NEVER lost an adult spider, save for mature males and one A. avic that came to me already in poor shape. Again, I'm in Florida, things don't dry out as fast her as they do in, say, Las Vegas.

Edit: just wanted to add that yes, slings do need a little bit more frequent watering, but mine are not kept all that moist. I try to let them dry out, at least mostly, between waterings. If they need a little water in between, I'll put just one drop on the substrate near the sling. It seems to work well without re-soaking the 'strate. I do not heat my slings at all.

Captivity is NOT the wild. We are not capable of reproducing the exact conditions of a South American rainforest or a barren desert. Because our spiders thrive in whatever conditions which we find comfortable, they exhibit the adaptability that has helped them thrive with very few evolutionary changes for hundreds of thousands of years.

Also, there's no such word as "specie".

"Species" is a singular term as well as plural.

Fran, the bottom line is that just because people aren't doing the same things that you are doesn't mean that they are WRONG. Most people are able to adapt their keeping to their environment. An attentive keeper knows when it is time to water or when a spider is too cold.

 

[Fran]

Yes, SOME SPECIES (T. blondi, maybe?) need high humidity (70-90%) but most? Nah. Definitely not.

There are several specie that need high humidity.

. There is not a single enclosure in my entire collection with "moist" substrate. In fact, I don't have water bowls in most enclosures. Why? Well, they fill up with dirt anyway and there's no point.

You are taking a very poor care of your tarantulas. Not keeping water dishes? Excellent job.

Also, there's no such word as "specie".

"Species" is a singular term as well as plural.

English is not my first language, and I speak 5 languages quite fluent.
That was out of line. If you feel the urge of teaching English grammar, go to a Kindergarden.

 

[Exo]

Many species common in the pet trade are from scrublands or desert.

True, but just as many are from the rainforest. Plus, you live in Florida......humidity dosn't get much higher anywhere else in the U.S.

 

[Fran]

True, but just as many are from the rainforest. Plus, you live in Florida......humidity dosn't get much higher anywhere else in the U.S.

Hey Mark,
There are acutally more species native to the Rain forest and humid jungles than native from desserts/scrubland.

 

[Exo]

Heres a post by the Tarantula Whisperer himself regarding this topic.

He's not my "Tarantula Whisperer".

 

[equuskat]

True, but just as many are from the rainforest. Plus, you live in Florida......humidity dosn't get much higher anywhere else in the U.S.

Yes, I mentioned that. It does dry out quite a bit here in the winter, but tarantulas can't "drink" humidity. Having drinking water available is sufficient unless you are somewhere that is excessively dry.

 

[Exo]

Hey Mark,
There are acutally more species native to the Rain forest and humid jungles than native from desserts/scrubland.

Even if you consider the Mexican, U.S, African, and Aussie species? :?

 

[Exo]

Yes, I mentioned that. It does dry out quite a bit here in the winter, but tarantulas can't "drink" humidity. Having drinking water available is sufficient unless you are somewhere that is excessively dry.

Have you ever had one of the rainforest Ts try to molt in the winter when it is drier?

 

[Fran]

Even if you consider the Mexican, U.S, African, and Aussie species? :?

Mexican sp dont mean dry sp, all the time .

Just as an example, the movie "Predator" was filmed around "Puerto Vallarta" (West coast of Mexico,Near Guadalajara).

 

[equuskat]

There are several specie that need high humidity.


You are taking a very poor care of your tarantulas. Not keeping water dishes? Excellent job.




English is not my first language, and I speak 5 languages quite fluent.
That was out of line. If you feel the urge of teaching English grammar, go to a Kindergarden.

Yes, there are several species that "need" high humidity, and several keepers that have experimented, successfully, with keeping them a bit drier. Yes, many species do come from the rainforest, but some of the most commonly kept species do not.

I am not taking poor care of my tarantulas. Many people on these boards have been to my house and have seen how well looked-after my collection is. They eat well, grow fast, and drink. If you read my post, you will notice that I do not keep water dishes because they get filled up with dirt by some of my spiders, which causes the water to wick all over the enclosure, which makes my enclosure sopping wet. Yuck! I think that it is more sanitary to offer water at intervals rather than providing a dish with many of my spiders. In some cases, dishes are better. I do use dishes.

I was not correcting your English grammar. I was correcting a scientific term. If I wanted to correct your grammar, this would be a much longer post.

 

[Exo]

Mexican sp dont mean dry spmall the time .

Well, nowhere is dry all the time, but you know what I mean.

 

[equuskat]

Mexico has a variety of biomes, and some species are spread through several different environments.

 

[equuskat]

Have you ever had one of the rainforest Ts try to molt in the winter when it is drier?

Yes, Pamphobeteus, Nhandu, and several arboreals - never a problem. I do not keep Theraphosa. I understand that they are a special case. I have never had an adult spider get stuck in a molt, just a few fragile 2i slings, and one funky juvie A. hentzi.

I truly believe that molts require more internal hydration than external. Some species, perhaps Theraphosa, may require external humidity...I don't know as I don't keep them. In most cases, though, if the spider is sufficiently hydrated, it will have a successful molt (barring injury or other unforseen unrelated circumstances).