Glasgow Andrew Has Questions

[Andrew Murdoch]

Hi there you guys.
Well after reading previous posts and reading Tarantula Literature I got myself a temp. guage and a humidity guage. I have a viv (glass walled). Just checked the readings.
The humidity is in the high 70's (as in percent) The temp is 60 F/height.
I have a heat mat and I know it is warmer as you get to the bottom of the viv, as I have felt the substrate.
even though the temp in the substrate is warmer is the over all 'air' temp ok? Any suggestions? Do I need another heat source? Is my bedroom too cool (this is where I keep my viv)?
Also I put two crickets in last night, I saw that they were gone, but they were hiding under the cork bark! Is this a problem in that my Tarantula may not mind them when he/she is hungry?
Look forward to reading your experience, as they say 'I can't, we can'
Thanks, Andrew

[Andrew Murdoch]

Glasgow Andrew again!

Just to say I have a Mexican Red Knee.

[Rebecca Norris]

I keep my smithi at room temp, which is about 23C but then saying that it gets warmer coz of the rest in here (they're all at about 26-28C) but she was fine when she was kept at room temp.
Humidity is not essential. Dry substrate, and every now and then just over flow her water bowl a little bit and that'll be plenty.

I always remove uneaten food items the next day as if the spider moults then crickets can chew on them and cause problems and even kill your tarantula. If however she just was having a non hungry day then when she is hungry she would find them. They hunt using vibrations so when the crix are active at night she'd grab them for dinner.

Hope this helps

[Rebecca Norris]

Just looked up what 60F is in C (i can only work out centigrade lol) and its waaay too cold. 15.5! Though this is air temp,as long as she has a heat mat under just one side of her tank she will be fine. But give her the option of a warm and cool end by standing half of the tank on the heat mat. Any more questions feel free to ask

[matthew spooner]

i keep my b.smithi in a set up with dry vermiculite, i find she prefers this, all she has in there is a water bowl and a bark hideaway and i give the tank 1 or 2 sprays of water a week. i have the heat mat inside the lid, i find this gives perfect heat and humidity, although i have kept t's without adding anything for humidity and they still live just as long and just as healthy, but doing it this way, i find that the tank sits nicely at 23 deg c

[Andrew Murdoch]

Calling Rebecca or any other help

Thanks for your reply Rebecca.
So is it tooo cool for my T. Should I get additional heating above the substrate?
I have the heat mat on the underside of the glass, round about half the viv is warmed by it the rest is not. My T has been underground for a few days now, she may come out at night. I also think she has got a bit darker, (I think so anyway) My t is a juvinile.
I stuck my temp guage to the inside of the viv, just a few inches above the substrate, it sort of lies half to the cooler side and half to the warmer side, well above the heat mat anyway. Just feeling insecure about mt T. (still new to all of this and wanna get it ok for my T, I have gotten very attached to it, even though I hardly see it!
Confused though as to 'air temp' and other jargon. i kept her in the bedroom cos its quieter, the living room is warmer but I am bumping about and listen to music and stuff, dont want her picking up all of my vibes! or am I bein too protective.

[Louise~Nichols]

Hi Andrew,
I'd have the heatmat stuck on the back wall of your viv...this then radiates heat acrossways. (I've mostly got heated rooms on thermostats, but my *kitchen crew* have their heatmat taped across the tiled walls and then the tubs are pushed against it, sometimes they bask against the heated wall, other times they roam about, but generally there is a nice temperature range for them).

As far as noise and bustle...hehehe...I'm one of the noisiest devils going and my spideys always eat well, and have successfully bred, so I don't think they are too bothered by my chaos.