Help for a new Pink toe owner

[Peter Lacey]

woo hoo! the simplest of cures!
But of course that suggests your L. parahybana hasn't been eating, so perhaps we're back to the moult.

[Colin D Wilson]

For the record i've seen woodlice eating food bolus, avic pooh on side of tub, fungi, that horrible white powdery moult that appears from nowhere, the younger ones eat mite eggs and i've even seen a few larger ones ploughing through a little group of white mites in an avic tub (whether they were eating the mites as part and parcel of the little mould spores they were on i don't know but if it works.....

[Jane Mitchell]

We've still been putting the lack of appetite down to settling in, especially as we completely changed the tank arrangement earlier this week. From what other forum members have said, I think it's pretty unlikely that he's due to moult as the bald patch on his abdomen is still pink and hasn't got any darker.

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Jane, we have been following your saga, we think that you have got the nicer T in the long run. We have found that the L. Parahybana sometimes go off their food well before outward signs of a moult, but they are a nice T, a lot of them tend to spend their time out in the open most of the day.

[Jane Mitchell]

Hi Jane, we have been following your saga, we think that you have got the nicer T in the long run. We have found that the L. Parahybana sometimes go off their food well before outward signs of a moult, but they are a nice T, a lot of them tend to spend their time out in the open most of the day.

Thanks Linda, we think he's great! We've only had a T for 2 weeks and I'm already trying to persuade my hubby to buy me a Chilean Rose for my birthday!

On the subject of the missing crickets, after some searching with a torch and a chop stick, we think we've found the remains of one tucked under the cork bark. It was a small shiny black lump which didn't look like peat or anything else in the tank. The other (live) one we found hiding behind the heat mat at the back of the tank. Looks like we've got to do a bit of filling!!

[Craig Mackay]

The other (live) one we found hiding behind the heat mat at the back of the tank.

I would recommend putting the heat mat on the outside of the tank as direct contact could burn the T (even though it doesn't feel too hot to us). Also I've heard stories of heat mats malfunctioning and catching fire which you wouldn't want to happen in the tank (or out).

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Jane, good news good job you are handy with the chop sticks. Did that say 'heat mat on the inside of the tank' thats a no no it should be on the outside, preferably on the end , perhaps hes been eating some of the mat instead

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Craig, that was well spotted, you beat me to it.

[Craig Mackay]

Hi Linda, I got there first for once. I'm usually pipped to the post, lol!

[Brendan Owens]

I was always under the impression that it didn't matter too much if the mat was on the inside or outside as the way the heat is projected does not actually make the mat that warm. In fact the guide from habistat states

"The heat mat can be positioned inside or outside of glass or plastic tanks. In wooden or melamine structures the heat mat must be fixed inside the cage. Wood is a good insulator and, if the heat mat were placed outside such a cage, little heat would find its way into the cage. This would thermally block the mat and may present a high risk of overheating. Heat mats can be used on the floor or mounted on the wall of the cage. When using on the floor it is imperative, if substrate is used, that it be kept to less than I cm. Many substrates have very good insulation properties (Vermiculite, wood chips etc.) and placing too much over the heat mat will stop the heat getting into the cage where it is needed"

[michaelmckinney]

Well there is a bit of a debate going on about this, with most people I know.

I personally would not use one inside the viv, it is just too risky. I use my home central heating for all my spiders (my snakes are equipped with heat mats for night and lights for day time). I find, when you use a heat mat for spiders (inside or outside viv) if you have a high humidity environment inside the viv, I think a heat mat dries it out too quickly. Then if you lower the ventilation, you get problems with mites and mould so I find the way I'm doing it now, far less problematic.

Michael.

[Peter Lacey]

If your home is warm enough for yourselves then you don't need a heat mat, however if you're attempting to breed you'll need to get temperatures in the low 80s.
Heat mats should be placed on the back or side of an enclosure to provide a gradient of heat within. Place the mat outside the enclosure or within a holding enclosure if you plan to have several tubs within.

[Jane Mitchell]

If your home is warm enough for yourselves then you don't need a heat mat, however if you're attempting to breed you'll need to get temperatures in the low 80s.
Heat mats should be placed on the back or side of an enclosure to provide a gradient of heat within. Place the mat outside the enclosure or within a holding enclosure if you plan to have several tubs within.

We tend to have our central heating on quite low at home and the temp inside the tank is a pretty consistent 22 - 24oC and that's with the heat mat on a thermostat. We'll definitely move the mat to the outside of the tank this weekend, even if it's just to stop the crickets from hiding!!

Thanks for all your helpful comments and advice. It's always better to ask people who've 'been there, done that' rather than try to muddle along yourself.

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Jane, just as a matter of interest, we have had success with using a five tier metal and glass display unit and hanging a full length heat mat at centre back of the unit, we put three tanks on each shelf, two larger outer and one smaller central, that way the two outer tanks have a third heatmat on the back wall and the centre ones can be brought forward so as not to overheat the tank, and we have found that the most economical way of keeping them warm and it looks neat too, mind you we also use 'Peter's way' and utilise the central heating in the cold weather to keep the rest of our T's warm, hope this helps. Hope you get 8 legs for your pressie by the way.