Newbie questions: heating and suppliers

[Clay Young]

I'm very much wanting to keep a tarantula, but my house is very cold in the winter. We keep the heating off during the day when we are out at work, and it's set to turn on just before we get home. Keeping it on all day isn't really an option.

Is a standard heating pad enough? Is there another heating solution I should look into? Or are there specific breeds that can easily tolerate an English winter?

Also, I sent emails with questions to both tarantula-shop.co.uk and thespidershop.co.uk but never received an answer. Are either/both still up and running normally?

Thanks in advance.

[Mark Pennell]

I'm very much wanting to keep a tarantula, but my house is very cold in the winter. We keep the heating off during the day when we are out at work, and it's set to turn on just before we get home. Keeping it on all day isn't really an option.

Is a standard heating pad enough? Is there another heating solution I should look into? Or are there specific breeds that can easily tolerate an English winter?

Also, I sent emails with questions to both tarantula-shop.co.uk and thespidershop.co.uk but never received an answer. Are either/both still up and running normally?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Clay
If your worried that your spider is not getting the warmth it needs it might pay to heat the room with a oil filled radiator. This will take the edge of a cold room and the new ones are quite efficient and economic to run.

Heat mats for the best part do not heat the air but rather the objects in the path of the infra red they give off, its best to have a thermometer within the tank to be sure they are up to par.

Also to have a temp gauge in the room itself is a good idea too. I have several tarantulas that are in tanks with no heating at all bar the room temperature. They are doing well, P, regalis especially so.

I also have a large viv with a collection of various sized containers in it, this is heated with a large mat and have a thermostat to regulate it.

Lots of spiderling's and sub adults doing well in this large cabinet.

Hope this helps
Regards
Mark

[Jamie Brady]

hey

I'm very much wanting to keep a tarantula, but my house is very cold in the winter. We keep the heating off during the day when we are out at work, and it's set to turn on just before we get home. Keeping it on all day isn't really an option.

Is a standard heating pad enough? Is there another heating solution I should look into? Or are there specific breeds that can easily tolerate an English winter?

Also, I sent emails with questions to both tarantula-shop.co.uk and thespidershop.co.uk but never received an answer. Are either/both still up and running normally?

Thanks in advance.

Hey, i have a cold home also-have no central heating so have heat pads on 24/7 I have a grammostola rosea in an exo-terra 12x12x12 (not ideal for chili but she never climbs) with a heat pad on the side, on a cold day this maintains the temt at 22 degs going up to say 26 on a warm day-this is a hardy species and she seams to do great.
I also have a layer of thin foam roll stuck to the back of the mat to help radiate all the heat into the tank.
For my slings ie recently obtained a vivarium-i bought a larger heat mat for inside it. The temps in this can be maintained higher-i had to experiment with keeping doors open to achieve the temps i was looking for. Here are some pics, ive not been in hobby long so learning all the time too

[Stuart Common]

Also, I sent emails with questions to both tarantula-shop.co.uk and thespidershop.co.uk but never received an answer. Are either/both still up and running normally?

Thanks in advance.

Spidershop can be quite busy and might take time to email you, best off giving them a ring, the numbers on the website