heat mats ?

[john quigley]

hi, i'am new to tarantulas and computers for that matter. could someone tell me why no heat mat under the tank. the pet store employee sold me one for 25$ and told me that's where it should be, its been 3 weeks now and haven't noticed a problem, rose seems happy and has made a nice den in the half log,covered it over with entrance just big enough for her to enter and exit

thank you

[Nicolas Charrière]

Hi John!
First: welcome here!!!

I can see at least three reasons (but maybe there are more!):

- Your T will look for humidity in digging. If the heat mat is under the tank, it'll dry the substrate from below.
- In the nature, heat is coming from the sun. Your T might want to dig to seek for a cold area, which is not possible if heating comes from below.
- The heat could be too hot if the tank is placed on the heating mat. It might hurt the T or break the tank.

But... all that said doesn't mean that it is not possible! As you noticed, it seems to be ok for your T. Just continue checking her every day.

That said, personally I prefer not to use heat mat at all. You don't need one unless your place is very cold. And the risk for your T to be dehydrated or burnt is high.

Enjoy your T and don't hesitate to ask questions!

[Peter Roach]

rose seems happy and has made a nice den in the half log

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and guess that you have bought a Chile rose. Unfortunately most pet store employees do not have a clue what they are talking about and only have sales on their mind and not the welfare of the animals they sell.
There is absolutely no need for a heatmat with this species, Chile is on average a cool or even cold country where 75F is a hot day.

I suggest that you read these links written by Stan Schultz the author of The Tarantulas Keepers Guide.

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Temperature.html

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Humidity.html

This is the average temperatures of Chile taken from the internet

[David Wilson]

Hi
After some 25 years in the trade, I wouldn't even use heat matts underneath reptile cages unless the cover no more that 10% of the surface bottom- they are far too unreliable in their heat transmission, I have seen many many upsets caused by people not understanding this.
Better use the heat mat behind the enclosure or better still build a cabinet that is heated and shelved, allow a more even heat and a reliable thermostat with graded temp' control.
And as you can see from above most T's are kept well bellow the temp expected- even the Guyana highlands are a constant 27% in the forest.

[john quigley]

thank you all, mats not being used everything seems fine. jq

[Stanley A. Schultz]

hi, i'am new to tarantulas ...

WELCOME TO THE HOBBY!

WELCOME TO THIS FORUM!

... and computers for that matter. ...

Ah, ha! And now you've gone over to the dark side, have you!

... could someone tell me why no heat mat under the tank. the pet store employee sold me one for 25$ and told me that's where it should be, its been 3 weeks now and haven't noticed a problem, rose seems happy and has made a nice den in the half log,covered it over with entrance just big enough for her to enter and exit ...

... I suggest that you read these links written by Stan Schultz the author of The Tarantulas Keepers Guide.

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Temperature.html

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Humidity.html ...

And, thank you Peter!


John, save yourself a lot of stress, work, expense, and maybe even a few dead tarantulas. Go to the Spiders, Calgary webtree and start reading. At least scan through the entire website, picking out topics that catch your attention. (Even experienced aficionados can sometimes benefit from a little review.)

DO NOT FAIL TO READ STAN'S NEWBIE INTRODUCTION!

DO NOT FAIL TO READ THE FOUR BOOKS RECOMMENDED IN STAN'S RANT!

DO NOT FAIL TO READ THE ENTIRE MYTH WEBTREE!

ESPECIALLY, READ CARE SHEETS: THE MOTHER OF ALL MYTHS.

ESPECIALLY, READ GROWING YOUR OWN.

And, I strongly suggest you scan through SUBSTRATE.


The best news is that 90% of the questions you wanted to ask plus a lot, LOT more that you didn't think to ask are all laid out for you for ABSOLUTELY FREE if you read that website and take advantage of your friendly, neighborhood, public library! All you need do is read.

There is a caveat, however. My late wife, Marguerite and I have literally spent decades selling tarantulas to all sorts of people of all ages and from all walks of life. We've massaged and reworked the care suggestions in those webpages and one of those books to make them just about as bullet proof as they can get for novices. Follow the instructions carefully, and ask us before you start experimenting with anything new.

But, those instructions are not necessarily the only ones that will work, and maybe not even the best ones available. (The hobby is still new and very much in a state of development. We're still discovering and inventing new things about tarantulas almost daily.) Through our experience we only know that those instructions are pretty much bullet proof for novices. After you've had one or more tarantulas for a year or better you can start experimenting with the tricks and techniques of other enthusiasts. Just don't do that yet. FIRST, learn the basics of tarantula care. THEN start experimenting on your own.

Best of luck. Hope this helps.

__________________________________________________ __________________


You need to learn to view the world from the perspective of a large, fuzzy spider!