Hanging out on heatmat. Cold?

Purple Grant · Sep 6, 2015

My B. Smithi has taking to sitting on the wall of her tank where the heatmat is quite a lot.
I've just been keeping the tank at 20 degrees C as I'd read room temperature was fine (my central heating is timer rather than thermostat and I'm in Scotland so it can get cold randomly at any time of year. So I was just thinking to even that out)
Her substrate is nice and dry and its only the wall with the heatmat she goes for so I've assumed it's colder than she'd like and turned the heat up a bit.

Is that right?

Beary Strange · Sep 6, 2015

They're naturally drawn to heat. That's why people recommend against the use of UTHs, because a tarantula can sit there on it and effectively burn itself.

cold blood · Sep 6, 2015

:wall: LOSE THE HEAT PAD!!! They are dangerous for the very reason you are asking about. They are drawn to heat, much like a moth to a flame. It doesn't mean the t is cold, heck that t is just fine as long as its 60, even then it will deal with the 50's for periods of time just fine....there is NO need for supplemental heat for a B. smithi.

In the future, if you feel the need to add heat, utilize a space heater, its MUCH safer for the t. Save the heat mat for your next reptile, as that's that they're designed for...reptiles....that have much different heat needs than a t.

lalberts9310 · Sep 6, 2015

I agree, lose the heat mat. It's not a reptile. If you're using heat lamps too, remove them as well. I only use a space heater when temps get low and that's to keep my slings warm, my adults do fine in colder temps.

Chris LXXIX · Sep 6, 2015

Don't use that. Heat mat for T's are one of the best scams ever.

Purple Grant · Sep 6, 2015

Thanks for the input all. I'm not ready to lose it as the temperature where I am can vary so much. I'll keep it at just below 20C (ie almost never on) as a back up. I don't think a tarantula is going to cook at room temperature.

Sent from my E2303 using Tapatalk

cold blood · Sep 6, 2015

Purple Grant said:
Thanks for the input all. I'm not ready to lose it as the temperature where I am can vary so much. I'll keep it at just below 20C (ie almost never on) as a back up. I don't think a tarantula is going to cook at room temperature.

Sent from my E2303 using Tapatalk

Seriously, don't become reliant on a dangerous, useless piece of useless equipment. I'll give you a safer...MUCH safer alternative that I used to use when I only had a dozen or so slings to heat....that's to use a heat bath. Use an aquarium heater to heat water and immerse the bottoms of the enclosure(s) in the water. Aquarium heaters are very accurate and the water will give even heat, without the possibility of damage to the t like you get with a heat pad. Aquarium heaters probably use less energy, too. All you have to do is add water to the base tub as it evaporates.

BTW, the natural range for a B. smithi also varies greatly :wink:

Not only will 20C not cook the t, but its not nearly cold enough to adversely effect the t either.

lalberts9310 · Sep 6, 2015

I really don't see the necessity to a heat mat... space heaters work so much better and more effective, I use mine for 3 - 4 hours in the T room, I close the door to that room, and when turned off it usually stays warm till the next day in there.

MarkmD · Sep 6, 2015

I completely agree with everyone.

You don't need a heat mat for any T's, I also live in Scotland so understand your thinking about the cold, trust me they will be completely fine without it.

As said use a space heater (£10-15) from Argos, they work well in winter months (only time i use it) unless there's a sudden drop in temps.

---------- Post added 09-06-2015 at 11:24 PM ----------

Do you need any other help in regards to your T's?

14pokies · Sep 7, 2015

What is it with people from overseas trying to use cold winters to justify using heat mats pads tapes GRRR :wall: HELLO America isn't a year round tropical paradise!!!!!!! In my neck of New York it barely tops 85° and is below 32° 7months a year! And in those 7 months I only wear hoodies because heavy jacket weather is from November to February when its below zero!!!

MarkmD · Sep 7, 2015

14pokies said:
What is it with people from overseas trying to use cold winters to justify using heat mats pads tapes GRRR :wall: HELLO America isn't a year round tropical paradise!!!!!!! In my neck of New York it barely tops 85° and is below 32° 7months a year! And in those 7 months I only wear hoodies because heavy jacket weather is from November to February when its below zero!!!

Don't think anyone on this thread was justifying using heat mats/pads, think the OP didn't know any better thus why we all said don't use them.

But I get what your saying.

Purple Grant · Sep 7, 2015

14pokies said:
What is it with people from overseas trying to use cold winters to justify using heat mats pads tapes GRRR. HELLO America isn't a year round tropical paradise

It was about the inconsistency in the weather here. I wasn't claiming regional exclusivity on winter.

The objections to heat mats and thermostats here are coming across as ideological rather than practical.

A thermostatic safety net against unexpected cold snaps cannot be a danger. (Googling "68f kills tarantula" yields no relevant results:laugh

Again, thank you all for your advice.
I now understand about them being drawn to heat and that behaviour not meaning what I think it did.
Come winter, my house will be heated, for now it is summer.
If at any point an unexpected temperature drop occurs. One side of my T's enclosure will warm to what every source I can find describes as the minimum point of their comfortable temperature range.

Is there any pragmatic problem with that?

14pokies · Sep 7, 2015

MarkmD said:
Don't think anyone on this thread was justifying using heat mats/pads, think the OP didn't know any better thus why we all said don't use them.

But I get what your saying.

We had one guy from Ireland repeat the line" bitter cold winter "atleast a hundred times while trying to justify using heat mats and on this forum people from across the ponds are constantly saying we don't understand how cold there winters are and that's why they use heating pads or insane lighting set ups...

Unless foreign country's use trashbags for windows and eggcrates for insulation there is no reason that their homes should be any colder than ours. If the person has electricity than they can easily use a cheapo space heater.. It will make them and there Ts much more comfortable in the ice chests that they are all apparently living in..

---------- Post added 09-07-2015 at 08:32 AM ----------

Purple Grant said:
A thermostatic safety net against unexpected cold snaps cannot be a danger. (Googling "68f kills tarantula" yields no relevant results:laugh

Google reptile mat fails full on..Thermostats and the accompanied heating devices fail and some fail to the point of causing fires its a constant risk and the nightmare that haunts every reptile keeper and breeder... With reptiles its unavoidable with invert keepers its not...

Purple Grant · Sep 7, 2015

14pokies said:
Thermostats and the accompanied heating devices fail and some fail to the point of causing fires its a constant risk and the nightmare that haunts every reptile keeper and breeder

The failure of the 6w heater on a piece of glass worries me less than the failure of the 2000w space heater sat on my carpet you all want me to buy (and leave unattended!)

14pokies · Sep 7, 2015

Purple Grant said:
The failure of the 6w heater on a piece of glass worries me less than the failure of the 2000w space heater sat on my carpet you all want me to buy (and leave unattended!)

Both are plugged in to 120w socket.. It only takes 7 watts spike and some time to short out your heat pad... Which is most likely not tested as rigorously as the 2000w space heater most of which come with an internal fuse and heat pads don't...

Also plastic melts down and flaming plastic acts like napalm and magma.. (I set a porta potty on fire once and the pile of flowing melting plastic burned for hours! ) and say all it does is smolder on the glass and its on a metal table the fumes alone would likely overcome your T....

PS ..I'm gonna duck out of this thread I have argued the heat mat debate in nauseam

MarkmD · Sep 7, 2015

Purple Grant said:
The failure of the 6w heater on a piece of glass worries me less than the failure of the 2000w space heater sat on my carpet you all want me to buy (and leave unattended!)

Trust me they have an automatic cut off if they fall over or get to hot, you probably don't even need a space heater for winter cause i only use mine a few times during the day and never at night.

To get a good reading on the temperature go to Pets at home and buy a thermostat strip (£3-4(for fish tanks) and put it on the outside of your setup, they're pretty accurate.

Edit, if your warm so is your T's.

Purple Grant · Sep 7, 2015

Everything's fused, and (The UK may have cold snaps, but our standards of electrical safety beat yours:wink

in fact, with the pad, the thermostat, the extension and the trip-switch the supply to the heat is fused at four points. The extension is also a kitemarked anti-surge one.

14pokies said:
PS ..I'm gonna duck out of this thread I have argued the heat mat debate in nauseam

No one's really argued it though. That's my problem all I'm getting is dogma "Heatmats are bad... m'kay?"

MarkmD said:
Trust me they have an automatic cut off if they fall over or get to hot

What? a thermostat? Aren't they the devil's tool?!

MarkmD said:
if your warm so is your T's.

So, if I'm cold...

14pokies · Sep 7, 2015

Purple Grant said:
Everything's fused, and (The UK may have cold snaps, but our standards of electrical safety beat yours:wink

in fact, with the pad, the thermostat, the extension and the trip-switch the supply to the heat is fused at four points. The extension is also a kitemarked anti-surge one.

With all that money you spent on fancy equipment you could of bought another T :wink:

---------- Post added 09-07-2015 at 09:14 AM ----------

Purple Grant said:
Everything's fused, and (The UK may have cold snaps, but our standards of electrical safety beat yours:wink

We have better Chinese food

Ha take that Scotland! :4:

Purple Grant · Sep 7, 2015

14pokies said:
We have better Chinese food Ha take that Scotland! :4:

Perhaps, but we'll go to toe to toe with anyone for curries

14pokies · Sep 7, 2015

Purple Grant said:
Everything's fused, and (The UK may have cold snaps, but our standards of electrical safety beat yours:wink

in fact, with the pad, the thermostat, the extension and the trip-switch the supply to the heat is fused at four points. The extension is also a kitemarked anti-surge one.

No one's really argued it though. That's my problem all I'm getting is dogma "Heatmats are bad... m'kay?"

What? a thermostat? Aren't they the devil's tool?!

So, if I'm cold...

It usually turns into one... No space heaters have fail safes...unless Albert Butz is the master of all things dark,then no..

Ps..nice beard I'm working on mine! Like deathmetal?

---------- Post added 09-07-2015 at 09:21 AM ----------

Purple Grant said:
Perhaps, but we'll go to toe to toe with anyone for curries

Pff you can keep it!

Hanging out on heatmat. Cold?

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