Brand new GBB owner

Rosco · Oct 13, 2015

Afternoon all,

I have wanted to get a tarantula for a year or so after keeping scorpions this past 24 months, so am completely new to this part of the hobby.After much research I have purchased a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, I have her (she is a she at the moment ) kept in a plastic ventilated jar and my house in the UK sits at 20 degrees C or 68 degrees F.

My questions is about heating. Do I need to warm her up a bit? if so do I need a small glass tank and get a heat matt on it? Permanent home will eventually be an exo terra 300mm square terrarium with a heat matt but not yet as she is only 2 to 3 months old and naturally very small.

The shop I bought her from said that temp will be fine but if I look here http://www.tarantulas.com/caresheets/C_cyaneopubescens.html it says 70 - 78 so I though I would ask you guys, the owners and tried and tested experts.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

BobGrill · Oct 13, 2015

No heat mat, those can be dangerous. Just use a heater to warm up the room.

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Beary Strange · Oct 13, 2015

Any care sheet that lists specific temps and humidity is one that immediately needs to be called into question--seriously, an 8 degree temp range? Ha! By that logic, who knows how we've all managed to keep ours alive all this time. Tarantulas are a bit less sensitive than scorpions, room temperature works just fine for nearly all of them (some even prefer cooler temps) and a space heater is more than sufficient in the winter months.

eldondominicano · Oct 13, 2015

Belle Fury said:
Any care sheet that lists specific temps and humidity is one that immediately needs to be called into question--seriously, an 8 degree temp range? Ha! By that logic, who knows how we've all managed to keep ours alive all this time. Tarantulas are a bit less sensitive than scorpions, room temperature works just fine for nearly all of them (some even prefer cooler temps) and a space heater is more than sufficient in the winter months.

An 8 degree temperature range really isn't that questionable, especially within 70-80 degrees.

Beary Strange · Oct 13, 2015

eldondominicano said:
An 8 degree temperature range really isn't that questionable, especially within 70-80 degrees.

Keeping them in that range isn't, it's claiming that they must be kept within that 8 degree bubble that's absurd.

GG80 · Oct 13, 2015

Your T will be fine in those temps but it may grow slower and eat less than if it were kept at a higher temp. I'm in Ireland so I'm in the same climate as you in the UK and it's begining to get cold again so you'd just want to make sure your room is heated which I'm sure it is or will be soon. At this time of year and throughout winter I keep my room heated at 23C - 25C (73F - 77F) with the room heater. There's no need to worry about keeping within care sheet temperature ranges as long as the room is warm.

eldondominicano · Oct 13, 2015

Belle Fury said:
Keeping them in that range isn't, it's claiming that they must be kept within that 8 degree bubble that's absurd.

Did you see the link? There was no claim, just a temp range.

Beary Strange · Oct 13, 2015

eldondominicano said:
Did you see the link? There was no claim, just a temp range.

Is this your site or something? You're getting awfully defensive about it.

It definitely gives the impression that's how they must be kept; afterall, it led the OP to believe he needs to be warming a GBB.

lalberts9310 · Oct 13, 2015

No heat mats, heat mats are dangerous for Ts, especially if used incorrectly.. they need no additional heating in form of heat mats and heat lamps, they are not reptiles. If you feel the need to up the temps use a space heater. How big is it? 2-3 months old doesn't tell us anything. Guessing it's a sling, keep the substrate moderately dry with a damp spot on one side of the enclosure(as juveniles - adults they are kept dry, slings require more moisture though). Give it enough substrate (a lot of people use top soil with no additives, peat moss or coco fibre, NO wood chips) to cushion falls as these may have aboreal tendencies even though they are terrestrial. No sharp objects, provide a piece of cork bark, and a lot of fake plants (zoo med types, silk plants tend to have fragrances and dyes making it a not so good choice) to anchor webbing to, they web excessively when settled in, also provide good cross-ventilation and a waterbowl. These are eating machines and grows fast (well in cooler temps they may grow slower).

Storm76 · Oct 13, 2015

Roomtemp is fine, if you're worried, use a space-heater or simply heat the room up some more. I agree on what has been said before, no heatmat on cages. Only other option is a cabinet, sideboard whatever that's heated by heatmats keeping it at 22-24°C perhaps, but that's overkill for a single spider. Enjoy the color changes with your new buddy.

eldondominicano · Oct 13, 2015

Belle Fury said:
Is this your site or something? You're getting awfully defensive about it.

It definitely gives the impression that's how they must be kept; afterall, it led the OP to believe he needs to be warming a GBB.

I apologize for seemingly coming off defensive.

Chris LXXIX · Oct 13, 2015

Amazing Theraphosidae, Rosco. Good choice: they are hardy, very easy to care... every molt, you end with a "different" Theraphosidae.. great eaters also. Plus they are very benign, haven't seen, unlike with some "Grammos" a "bad" temperament Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. They have only speed (and not even so much for my standards)

cold blood · Oct 13, 2015

An absolute key to this question of heat hasn't been touched on at all yet...that is...what is the size of the t in question??

A sling should be kept warmer, even if only a few degrees...68 is just not quite warm enough...Now, if its an adult, or even a juvie, 68 won't be a big deal. Size is also important for heating options....while an adult in a larger enclosure would do best with a space heater heating the entire room, with a sling you could set up a simple heat bath with an aquarium heater...cheap, economical to run and dead on accurate...and the surrounding water keeps heat completely even without a single worry about hot spots.

Please do not use a heat mat....please please don't (I'm sure that's already been bade abundantly clear, but I'm saying it yet again anyway). And do not even consider a heat lamp, they're even worse. Heat mats CAN be used, but its a lot of work and requires multiple enclosures as you would want to heat a large enclosure, and then put the current enclosure inside the heated one, even then temps must be constantly monitored and extra attention needs to be paid to prevent the air within the enclosure from becoming too dry....still not a perfect solution, but a possibility...just not worth all the effort and extra space used IMO.....just don't

Storm76 · Oct 14, 2015

On this whole heat issue, I've noticed many, many keepers from the UK being into that. Kinda makes me question if spidershop and other sellers over there promote the use of heating tools for cages...hmm. Considering the weather over there isn't that much different from Germany, I don't really understand the need for those things. It's not like UK doesn't provide heating in appartments...

OliverWhatever · Oct 14, 2015

Some people, like me, live in a house that is not well isolated, so heatmats are a must.

GG80 · Oct 14, 2015

Storm76 said:
On this whole heat issue, I've noticed many, many keepers from the UK being into that. Kinda makes me question if spidershop and other sellers over there promote the use of heating tools for cages...hmm. Considering the weather over there isn't that much different from Germany, I don't really understand the need for those things. It's not like UK doesn't provide heating in appartments...

I think the concern about heating in the UK and Ireland is that while the houses and appartments have heating systems, it's quite expensive to run the heating 24 hours a day and for someone with maybe 1 - 3 tarantulas, they may not be able to justify the cost so they look for more economic solutions. Heat mats provide this. I personally would never use a heat mat but I fully understand why a keeper of a small amount of Ts would consider it.
I am also well aware that cold weather in winter isn't just restricted to UK and Ireland, in fact we usually have mild winters in comparison to most of mainland Europe. I guess it's just a paronoia thing we have when our weather is crap all year round

.

My stance on heating in a colder climate is.... you just heat your T room to a comfortable heat. If your house or appartment is poorly insulated then you need to get a space heater for your T room. If you can't, or don't want to spend the extra money to heat the room then you may want to reconsider your commitment to the hobby. Heating is a major part of the hobby and goes hand in hand with it. This is just my opinion on the subject, I am not telling anyone how they should or should not keep their Ts. There is no need to give me a backlash.

roman · Oct 14, 2015

I keep my GBB (and other sp.) in a 18/19 degree room temp for half a year now. No problem and she molts and eat's like crazy. I live in The Netherlands so same temps in the UK I think. Don't worry much about temps and keep away from heat pads etc.

cold blood · Oct 14, 2015

OliverWhatever said:
Some people, like me, live in a house that is not well isolated, so heatmats are a must.

No, they are NOT a must...there are better, safer alternatives.

My question is...does Europe not believe in insulation or furnaces? I've had this response time and again...you guys live in a cold climate, proper insulation of a house and a working furnaces only logical (without them your house would probably be condemned here)...why on gods green earth would one build a house in a cold climate and NOT at least insulate it, it just defies basic logic.:wall: I mean I live in a very cold climate, and my windows and insulation leave much to be desired, but I still have a furnace and thermostat that allow me to keep my place warm with ease...I know you guys aren't living in caves or tents over there.

A basic heat bath would be a better alternative to a heat mat for those with fewer ts as GG mentioned...Very economical and much much safer for the t....if the method of heating isn't safe for the t, it simply should not be considered and alternatives should be explored.

Rosco · Oct 14, 2015

Ok, so no heat mats I get that for sure.

Also size, see the pic no bigger than 10mm

I have her in a 110w x 90d x 200h vented cage, bottom vent is blocked up

This home is new tonight. Substrate is Pro Rep multi Environment for spiders

Hope I'm doing it all OK?

BobGrill · Oct 14, 2015

Personally I feel that enclosure is a bit large. Also GBB's are terrestrial and that's an arboreal set-up. We'll see what others think.

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