my son bought me a Blondie, heat lamp question

[donzjul88]

Hi I'm originally from Arizona but now live in Indiana (southern) any way my son bought me a Blondie. I've never owned a Blondie I've only played with them running around the desert... So it's a whole lot wetter here than az. Is a 70w heat lamp.... How many hours do I keep it on for day night??

 

[jrh3]

Don't use a heat lamp. Its not needed.

 

[HOITrance]

I've never owned a Blondie I've only played with them running around the desert... So it's a whole lot wetter here than az. Is a 70w heat lamp.... How many hours do I keep it on for day night??

Heat lamp = bad. 70-75 is perfectly fine. Sub mostly dry with a water dish and moist corner.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Read this sounds like you aren’t familiar with them it’s not a lizard welcome to ab !

Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

 

[Brewser]

" Blondie "
Aphonopelma Chalcodes
Not Theraphosa Blondi ("Big" Difference)

 

[Dry Desert]

Heat lamp = bad. 70-75 is perfectly fine. Sub mostly dry with a water dish and moist corner.

Heat lamp = correct CONTROLLED temperature when used with a decent thermostat, rather than relying on unstable " room temperature".

A 70 w. Heat lamp attached to a quality thermostat would be okay, maybe a 50 w would work depends on enclosure size and ambient room temperature.
Have the lamp set up outside the enclosure then you can set the thermostat to 70/75 then you can maintain a steady temperature that's required for NON TEMPERATE species.

A ceramic heat emitter would be better than a bulb, then once the thermostat is set for the Ideal temperature it can be left as there will be no light at night. You can always lower the temperature at night a few degrees by lowering the thermostat setting.

This may seem a little OTT, but if it's done correctly you won't be coming back on the forum with " my x died during its molt " or the normal ones of " my X is not right after it's molt, or my x hasn't eaten after it's molt and is moving funny" .

You can set things up correctly,the European way, or you can take the hit and miss and hope for the best American way and rely on the jolly old " room temperature will be fine ".

That's the one I like best.

Your choice.

 

[Charliemum]

I live in the uk n my chalcodes both live at room temps 26°c 78°f during the day drops to about 20°c 68°f at night I have no lamp and my girls have grown well I have both a 2 inch tiny female I raised from sling taken 3 years so far and an af I have had the same amount of time moults out eats and destroys her enclosure np. You shouldn't need a heat lamp unless your home is super cold and even then I recommend oil filled radiators to warm the room over lamps that can cook your spood any day.
Congratulations on your new friend btw chalcodes are great it's why I have 2 good luck to you both

 

[fcat]

I'm in AZ, you remember how cold it can get. Flagstaff is the third "snowiest" city in the US and there is a park there that locals say is one of the easiest places to find them

Since there is only one heat lamp in nature (the sun), and when it's "on" the snow still persists, and we don't see too many tarantulas coming out to bask. They are staying warm in the depth of their burrows.

So how do they survive freezing *and* melting temperatures? From the confines of their burrows!!!

There are soil temperature maps you can look at, but to give you an idea

Compare the outside temp (current) with the 20" soil temp. This was for night now. Note how the ground is warmer than ambient temps 20" down...



Flagstaff isn't here since this is an agriculture map
But here is that data, just keep in mind the measurement is not 20" deep, it's 0-10cm deep, just want to show you how amazing these creatures are

Your "Flagstaff Orange" for 2023


Your "Tucson Blonde"


And your "New River Rust Rump"


Dirt is an excellent insulator, in both directions. You heat your room up too much without proper substrate and your T may not be able to mitigate your environmental enhancements.

Keep in mind they spend decades in the ground surviving.

Most importantly, before you turn anything on, let's see your setup. Reckless to recommended heating elements with a wattage that I think people use for surface dwelling lizards, without seeing the box the "Blondie" is in.

 

[Dry Desert]

I live in the uk n my chalcodes both live at room temps 26°c 78°f during the day drops to about 20°c 68°f at night I have no lamp and my girls have grown well I have both a 2 inch tiny female I raised from sling taken 3 years so far and an af I have had the same amount of time moults out eats and destroys her enclosure np. You shouldn't need a heat lamp unless your home is super cold and even then I recommend oil filled radiators to warm the room over lamps that can cook your spood any day.
Congratulations on your new friend btw chalcodes are great it's why I have 2 good luck to you both

I thought the idea of central heating being controlled by a thermostat, or in the case of too warm, having air-conditioning also being controlled by a thermostat was designed to keep people/ things at a regulated comfortable temperature, works the same for any living thing.

By the way you only " cook " inverts etc. when the heat source is not controlled by a decent thermostat.
If you set a 250 watt ceramic to 20 degrees the temperature will never be more than 20 degrees, in fact the heater would only come on if the surrounding air drops below 20.

Cooking inverts is the next best statement to " room temperature will be fine ".

Maybe I've got it wrong over the years since 1979.

 

[Charliemum]

I thought the idea of central heating being controlled by a thermostat, or in the case of too warm, having air-conditioning also being controlled by a thermostat was designed to keep people/ things at a regulated comfortable temperature, works the same for any living thing.

By the way you only " cook " inverts etc. when the heat source is not controlled by a decent thermostat.
If you set a 250 watt ceramic to 20 degrees the temperature will never be more than 20 degrees, in fact the heater would only come on if the surrounding air drops below 20.

Cooking inverts is the next best statement to " room temperature will be fine ".

Maybe I've got it wrong over the years since 1979.

No body said you were wrong but there are less complicated ways to keep your t's at a good temp without needing lights ect . As you said you've been doing this for what 40 years + and have clearly got your stuff down by now but us newer to keeping 3 years for myself and I assume less for op as called the t blondie not chalcodes there are easier ways I am not saying op won't need a good thermostat on or next to her t's viv but keeping the room at a good temp rather than individual spots is easier for a new t keeper then trying lights but each to their own I may be wrong and op may keep reptiles and know already about lights ect. I didn't and I can only go off my own knowledge

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I’ve only ever used supplemental heating on a sling nursery and that’s a heating pad on the outside of the large container creating a micro environment for the slings. My other T’s are kept 68-80 and have done very well. Improper use age of heating elements will bake your T and are often not recommended in the states. Some European T keepers recommend the following.

The proper use of heat mats

Mods could you please make this a sticky as there's so much misinformation about heat mats? So heat mats are perfectly safe to use IF they're used properly. They're like a mini space heater when used properly. 1) Heat mats MUST be plugged into a thermostat. That's a thermostat NOT a...

arachnoboards.com

 

[Dry Desert]

I’ve only ever used supplemental heating on a sling nursery and that’s a heating pad on the outside of the large container creating a micro environment for the slings. My other T’s are kept 68-80 and have done very well. Improper use age of heating elements will bake your T and are often not recommended in the states. Some European T keepers recommend the following.

The proper use of heat mats

Mods could you please make this a sticky as there's so much misinformation about heat mats? So heat mats are perfectly safe to use IF they're used properly. They're like a mini space heater when used properly. 1) Heat mats MUST be plugged into a thermostat. That's a thermostat NOT a...

arachnoboards.com

Why is it European keepers use controlled supplemental heating with no problems, but American's have this thing about cooking.

Regarding heating, an oil filled radiator for room heating is fine for 20 + anything less heat mats used correctly are a darn sight cheaper.

I've used 4 foot heat mats controlling 8/10 enclosures all off the same controller.The heat mat was 40 watts, much better than 2/3 kilowatts on a room heater . Providing all the inverts are pretty much of the same geographical area then set temperature is good for all.
@Charliemum
You're very lucky to live in the UK and maintain 26 degrees without supplemental heating year round.

 

[Charliemum]

Why is it European keepers use controlled supplemental heating with no problems, but American's have this thing about cooking.

Regarding heating, an oil filled radiator for room heating is fine for 20 + anything less heat mats used correctly are a darn sight cheaper.

I've used 4 foot heat mats controlling 8/10 enclosures all off the same controller.The heat mat was 40 watts, much better than 2/3 kilowatts on a room heater . Providing all the inverts are pretty much of the same geographical area then set temperature is good for all.
@Charliemum
You're very lucky to live in the UK and maintain 26 degrees without supplemental heating year round.

I am diligent and watch my temps all day, in winter it goes down heating goes on still not enough oil filled radiator + heat fan to warm it quickly but it never needs it for long,summer goes up windows open cool fan comes out , autumn and spring are a bounce between all options but it's how I control it

 

[Smotzer]

Keep in mind they spend decades in the ground surviving.

BINGO and nature is far more volatile and fluctuating!

 

[Dry Desert]

BINGO and nature is far more volatile and fluctuating!

Yes but in nature things can burrow down really deep if needed, or move to a much cooler spot meters away from heat - difficult in a box of dirt .

 

[Smotzer]

Yes but in nature things can burrow down really deep if needed, or move to a much cooler spot meters away from heat - difficult in a box of dirt .

yes which is why specifically using mats and lamps are not the safest because there is far less ability to have microclimates in a very small box

 

[viper69]

Hi I'm originally from Arizona but now live in Indiana (southern) any way my son bought me a Blondie. I've never owned a Blondie I've only played with them running around the desert... So it's a whole lot wetter here than az. Is a 70w heat lamp.... How many hours do I keep it on for day night??

Baked Blondie

I lived in rainier places than the above - but amazingly my T stayed dry because I had a roof over my house.

 

[Dry Desert]

yes which is why specifically using mats and lamps are not the safest because there is far less ability to have microclimates in a very small box

Who keeps things in a small box other than slings ??
Enclosures should always be large enough for a heat gradient.
There again we are back to the box of dirt and cooking mentally.

 

[Smotzer]

Who keeps things in a small box other than slings ??
Enclosures should always be large enough for a heat gradient.
There again we are back to the box of dirt and cooking mentally.

Im not understanding your response. I have really yet to see many tarantula enclosures that are so large to provide very distinct microclimates as is possible in nature, we don't tend to give fossorials 3 feet of burrowing depth. Inside enclosures there is not usually the ability to ever imitate the high differential of air/soil-surface/subterranean temp differences, as was shown in some of the charts above , (which also would show theres not a huge need to try and add heat anyway if you look at those temps, which is mostly my point).
I didn't mean "sling small" but generally enclosure sizes are respective to their life stages and increase only incrementally.

And I dont know what you mean by "cooking mentally"? Can you explain what you are trying to say.

 

[Dry Desert]

Im not understanding your response. I have really yet to see many tarantula enclosures that are so large to provide very distinct microclimates as is possible in nature, we don't tend to give fossorials 3 feet of burrowing depth. Inside enclosures there is not usually the ability to ever imitate the high differential of air/soil-surface/subterranean temp differences, as was shown in some of the charts above , (which also would show theres not a huge need to try and add heat anyway if you look at those temps, which is mostly my point).
I didn't mean "sling small" but generally enclosure sizes are respective to their life stages and increase only incrementally.

And I dont know what you mean by "cooking mentally"? Can you explain what you are trying to say.

So what you are saying is you and others are quite happy to keep things in less than ideal conditions.
Box of dirt, small hide and a water dish and all will be good.

Not forgetting of course that all African/Asian species should be kept at room temperature.
The " cooking mentality " derives from as soon as any additional heating is mentioned American mentally states that you can't supply heat as you will cook the t, or whatever.

I ask you, how basic and knowledge less are we talking ??