Lighting

[ceganahl]

Hello, I am having a hard time keeping my tarantula enclosure warm. We have a Chilean rose haired. We have a heating pad underneath with a digital timer to keep it at a certain temp. It never gets above 67. From what I read thats not warm enough. I'm thinking about getting a light but read that they don't like bright light. What should I do?

 

[m0lsx]

Hello, I am having a hard time keeping my tarantula enclosure warm. We have a Chilean rose haired. We have a heating pad underneath with a digital timer to keep it at a certain temp. It never gets above 67. From what I read thats not warm enough. I'm thinking about getting a light but read that they don't like bright light. What should I do?

Please, for your T's safety. Remove the heating pad from under your enclosure. If you really feel the need to use a heat pad, then place it across part of the side / back & give your T the chance to avoid the heat, if they want to.

The natural instinct of a tarantula is to burrow if it gets too warm. That means towards the heat pad f it's below the enclosure. Thus heat pads below an enclosure pose a very real risk to them.

If your room is warm enough for you, then it is warm enough for your T. I do not use any extra heating for any of my T's & this room was unheated prior to last winter. Since heating was added here. I now get more winter molts. Probably because the temperature is more stable across the 24 hours.

I keep a rosea & she does just fine with an average winter temperature in the mid to high 60's.

If you really want to light your T's enclosure then use red light, as that will not disturb them as much. I belive the zoological term for Taratulas is lucifugous, that is, they avoid direct light when ever possible. So red, if you have plants in there or black light is the best option.

 

[ceganahl]

Please, for your T's safety. Remove the heating pad from under your enclosure. If you really feel the need to use a heat pad, then place it across part of the side / back & give your T the chance to avoid the heat, if they want to.

The natural instinct of a tarantula is to burrow if it gets too warm. That means towards the heat pad f it's below the enclosure. Thus heat pads below an enclosure pose a very real risk to them.

If your room is warm enough for you, then it is warm enough for your T. I do not use any extra heating for any of my T's & this room was unheated prior to last winter. Since heating was added here. I now get more winter molts. Probably because the temperature is more stable across the 24 hours.

I keep a rosea & she does just fine with an average winter temperature in the mid to high 60's.

If you really want to light your T's enclosure then use red light, as that will not disturb them as much. I belive the zoological term for Taratulas is lucifugous, that is, they avoid direct light when ever possible. So red, if you have plants in there or black light is the best option.

Thank you sooo much, I've been stressed about making sure she's comfortable. Another question we just kinda guessed on the second of our T, us there a way to tell?

 

[ceganahl]

Thank you sooo much, I've been stressed about making sure she's comfortable. Another question we just kinda guessed on the second of our T, us there a way to tell?

Edit sex not second lol

 

[m0lsx]

Another question we just kinda guessed on the sex of our T, is there a way to tell?

If it's a juvenile or older. So a reasonable size. The best way is to wait until it molts & then take a reasonable quality photo of the inside of it's Carapace. You want the area between it's book lungs on the bottom of the Carapace. Then post that on the "What sex is my Tarantula." section here & someone will tell you & often others will confirm. So you can be sure.

Edited to add. Molts can be a slow sexing method as some T's destroy their molts. With some T's we have molt after molt wrecked.

Another way to tell, if it's Juvi or older, is to wait until it's on the side of it's enclosure & get a reasonable photo of it's underside & again ask on the "What sex is my T" section here. Sexing from the underside of a T is called Ventral sexing.

Also, if it's a mature adult. Then most, but not all species, can be easily spotted as male by tiny hooks on the underside of their front legs. It's why we talk about Males hooking out.

With experience you will often find you are more than 50% correct, when you look at a T's legs, body shape etc & make a guess. But sexing via a molt is for me, the best way. Although some here are as accurate when it comes to ventral sexing.

Personally, I leave sexing our T's, to my wife & youngest daughter, as both are far better at it than I am.

 

[Enn49]

If you really want to light your T's enclosure then use red light, as that will not disturb them as much. I belive the zoological term for Taratulas is lucifugous, that is, they avoid direct light when ever possible. So red, if you have plants in there or black light is the best option.

My B. hamorii is a sun worshiper, the sun only catches the corner of her tank for short periods but I can guarantee she will move into it every time. At 18 years old I think she knows what she's doing.