DirkCoetsee wrote: ... I am a noob in the Tarantula enviroment...

May I welcome you to the hobby and hope you enjoy these remarkable creatures even 1/10th as much as Marguerite and I do!

And, welcome to this forum!

Lastly, I would strongly recommend that you read Stan's Rant before you go much farther, even though it is biased towards North American standards. Especially, READ THE FOUR RECOMMENDED BOOKS!

DirkCoetsee wrote: ... I need some info regarding a stable heating ...

Somewhere along the line some poor benighted tarantula enthusiasts got the bright idea that tarantulas were exceedingly sensitive to high, low, or varying temperatures. And, this myth has been perpetuated endlessly in spite of all evidence to the contrary. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Please read the following links, being sure to read the sub-links recommended in these postings.

How to Heat Tarantulas

First Tarantula

The basic rule is, "ANY TARANTULA WILL BE COMFORTABLE AT ANY TEMPERATURE THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE."

DirkCoetsee wrote: ... and keeping the humidity constant? ...

As with temperature, humidity and tarantulas is another vastly misunderstood topic. While I've ranted and raved about the subject seemingly endlessly, I couldn't find any links to any really good pearls of wisdom. I must be getting old!

Here are the facts:

BABIES: If we're talking about baby tarantulas with leg spans less than about 1.5" (3.75 cm) you need to keep them in rather closed containers on damp substrate. This is because they have not yet developed the waxy layer on their exoskeletons that waterproofs them, and thereby prevents water loss. Keeping them this way ensures a higher, constant humidity around them.

(Uploaded with ImageShack.us . Click the thumbnail for a larger image.)

TWEENS: These are those tarantulas that are between 1.5" (3.75 cm) and perhaps 2.5" (6 cm) leg span size. In this period of their growth you gradually allow their environment to dry out in preparation for adult living.

ADULTS (including "juveniles" and sub-adults): These are tarantulas with leg spans of about 2.5" (6 cm) or larger. These have developed a relatively thick waxy layer and are pretty much impervious to suboptimal humidity. For about 95% or more of the tarantula species we use an arid cage with a water dish. (There are a few species that require a baby style, "incubator" type cage their entire lives. Examples are Theraphosa blondi - goliath birdeater, and members of the genus Hysterocrates.)

Note that all of the aforementioned dimensions are very loose approximations. The desert species can be moved to dryer conditions much sooner, for instance.

Once a tarantula has reached the point where it has developed a thick, waxy layer it is more or less impervious to low humidity, high humidity, and a variable humidity. It's almost hermetically sealed against the outside world. It only loses a minuscule amount of water through its book lungs, leg joints, and the process of defecation. And, most of that lost water is readily replaced through the food it eats.

However, having said that, we still supply water dishes because we're keeping these tarantulas in an alien environment and we aren't very good at recognizing when they really, REALLY, REALLY badly need a drink. And, water dishes are so cheap, and so easy to maintain, that there's really no excuse for not supplying one.

However, in dry climates tarantulas occasionally get into water balance trouble regardless of all our best efforts. So we do think about humidity in such situations, or if we notice a tarantula sitting on or very near its water dish all the time, or even soaking its abdomen in the water. That's a sure sign that it's too dry in the cage. In that case we merely cover the entire open part of the cage with plastic food wrap and maybe supply a wider water dish or even a second water dish.

(Uploaded with ImageShack.us . Click the thumbnail for a larger image.)
(The white stripe down the length of the cover is Magic Disappearing Tape holding a sleeve of plastic food wrap in place. Brachypelma emilia - Mexican redleg tarantula.)

But, you cry, "Why don't you simply wet down the substrate to raise the humidity?" Because too many malicious varmints thrive in all that damp substrate, mites being very, very close to the top of the list. You can read more about that at Mighty Mites .

Rest assured that what I've covered here is rather like the tip of an iceberg. You really need to read the four books referred to above.

One last thing: I have heard that the tarantulas kept in South Africa are somehow different, or the ways that they are kept are somehow different than what we have in the Northern Hemisphere, that you really do need heaters in the cages because it gets too cold, and that it's so dry you really do need ultrasonic nebulizers and damp substrates to keep your tarantulas healthy and happy.

"HORSE PUCKY!

We have kept literally thousands of tarantulas for decades in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where temperatures got down to -30 C for weeks on end every winter, and where the normal, ambient humidity was 25% to 45% (i.g., "dry enough to suck water out of a rock," as one weather broadcaster once said!). There were plenty of times when the temperatures in a few tanks in the room's outside corner dropped to 16 or 17 C, and the tarantulas merely woke up the next morning with a driving hunger! Virtually all our tarantula cages were supplied with plastic food wrapped covers. No problems, mates!

One last thing. Has anyone told you about the tarantula keeper's lament:

LIKE THOSE POTATO CHIPS, YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST ONE!

Hope this helps. Enjoy!

Stanley, it is a pleasure to read your posts, and there is always usefull info.
Thanx!

Thank you for that post Stanley. It was very informative. I'm also going to read those books.

I would just like to inquire about the plastic food wrap? Why would you do this? Is it to prevent the moisture from escaping to fast?

Stanley just read through all the links! learnt so much, changed a lot of the ways I used to do things, I hope all the newbies read this thread, it will be very helpful! Still have to receive my tarantula keepers guide though... but thanks again Stanley!

Good post and worthwhile reads. Problem is my house at present drops to below 15C already and it's only at the star of winter... I'll definately will have to add some form of heat to keep the minimum at I reckon 18C.

ewertb wrote: Yip, guess experimenting is pretty much what all of us do in some way or another.

I'm however not too concerned that the T will cook itself. I mean, if it is smart enough to dig at the warmest spot, it surely is smart enough to get out of there if it gets too hot... That's the reason you don't heat pad the entire terrarium so as to allow the T to decide where he is comfortable.

Bad, bad, bad idea putting a heating pad under the substrate.
Instinct tells a spider that if it gets too hot, its because of the sun above not a volcano below.
A spider will naturally burrow deeper to get away from heat not climb up to get closer to the sun.
If the spider were to get too hot from a heating pad, it would burrow down to escape causing it to get warmer, hence causing it to burrow deeper. This = deep fried spider.
Trust us on this one. If you have to use a heating pad put it outside the tank against the side.