many years ago i kept a male chilian rose tarantula, i owened it 4 almost 4 yrs. im interested in buying another spider now. when i had my previous spider i had the heat mat on day and night. im aware that a day night temperature variation is needed but what is the best way to achieve this? do i switch the heat mat off at night or can sum1 suggest a heat mat wer i can adjust the temperature? i am reluctant 2 switch the mat off at night because it can get a bit chili at night in the winter in my house. any help will be great thanks.

My T's are in large vivs , in their seperate enclosures. I use 4 heat pads attached to the interior walls of the viv, with a backing of polystyrene. These provide heat but are not directly attached to the walls of the enclosures. At night the house/room temperature drops naturally and this in turn reduces the temperature inside the viv. The viv needs decent ventilation to allow for this drop to reciprocate inside.
I've used heat pads attched directly to enclosures and they do drop at night but not as noticeably as the viv method.

I personally have done away with mats and heating elements for all my spiders I now heat them with just the central heating in the house as the temp is suitable for the t's I have them in the study as it is the warmest room in the house regardless whether heating is on or time of year. When I used heat mats I usually had them off during day and switch on at night as night was always drop a slight in temp

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TByh, they dont require day/night temp drops, they will do fine without problems with the mat on all the time.
Its only supposition that it could affect the spider.. Its theory atm that by changing the environmental conditions the spider should be more virile, and produce a better sac, but this is in the early stages of trying to prove

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I'm the same as C_strike, I don't do a night time drop for my spiders, yet I do for the emperor scorps in my breeding tanks. My spider room is normally warm enough for them without using heat mats, but the ones that need higher temps have a heat mat on the back of the tanks.

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the temp drops a few degrees anyway in my house at night

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thanks a lot 4 your all ur help. it makes sense 2 keep the mat on and the natulal drop in temp. of the air in my house will slightly cool the vivarium by a few degrees. so i had it right anyway. cheers again.