karmakollector
Member
Somehow I managed to forget to turn on not one but TWO heaters, resulting in a pretty cold night for little Ash (6-7 month juvenile.) (Normally I turn on the thermostat in the room, but it is hard because here in California it is still getting warm during the day, up to 75 or so, and then cold at night, down to 39... so I have to turn on the heater during the night, then switch it to AC during the day, then remember to turn the heater BACK on in the afternoon!)
To help prevent problems from that, I set up my tank with a 75w ceramic heating element bulb in the dual enclosure with his normal basking lamp, and I connected that to a digital thermostat so that it stays on whenever the ambient viv temperature is less than 69 degrees.
BUT I recently did a full-tank cleaning and had to take the lamps off for an extended period of time, so I must have switched the CHE off at that time and forgotten to turn it back on!
When I showed up to check on him this morning, the room was 52 degrees! (the tank was 59, because the basking lamp had been on for about an hour.)
He was sitting there in his basking spot, seemingly bright-eyed and alert and as healthy-looking as ever but... should I be worried? Could he get sick from this? How cold is truly the coldest they can tolerate? (I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this on the internet... I saw a vet say it should be low-70s in the tank at night; I've heard some say it can lead to respiratory infection if below 65. But clearly my guy survived 52... what signs would I look for if there were a resp problem to develop? )
To help prevent problems from that, I set up my tank with a 75w ceramic heating element bulb in the dual enclosure with his normal basking lamp, and I connected that to a digital thermostat so that it stays on whenever the ambient viv temperature is less than 69 degrees.
BUT I recently did a full-tank cleaning and had to take the lamps off for an extended period of time, so I must have switched the CHE off at that time and forgotten to turn it back on!
When I showed up to check on him this morning, the room was 52 degrees! (the tank was 59, because the basking lamp had been on for about an hour.)
He was sitting there in his basking spot, seemingly bright-eyed and alert and as healthy-looking as ever but... should I be worried? Could he get sick from this? How cold is truly the coldest they can tolerate? (I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this on the internet... I saw a vet say it should be low-70s in the tank at night; I've heard some say it can lead to respiratory infection if below 65. But clearly my guy survived 52... what signs would I look for if there were a resp problem to develop? )