Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, I have recently been posting a lot about my young midland painted turtles and the water in their tank is currently being exposed to some chilly temperatures at night; at first, I didn't think they needed a water heater because the room they are kept in is relatively warm and in the past months it hasn't been very cold outside. I also wanted to maintain a good temperature gradient so that they could effectively thermoregulate within their captive environment (i.e. basking on their platform to heat up and then plopping into the water to cool down and forage for food).

But now, this time of year, since it is growing colder and colder every day and the room they are kept in has a good amount of windows, I was wondering if anyone (maybe you Linda?)would have some suggestions as to what kind of water heater I could buy and use in the tank with the baby turtles. I know that all glass heaters are not preferred for use with aquatic turtles because they have the tendency to break if the turtle(s) become too rambunctious and hyper/over-active, somehow hitting the heater. I have seen a neat little submersible water heater in a Docter's Foster and Smith catalogue that had the heater encased in a plastic protective tubing, allowing the heat to pass through to the water, but preventing the turtle(s) from coming into close contact with the heater and possibly burning itself/themselves. I thought it was a great heater to get until I discovered that you cannot manually regulate the temperature on the heater. It stays at a constant 78 degrees Fahrenheit and cannot be lowered or highered. This is a drawback to an item that seemed so practical and safe to use around aquatic turtles. I know that my painteds' water should be kept at a temperature of 70-76 degrees Fahrenheit, with the basking area being between 85-90 degrees. But that's where the problem arises. Seventy-eight degrees seems a little bit too warm in the water for them to effectively thermoregulate and have the desire to emerge from the water onto their basking platform. So, as a result, I was thinking of buying a water heater in which I could change the heat output(either lower it or higher it) so that I could more effectively regulate their environment. What do you think? What should I do and do you agree with my logic concerning the regulation of water temperature?

I hope that some of you guys can respond a.s.a.p. so that I can get the water temperature of the turtles' tank up to a favorable level quickly. Again, any suggestions are welcomed and I hope to hear from you guys soon. Thanks

_Dennis

Sure, I can help you out with this. I have never used a
heater in their water. When my babies were little and
it gets cold here, I used a red bulb of appropriate wattage
over their tank shining down into the water itself, not
the basking area. This heated the water enough to keep
them warm through the night until their regular lights come
on. I use a true red bulb (not a novelty light) which in
my research I have found does not interfer with their rest.
Buy the ones offered for reptiles in the petstores. My
baby I currently have shares a room with one of my iguanas
so I run a heater that keeps a constant room temp of
no lower than 76 degrees.

A good way to tell if the bulb is of appropriate wattage
is to check the water temp first thing in the morning. One
word of caution. I wouldn't let the room temp drop too low
as they are breathing room air and cold temps even in warm
water can lead to respiratory problems.

Hope this helps Had to share this pic of one of my rescued
iguanas. He is such a ham!
Linda

Dear Linda,

Thank you so much for your feedback/response to my water heater question. I was considering getting a red heat lamp to keep the water warm enough at night so that my painteds could stay comfortable at an optimum temperature. Unfortunately, this would mean that I would have to buy another heat lamp and an extension for the power outlet in addition to the red heat bulb. I found my old water heater that is perfect in size and temperature output for the young turtles and I decided to use that instead. I also constructed a protective barrier around the heater so that there was no chance of the cute little guys burning themselves on it. The heater is set at 76 degrees Fahrenheit and I'm sure that now they will be happier and healthier in their new and improved turtle haven. Thank you again for your advice and I hope to talk to you soon. Oh and by the way, your photo of your iguana wearing the hat and glasses is histerical. In some way, with the spines on its back and its overall complexion, it seems like your iguana has an uncanny resemblance to Ebenezer Scrooge. lol. I don't know, maybe it's just me; it was the first thing that popped into my head. Anyway, great picture and happy holidays.

_Dennis