My plan for NOT hibernating

[yuna1971]

Originally Posted by TortBabe

If you are worried Rach you could get a ceramic heater and thermostat for Lily, you hang it like a normal light, set the temp you want on the thermostat and it will keep Lily nice and warm overnight. I'm using one of these at the minute for Clover who has RNS

Cheers Clare. You have to remember though that its a built in hide in the table, therefore an enclosed area, with a lid that you take off and on. So this effectively seals the sleeping area from an overhead point of view. I am not sure how to hang a ceramic heater when there is a lid, covering the hide where Lily sleeps. I have had thoughts of the ceramic heaters before and this was the problem faced.

I would say that these would work if say a little area that has a habba hut or cave or the like, but when I have a lid that I take off and put on...not sure how a ceramic heater would benefit Lily. The heat would be heating the wood of the lid....making this warm. Unless it can get through this and still heat Lily. ??? Not sure about that.
Even so, I am not sure I would want this heating up the wooden lid all night...it might damage the wood, or I might find wood, paint/varnish coming off. Not sure if that would happen...but what if.
xx Thanks xx

[pagan queen]

Rach could you leave the lid off?

[kreacher]

we do exactly the same with kreacher...we have had her two winters and she is fine unless we turn her heat lights down she does not naturally slow down so does not hibernater...obviously she would if we turned the lights down though...we have heating this year in our house but our old house didn't have and the first year we had to turn the stats right up to keep the temps up but as long as they are kept the same they will not know it is winter

[yuna1971]

Originally Posted by pagan queen

Rach could you leave the lid off?

Possibly Wendy... The only thing I see with that is would this nullify having a heat emitter? As in, the lid is off - so it would allow all cold air, draughts to get to Lily. Yes the heat emitter would be in place, but would there be a significant improvement?
Perhaps someone could tell me how powerful or gentle the ceramic emitter is. Whilst I dont want Lily being stone cold...I also wouldnt want him to start getting active being too warm (if that makes sense) Again, this whole thing, I am unsure of.
Ed, that is a valid point about a heat mat. I would have to drill a hole in the side to thread it through and it would be a permanent fixture to the hide. How much heat comes from these...to make a difference when fixed to the wall. I cant fix to the lid, being removable - it just wouldnt work.
Would the mat hold its place when threaded through at the side? Or do people staple these on the edge (can they be stapled? with a staple gun - or is this dangerous.??) I do have a heat mat that can be used...but I have refrained from using yet as wasnt sure how much (if the tortoise wasnt pressed right by it) heat he would get if any - (ie say in another corner..?)

[yuna1971]

Mother is going in to check on Lily in a moment...I am interested to know whether he has been active much (usually can tell this by mess!) and if he has eaten much food. So will post back shortly...
Its a concern all this to me, and had the same problem last year. I think it is a case of watching and waiting too...it might just be the last couple of days, and he might rise as usual tommorow. I will tweak my CH later though to see if it makes a difference.

[16 shells]

I would like to add to this thread, for peep's not hibernating young one or two tort's say Herman's size, if it were mine i would consider a second hand medium size viv for the winter, less area to heat up, more heat contained, must be cheaper, they could even get by with a cheap lamp and strip say Dec to March. This could see you through the winter time for a few growing years.

[SeeShell]

I won't be hibernating any of mine this year. I don't anticiapte changing anything really I'm doing now in terms of light, feeding (well, diet a little more restricted), bathing, heating etc. I already have a convector heater attached to a thermostat which kicks in if ambient room temp falls below 19. I'll keep an eye on that though and may keep the central heating on; will just keep monitoring. I did all this last year and I can say I noticed no changes at all in my torts! I have loads of winter pansies, viloa etc growing as well as opuntia cacti. I've trays of SW seeds which have started to grow and will bring them indoors into the conservatory in due course.
SS

[yuna1971]

A good idea Paul...but sadly I just do not have the space to put another enclosure. xx Its not the expense of my heating which is a problem, this I managed well last year and the year before. But its keeping him adequately warmed at night...
**Mum has told me that Lily has eaten his food, seems to have been active. But is now in the hide asleep. She popped a bit of fresh food from his box down,...and before she left Lily was out eating, so had emerged to eat** Without being there, I havent a clue when he went back to bed, might have been first thing today straight after eating or ...2mins before Mum got there**

[16 shells]

Originally Posted by yuna1971

A good idea Paul...but sadly I just do not have the space to put another enclosure. xx Its not the expense of my heating which is a problem, this I managed well last year and the year before. But its keeping him adequately warmed at night...
**Mum has told me that Lily has eaten his food, seems to have been active. But is now in the hide asleep. She popped a bit of fresh food from his box down,...and before she left Lily was out eating, so had emerged to eat** Without being there, I havent a clue when he went back to bed, might have been first thing today straight after eating or ...2mins before Mum got there**

Yes the space is a prob, do you remember the shower curtain thing, trapping as much heat in an area around the table, also if peeps have the know how, a frame can be built around the table with tough polythene sheet covering the table on cold night, i tried this once upon ago, and got an extra 4-5c for nowt.

[EJ]

The key to using a heat mat is to place a rheostat in line with the mat. This way you can adjust the power output. You shouldn't put the mat in the enclosure but under it. The only caution with this is that you should raise the enclosure so the heat is not trapped. You can staple the heat mat to the bottom of the enclosure under the area where you want the tortoise to rest. When stapling it make sure not to go through wires or the heating element.

Originally Posted by yuna1971

Possibly Wendy... The only thing I see with that is would this nullify having a heat emitter? As in, the lid is off - so it would allow all cold air, draughts to get to Lily. Yes the heat emitter would be in place, but would there be a significant improvement?
Perhaps someone could tell me how powerful or gentle the ceramic emitter is. Whilst I dont want Lily being stone cold...I also wouldnt want him to start getting active being too warm (if that makes sense) Again, this whole thing, I am unsure of.
Ed, that is a valid point about a heat mat. I would have to drill a hole in the side to thread it through and it would be a permanent fixture to the hide. How much heat comes from these...to make a difference when fixed to the wall. I cant fix to the lid, being removable - it just wouldnt work.
Would the mat hold its place when threaded through at the side? Or do people staple these on the edge (can they be stapled? with a staple gun - or is this dangerous.??) I do have a heat mat that can be used...but I have refrained from using yet as wasnt sure how much (if the tortoise wasnt pressed right by it) heat he would get if any - (ie say in another corner..?)