heating woes
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 12:23 pm
It's been colder here recently (highs in the mid-60s and lows in the low 30s), and this has caused some trouble with my crabitat.
Our family chooses to keep the heat off upstairs during the winter. During the coldest parts of January, it can get down to the upper 50s at night. It's actually quite cozy under all the blankets, and since we don't spend a lot of time upstairs except for sleeping, it works out great.
My crabs are located in my bedroom, and I don't forsee moving them anytime soon except as a last resort.
My current heating setup is a 6x23 Ultratherm with a thermostat (set to 83) on the back of my tank (20 gal tall with 6 in of substrate). There is insulation directly over the heat mat (foil and whatnot), and I also have a small towel taped so it hangs down on the back and side but doesn't cover the top.
Yesterday morning, I woke up to their thermometer reading 68. In a half-awake panic, I grabbed several towels and blankets and covered the tank completely. It did get back up to 79, so I removed all but one because the humidity was spiking (99 and foggy) under so many layers. When I went to bed, it was back down to 74-ish, so I added a ridiculous amount of blankets (about 5) and also stuck a large pillow between the tank and the wall. This morning, it was still only about 75 (which I know is in the 'safe' range, but still not ideal.)
I am considering getting another heat mat or two for the sides, but would really rather wait for Black Friday or possibly Christmas.
Is there anything I can do? Are nightly temp drops okay? Is having blankets/towels on the tank going to mess with their biorhythms since I don't have a tank light? I know this problem is only going to get worse, not better.
Our family chooses to keep the heat off upstairs during the winter. During the coldest parts of January, it can get down to the upper 50s at night. It's actually quite cozy under all the blankets, and since we don't spend a lot of time upstairs except for sleeping, it works out great.
My crabs are located in my bedroom, and I don't forsee moving them anytime soon except as a last resort.
My current heating setup is a 6x23 Ultratherm with a thermostat (set to 83) on the back of my tank (20 gal tall with 6 in of substrate). There is insulation directly over the heat mat (foil and whatnot), and I also have a small towel taped so it hangs down on the back and side but doesn't cover the top.
Yesterday morning, I woke up to their thermometer reading 68. In a half-awake panic, I grabbed several towels and blankets and covered the tank completely. It did get back up to 79, so I removed all but one because the humidity was spiking (99 and foggy) under so many layers. When I went to bed, it was back down to 74-ish, so I added a ridiculous amount of blankets (about 5) and also stuck a large pillow between the tank and the wall. This morning, it was still only about 75 (which I know is in the 'safe' range, but still not ideal.)
I am considering getting another heat mat or two for the sides, but would really rather wait for Black Friday or possibly Christmas.
Is there anything I can do? Are nightly temp drops okay? Is having blankets/towels on the tank going to mess with their biorhythms since I don't have a tank light? I know this problem is only going to get worse, not better.