General Care Discussion :: Alternate Sleeping Home

[TheOneCalledRed]

I've thought about making a sleep area for my RES. There isn't a warm place to sleep at night, it's either the basking spot which is cold (I turn the halogen lamp off at night just so you know) or the water. I put a t-shirt in a shoe box and made a little cave out of it, my two turtles seem to love it and crawl their way inside to sleep. They hate me whenever I take them out, would it be a good idea to keep them in there for the night or should I just leave them in the tank.

I've been meaning to get a water heater, I'm a little short on cash right now. =/

[steve]

A water heater is essential and far cheaper than a simple vet visit. Skip a lunch and few cups of coffee and you'll have enough.

[kikicool]

We just spent $100 on a garbage can. Why? Because it was cheaper than the every-other-month $400 vet bill when my dog knocked the old can over and ate everything in it!!

that said, even if you're broke, you may be able to get one on the cheap. Have you tried ebay? Or, www.craigslist.org ?

You can look online or go to a pet store, find out what size filter you need for your tank and then buy it cheaper elsewhere. That's what I did. And I literally haven't had a paycheck since November (gotta love freelancing!!). Ach! Turtles don't just find a warm spot comforting, they are cold-blooded. They can get sick very easily and (knock on wood) die if they are constantly under the correct temperature. A heating thing IS essential. You can get one for like $20. Ask your friends do dump out the change from their drawers! I recently took my piggy bank to a starcoin at the waldbaums, and had over $100!! Yep, as I said... I'm broke too!

[Jessica313]

walmart sells water heaters for $9-15 depending on which one you get. theyre not AWESOME quality.. but it would def be better than nothing!

[Hoooneylynn]

I have a credit card, just for my turt, for emergencies and for anything she needs. It helps a lot. A water heater is a MUST, and jessica313 is right.. walmart sells cheap ones.

[Kallistos]

Haha, that's a bit extreme, but is a great idea.

Water heaters are just $10, I mean I'm 15 and can muster up that much money...Eat one thing less at lunch, walk to places that are close to save gas, work a few extra hours. (One for your, since your not at min. wage like me) Heaters are cheap, like kiki said, look on ebay, craigslist, garage sales. The important thing is you set-up an acceptable turtle tank instead of looking for alternatives.

IF there were cheap alternatives, believe me, it'd be all over the internet. There's already tons of DIY ways of saving money. But when it comes to heaters....let's just say I don't have the faintest idea of how to make one..

[Hoooneylynn]

RESowner, how much more cheap can it be?? lol, it only costs about $15-$20 bucks at walmart! There are so many ways of getting money even when you are dead broke. If you cant come up with $20 so your turt can have the temperature he REQUIRES, you shouldnt have a turt to begin with. RESowner, Karlyn having her own plastic may be a little extreme to you, but what she NEEDS she GETS.

[steve]

Have you tried ebay? Or, www.craigslist.org ?

I do like to caution people about buying certain things online. They can be used even though they are said to be new. This is especially true with any kind of bulb. Also, what do you freelance as?

TheOneCalledRed, if you invest in a little bit of money, you can get a reputable heater and I think a few of the major brands offer a lifetime guarantee. That's a pretty good deal.

[mkoby]

I have found the visi therm stealth heater (250 watt) online for $21 at Petsmart. They usually price match their online prices at the store.

[kikicool]

Steve, I freelance as a writer and editor. Mostly educational materials (textbooks, classroom readers...) now and then I get more "fun" assignments, too. I worked in publishing full-time, in-house, and I've only been doing this about three years. Soon, soon I will actually have time to write books that whose plots and characters I create! It's hard when it means turning down jobs you get paid for.

[industrial_girl_2000]

The $20 you spend on a submersible glass water heater is the best "health insurance" you can get for your shell-kids. You don't have to get the most expensive heater. If it is more than $30, shop around! As long as the water is between 75-80 degrees, it's fine. The more expensive heaters are made for very sensitive types of fish that can't tolerate such a wide range of temps.

I am celebrating 17 yrs with a RES & have NEVER had to take her to the vet because of her $20-$30 water heater (I have had to upgrade the heater over time because she is an adult so now it costs $30 instead of $20)! Spend $20 now, and you can avoid the $200 vet bill later. This works. Trust me.

[TheOneCalledRed]

I'll check it out, thanks all.

[CountryGirl68]

I have a credit card, just for my turt, for emergencies and for anything she needs. It helps a lot.

That is a fantastic idea, Jessica. I think it's very commendable what you do for your turtle.

I don't have a specific credit card dedicated to my babies (birds and turtle), but I make sure I have enough available funds should the need arise. In fact, some of my co-workers thought I was crazy when I recommended to a friend to always have at least $200 emergency money for vet care (she is planning on getting her daughter a parakeet). Their response was what we usually hear ("$200 vet bill for a $10 bird?!?").

[mkoby]

I understand completely. I have a special credit card just for the vet "Care Credit". The interest rate is higher, but at least I have it in an emergency! I used it 3 times in one week for my first turtle!