Heating help!

[Guenhwyvar]

I have a heating pad on my tank now because it was getting so cold in my room, but it only raised the temp one degree and the humidity is at 75%. The temp is at a steady 70.5F He hasn't been processing his food and pooped out 4 nearly whole crickets. I think it's the temp. how do i raise his temp? I have the top covered wear the light doesn't sit. Any ideas? should I put him in his holding tub? It's a plastic container that's small 6qt long and short.

[GrifTheGreat]

I have a heating pad on my tank now because it was getting so cold in my room, but it only raised the temp one degree and the humidity is at 75%. The temp is at a steady 70.5F He hasn't been processing his food and pooped out 4 nearly whole crickets. I think it's the temp. how do i raise his temp? I have the top covered wear the light doesn't sit. Any ideas? should I put him in his holding tub? It's a plastic container that's small 6qt long and short.

You can buy a 50 watt incandescent basking light bulb. A Zoo Med basking spot light bulb used with a lamp that has a dimmer switch works quite well. You can adjust the output of the bulb so its neither to bright nor hot. Or a Daylight Blue bulb. The Zoo Med basking light works a lot better than the Daylight Blue be cause the beam is more concentrated so you don't have to turn the dimmer switch all the way up so it won't be too bright or hot for your frog. You can also buy a second UTH and put it on the same side as your other pad only either on the front or back of the tank. This will also raise the tep. You'll need to act soon as your frog will lose nutrition by not digesting his/her food. Is your UTH on the side of the tank?

[Guenhwyvar]

I had it on the side but it wasn't doing anything, so I put it under the tank and the temp raised one degree. The humidity shot up. He doesn't burrow on the end with the heater, but he does go and sit on the warm soil. His appetite hasn't changed, he still eats everything he can get. His aim hasn't been very good lately.
Should I give him a warm soak in his small tub?

[Ribbits]

a ceramic heater element/bulb will work for you. That way you can control the temp day and night without affecting his sleep cycle.

[GrifTheGreat]

I had it on the side but it wasn't doing anything, so I put it under the tank and the temp raised one degree. The humidity shot up. He doesn't burrow on the end with the heater, but he does go and sit on the warm soil. His appetite hasn't changed, he still eats everything he can get. His aim hasn't been very good lately.
Should I give him a warm soak in his small tub?

If he doesn't get the proper heat soon he will become sluggish and lose his appetite. Its not good for him to not digets his food properly. He isn't gaining what he/she need from the food which could also mean that he/she isn't metabolizing the calcium and multivitamin so your frog is losing nutrition fast. I still say it is too risky placing the heat pad on the bottom not only could the frog over heat itself if it burrows there he/she could also be burnt on the glass. Trust me this is solid advice. Just because your frog hasn't burrowed there yet does not mean that it won't. It is better to be safe than sorry. If you don't want to use a stronger light buy a second UTH and plce it on the same side as the other either on the back or front. Take the other out from under the tank and place it on the side. Putting the pad on the bottom also drops the moisture level in the substrate. Humidity can be from 65 to 80% but the temp is too cold it shouldn't drop below 75. 75 to 85 is an ideal range. It can go as low as 75 at night but should be no lower. I prefer night time temps to stay around 78. 80 to 85 day time. I try and stay in between that range. Trust me this advice benefits you and your frog.

[Guenhwyvar]

Putting it under the tank was my last resort since I couldn't get the temp up. I worry myself sick over him and whether or not he's getting what he needs. I thought putting him in his small tank til the end of winter(maybe) would make it easier for him to stay warm. I'll try to get another coralife bulb, but i can't until the end of the week. I try keeping his temp within a good range and having it this low makes me nervous. The heater in my house isn't working, so it's getting super cold and i can't bring him to bed and cuddle under the blankets with him like my dogs....unfortunately, i don't think he'd be too thrilled with that notion.
The ceramic bulbs cost too much for me right now, i'd have to get a lamp too as i don't think it'd fit my hood.

[Jcal]

A good warm soak is a great idea
Get a clamp light from a department store and a regular light. Start with something in the 40-50 range and work your way up. Even with the white lid on light will go through and cause a greenhouse effect that will warm your frog.....that will work if you put him in his holding containor. The clamp dome is only 7ish

[Guenhwyvar]

thanks, yeah it's a little tub with transparent bottom and white lid. I'll put him in it for the night, he just ate, so hopefully it'll help him digest his food properly. This winter is going to be abnormally cold.

[MeTree]

What is the wattage on your heat pad? I know I am just using a 4W in a 10g tank, which is slightly underated, but in Texas it hardly ever gets colder than 35*F outside during the winter, and we don't let it get that cold inside! An 8W would be more appropriate. I have even heard of people using more than the recomended wattage in conjuction with a Rheostat, although at this point I am not sure that I can recomend that, although it does sound like a neat idea.

I have heard of people not being able to properly heat their Pacman Frog tanks, so they actually put their Pacman Frog into full aevistation for the winter. This is a common practice with breeding, but not very common otherwise. Some people say that there is a little bit of a risk involved, and it needs to be done properly with pretty consitant temperatures (usually somewhere around 40*F, but not alot colder). Only hearing of one non-breeding related instance of Pacman Frog aevistation (I am sure there are many more), I cannot at this point recomend aevistation, but I am also not discouraging it as long as someone else recomends it.

[GrifTheGreat]

You can use a regular light and bulb like Jcal said. You don't want to go above 50 watts though, especially with a small tank. The heat can be too intensified and cause skin and eye damage. It will also burn off the humidity a lot faster.

[Sublime]

Nah, I wouldn't put your frog through aestivation. Especially if you're a newcomer to this hobby; young pacman frogs should not be put through aestivation. This has caused premature deaths from not regulating the environment, young, and too long. Stay away from aestivation unless you've done a lot of research on it.

The only thing I could suggest, is to build an insulated box with blankets or fiberglass to keep the tank in there with a dome fixture light. Fiberglass probably wouldn't be the best option though because of the reaction on the skin and it's not technically 'amphibian safe' even though it's a good insulator.

Use only a recommended UTH wattage because the surface area of the heat coming from one that is over rated for the size could burn your animal - although good practices is using a rheostat like MeTree suggested. A 45-50 watt incandescent light with the same wattage of a night light on should do the job putting your animal in an insulated bin.

[MeTree]

Thanks for the info. Like I said, I had only heard some of that stuff from one or two places, so I was in no position to recomend it (which I was trying not to).

[Guenhwyvar]

I'd never do that, I'd spend the whole Winter worrying about him. I have him in his little tub with a light on top. It gets as low as 14-20F here, there was a fire in our neighbors apt and the insulation was never replaced, so keeping the house warm is getting hard this year. i'll just keep him in his little tank for now and maybe throughout the winter.
You think he'll be okay in his 6qt tub until feb? Should I drill larger holes in it or keep it closed up?

[Sublime]

Thanks for the info. Like I said, I had only heard some of that stuff from one or two places, so I was in no position to recomend it (which I was trying not to).

Yeah I understand, I'm not trying to bash your opinion or advice at all. Just trying to reinforce it.

I'd never do that, I'd spend the whole Winter worrying about him. I have him in his little tub with a light on top. It gets as low as 14-20F here, there was a fire in our neighbors apt and the insulation was never replaced, so keeping the house warm is getting hard this year. i'll just keep him in his little tank for now and maybe throughout the winter.
You think he'll be okay in his 6qt tub until feb? Should I drill larger holes in it or keep it closed up?

6qt is really small, even for a baby pacman. I mean it's a lot easier to regulate the temps in a smaller bin like that, but I would only use that temporarily until you can work out a solution with your bigger tank that you have. The advice given from everybody should help you get the temperature back up so you can move him back into the other one. 14-20F, man that's hard to keep warm though. Can you get like an external heater for your room or some type of burners.

You should definitely do an insulated bin if it's that cold and you can't get some sort of heat appliance in the room you're keeping him in.

[DirtyBird]

What about using one of those blue/purplish Exo Terra Moonlight bulbs to help boost the heat? Its not as bright, but puts out good warmth. Thats what ive been using at night, and day to keep it around 83 day, 80 night temp.

[GrifTheGreat]

What about using one of those blue/purplish Exo Terra Moonlight bulbs to help boost the heat? Its not as bright, but puts out good warmth. Thats what ive been using at night, and day to keep it around 83 day, 80 night temp.

Even bulbs like that can make it difficult to raise the heat where its needed because the ambient air surrounding the outside of the tank. If the outside air is too cold it can creep through the ventilation and glass. Some sort of insulated box sounds good. Infrared lights no more than 50 watts are good. Especially for night time use. Placing the frog in the room where you and your dogs sleep will help at night as you body and the dogs will raise the ambient air temp within the room which will help raise temps in the frogs enclosure. As was said above even a standard house bulb will produce heat to help raise temps. Keep us posted on what you decide. If you have a desk lamp you could even place that over the lid of the tank.

[Guenhwyvar]

Thanks guys. I really, really, really don't want to keep him in the tiny closet tank. I'm going to goodwill to find a desk lamp or anything that'll help me out. I took him out of his large tank also so I could safely raise the temp of the heating pad, it's too strong for a 10gal, but it was free, so no complaints. I'm heating up the soil at least and will turn it off for maybe an hour before putting him back in. I'll keep you guys posted. I've only had him since aug13th, but I'm already really attached to him and my Pacific. Thanks for the help.

[GrifTheGreat]

Thanks guys. I really, really, really don't want to keep him in the tiny closet tank. I'm going to goodwill to find a desk lamp or anything that'll help me out. I took him out of his large tank also so I could safely raise the temp of the heating pad, it's too strong for a 10gal, but it was free, so no complaints. I'm heating up the soil at least and will turn it off for maybe an hour before putting him back in. I'll keep you guys posted. I've only had him since aug13th, but I'm already really attached to him and my Pacific. Thanks for the help.

We all understand. They are so easy to love and get attached to. Make sure your heat pad is safe for plastic or it could melt it or is the smaller homre the 10 gallon? Most heat pads are not safe for plastic carriers.

[Guenhwyvar]

I wouldn't put the heat pad on the plastic out of fear of melting it. I have it heating the 10gal before i put him back. He hates being misted, but I'm tempted to mist him with warm water. I'm scared the temp change may put him in shock though. I'm going to go find a lamp now. I'll send an update on temps when i get back.

[GrifTheGreat]

I wouldn't put the heat pad on the plastic out of fear of melting it. I have it heating the 10gal before i put him back. He hates being misted, but I'm tempted to mist him with warm water. I'm scared the temp change may put him in shock though. I'm going to go find a lamp now. I'll send an update on temps when i get back.

Sudden and rapid temp change can harm them. The water should be luke warm so it shouldn't harm the frog. As long as he is kept warm the misting shouldn't harm him. He may get stressed from being moved into his smaller container so I would try to no induce any uneccissary stress.