Habitat - Indoor :: Water Heater Temps

[butterfly_kisses91886]

I have posted so many topics, so thanks to everyone who has helped me. I am just so paranoid b/c my turtles are so young. I bought a submersible water heater. However, the thermometer on the inside of the tank says it's about 74-76 in the tank. That is, the thermometer is not submersed in the water. Should this small temp difference matter ? The temps go up to 78-80 w/ the basking light on. I can't tell if the heater is working b/c the water feels the same to me. I hope it's working properly. The turtles have been spending a lot of time by the heater so I am assuming that's a good sign??? Any advice is welcomed.

[Chrisbarnett]

So do you have a thermometer actually in the water monitoring temps?

[butterfly_kisses91886]

no b/c i dont have the water filled up that high to reach the thermometer. I do have a thermometer in the tank. I just dont understand why Petco said I didnt need a heater even thought I bought one... strange

[TheComputerGremlin]

Okay, so first, most pet stores don't know how to optimally care for your animals. Often they get the minimums correct, but what we preach here is the best care possible. So don't worry what PetCo said.

The air temp isn't that important. The two important temps are the water temp and the basking temp. You can have a cheap stick on thermometer located below the water line on the outside of the tank as long as you have an additional thermometer that you have used to check the water temps with. The cheap stick on ones are usually accurate enough once you verify that 76 degrees really is 76 degrees, and no 78 or 74. You can use a submersible thermometer to determine this, or what I have is an infrared thermometer that I got at Amazon.com for like 20 bucks. It's really useful because I can also check the basking temps occasionally. Then I have a stick on thermometer located as far away from the water heater that I use to check the temps daily.

I would say that your turtles spending a lot of time hanging out by the water heater is not a good sign. I would say it implies one of two things: 1) the water is too cold and that's the warmest place in the tank or 2) there are not ample resting places underwater and they are using that to hold themselves up, which just means to supplement the tank with some fake plants or suction cup items so they can rest.