I have no furnace!

[ridgebax1]

So my furnace crapped out this weekend and cannot be repaired. I am not in a financial state to get a new one right away. My biggest concern is providing heat for the boys, especially at night. I do have a fireplace in the room where their cages are located. I think that with the temps being in the low 30's the ambient room temp is around 55F. How low can they tolerate and what can I do at night. How messed up would it be for them to have the red heat lamp at night temporarily? I set up two plastic bins with screen tops and branches inside for perching and put some heat packs in them last night. Would these containers be ok for night time housing for a couple weeks with a space heater to warm the area in which I keep them?

 

[MelissaB]

Would moving them to a smaller room and using a space heater work? I'm sorry this happened to you.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

55 degrees at night is not too bad. I think they will be ok. Dont use the red night bulbs, get a ceramic heat emitter. It goes in a standard light socket but emits only heat, no light.

 

[ridgebax1]

I was thinking of doing something like that, putting them in my bathroom with a space heater, but it is the only bathroom and they would not be undisturbed throughout the night. I have CHE for my roaches maybe I could switch the CHE on the bugs with the red lights.

 

[Saldarya]

I intentionally move my room temps to 55 every nights and never had an issue.........

 

[laurie]

I intentionally move my room temps to 55 every nights and never had an issue.........

Yes you do have issues - I got cold the other night.

 

[Psychobunny]

Oh no!! what a terrible time for the furnace to go out!! I'm sorry

The only thing I can think of, use a space heater.

 

[Saldarya]

Yes you do have issues - I got cold the other night.

Thought I saw someone sneaking around the baby Merus!

 

[ataraxia]

As long as they have sufficient heat during the day. They can withstand lows into the 40's at night.

Disclaimer:
I keep my crew outside from spring till fall. They do see night time temps as low as 40* a few nights and do fine. However i do not know the period of time they can be subjected to temps as low as this and thrive.

CHE in a ceramic socket hooked up to a thermostat should keep temps. If the bulb alone cant do it. You could cover the sides with cloth or cardboard at night to help maintain temps.

 

[ridgebax1]

I set up their little vacation homes with a CHE over it and have temps in the warm area of 77 for the panther so far, still checking the other spaces. I also found an indoor kerosene heater, Mr. Heater 30000 BTU output that will sit very nicely in my fireplace. This should solve the problem until the furnace can be replaced!

 

[Chameleon Creator]

55 degrees at night is not too bad. I think they will be ok. Dont use the red night bulbs, get a ceramic heat emitter. It goes in a standard light socket but emits only heat, no light.

Agreed with this. I keep mine in the basement, it gets into the low fifties every night. I programmed a ceramic heater to emit heat for fifteen minutes every hour. The drop in temperature is good for them. I just like to play it safe

 

[Ninkylou]

Make sure you put a carbon monoxide detector low in the room with the kerosene heater they are notorious for causing CO poisoning if not vented correctly. I don't know how sensitive chams are.

 

[fluxlizard]

Like the others- I've allowed my temps to drop near 50 at night for panthers for many years and they've always done fine.

 

[ridgebax1]

Make sure you put a carbon monoxide detector low in the room with the kerosene heater they are notorious for causing CO poisoning if not vented correctly. I don't know how sensitive chams are.

Well since my furnace was blowing 300ppm of CO, I think they can tolerate that much. So at least I am glad that my house is a big drafty mess or I think more than the chams would have been in trouble. Anyway this heater is designed for indoor use and will be positioned in my fireplace so will vent up the chimney.

 

[Ninkylou]

Ouch...I don't know what it can do to chameleons but as an old ER nurse I have seen it do some nasty things to people....

 

[ridgebax1]

Ouch...I don't know what it can do to chameleons but as an old ER nurse I have seen it do some nasty things to people....

Maybe that is why Omar is so grumpy!