My hermit crabs have an aquarium and I was using a heating lamp to keep them warm, but it just broke and I won't be able to get another until tomorrow night! My house is very chilly right now and I'm worried about them because they're new and are stressed and being cold won't help them at all either! What can I do to keep them warm temporarily?!
Instead of a heating lamp, I suggest one of the undertank heating pads. You affix it to the side of the aquarium, plug it in, and it gives off a constant, warm, heat. A few days or nights of cold probably won't kill the hermies, but don't let it go too long or you will start getting problems. I think it would be better to not worry about it while you get a new setup, rather than risk something that might break the aquarium or burn the crabs.
If you have the means to strip a lamp or two and use incandescent (old school non compact florescent) bulbs under the aquarium that might give off enough heat to at least help. I'd do this on a safe surface like the top of a washer/dryer ans make sure the bulbs don ' t directly contact ANYTHING. and open airflow to prevent over-accumulation of heat would be a good idea as well A collection of books might raise the aquarium and more could prop and secure the lamps. Not the best plan but it's something ...
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Alternatively you might have luck putting the aquarium over a crock pot with water in it on low .. kind of a modified double boiler setup putting limited heat all around the aquarium.
yet another convoluted thought is if you have your own laundry room that closes up then leave the aquarium in there and do lots of laundry!
Which broke, the fixture or the bulb?. An incandescent in any lamp will work for heat.
Put them in your mouth.
