[rainbowgardens]

This year, as I have been trying to find ways to save on heating and electric bills I have come to the conclusion that we made a mistake in some of our pet choices.
One of our children chose parakeets and the other tropical fish,(Cichlids.)
The parakeets require a temperature of about 75-80 degrees . Since we now keep our house at 55-60 degrees in the winter, we have to have a small heater running in the room for them. I compromised and keep it set at 70.
The fish need to have a filter running and two heaters in the tank. Of course, we don't have the fish in the same room as the birds, which could have combined some of the heat! It's a 35 gallon tank and I'm not volunteering to move it!
When we have a power failure, (last winter one lasted 3 days,) we have to find ways to keep these picky pets alive. On top of that, the kids are away at college and don't even spend time with these critters anymore, but I get to care for them.
If it's not too late for you, I implore you to limit your childrens pets to sustainable ones in light of our world's situation.
Well, back to knitting little parakeet sweaters.

 

[writhe]

Here is a way to keep a room warm. Get an old 5 dollar piece of junk (huge fat heavy) monitor, then a computer, keep the computer and monitor on at all times, hook up a stereo or something in there too and keep the amplifier on, shut the air conditioning vents and door when you leave. All the electronics are like mini-heaters.

 

[rainbowgardens]

Wow Writhe, I'll have to get my husband to think about that. I'm not the electrical one. Thanks.

I noticed I posted this in the wrong catagory. I meant to put it in the general discussion above, not this general food and foraging one. If anyone knows how to move it, please do. I know nothing about all this computer stuff. I was surprised I figured out how to join!

 

[leftyclick]

I agree on the pet idea. We have birds as well, and if the power goes off in the winter, we start to get worried.

 

[TechAdmin]

No fish here. Just dogs and outdoor cats to keep the mice population down.

 

[slimeyjoe]

Definately keep it warm for guinea pigs and hamsters / mice... they can easily freeze to death

 

[Rocky]

Could be tempting to keep these animals in the furnace room!

 

[Homestead Gal]

When I had small pets I used a heating pads under the cages. Just set it on low and the furry critters stayed comfy.

My bird actually slept on the edge of his dust bowl in the bottom of the cage. When he went to roost on the bowl, I covered him up to help keep the heat in.

Not sure how well a heating pad would work under a fish tank.

 

[The_Blob]

heating pad is a much better idea for the bird than all that electronic equipment you're only getting waste heat from, if you're trying to save electricity, of course if you actually are using the stuff then taking advantage of the waste heat is a bonus. Instead of moving the fish tank you could always move the bird cage, I'm sure it's easier to move.
birds can withstand seasonal temperature changes a lot better than what they write in the books, my neighbor has various tropical parrots & they are outside for most of the year, until winter when they are moved into the barn which I'm sure is NOT kept @ the recommended 80 degrees.
burrowing critters like guinea pigs & hamsters can be kept warm by putting lots of shredded newspaper in the cage, it is an excellent insulator & they will make a nest in it heated by their body heat, the smell on the other hand... yer on yer own for that
since water has one of the highest coeffeicients of heat of any natural substance (ammonia's is higher I believe) the tank heaters for the fish are probably going to do a better job than anything you can rig up

 

[Canadian]

My Chia Pet will be just fine. No living pets here.