General Care Discussion :: Hey guys, not new here but had......... question

[tigerridge]

Hey guys, not new here but had to change my id... Have a question in regards to hibernation...

I've had "Sam" for nine years here in Greenville, SC... I've had a 50 gallon indoor tank, and a 100 gallon stock tank/pond outside enclosure... Sam lives outside from May-October in the past... In the past, once temps have dropped below 35-40 at night I have brought her inside... She has totally outgrown her indoor aquarium now though, and I would like to leave her outside for the winter...

Do y'all have any suggestions or tips to help her acclimate ? She does fine during the fall, even with cool crisp nights, and will bask when the sun comes out, even at 55 degrees... Does she need a substrate on the tank bottom to hibernate ?? Should I cut back on food ?? Just to re-emphasize, she is 10 years old with about a 10 inch carapace...

Thanks in advance....

[steve]

Hibernation is not easy, especially with smaller enclosures. Not feeding is fairly important as they need to wind down, but I would be concerned about having only 100 gallons... I think those that do hibernate have small ponds that they can use.

[tigerridge]

Hibernation is not easy, especially with smaller enclosures. Not feeding is fairly important as they need to wind down, but I would be concerned about having only 100 gallons... I think those that do hibernate have small ponds that they can use.

OK, Thanks Steve.... So you would not recommend it ? What if I kept her water heated ?

[steve]

I would look at what local keepers are doing... what kind of setup and how much water. I know those with stock tanks will move it indoors or into a garage (one of the benefits of a stock tank). If your tank was in the 300-500 gallon range, then its worth considering but the weather can dramatically alter the temperatures in a 100 gallon pretty easily.