Maintaining heat during winter

[kawasakirider]

Hey everyone, just curious how I can maintain heat in the terrarium during winter? My thermostat is set at 32 degrees allowing for 1 degree of fluctuation, but since I got home last night it hasn't gotten above 29 degrees. I thought it would be hard to build up heat last night because it was cold and it would be hard to build up any decent amount of heat, but it didn't get above 29 today. It's sitting at 27.4 now.

The Terrarium is 45x45x45 all glass, 75w (I think) red heat globe.

Thanks in advance to any replies.

 

[angie90]

I cut cardboard squares out that fit over the top of my exo terra mesh & covered them with alfoil. (just for the warm side). this keeps mine at a good heat. I can put a pic up if youre not sure what I mean

 

[Grogshla]

what species are you housing.
As mentioned by woodys you can cover the top up a bit. I have the same enclosure size from exoterra and i run a under tank heater to keep 1/3 of the floor at 32 celcius. Never had a problem with it even in winter
You could also use a small heater to heat up your room a bit

 

[dossy]

a mate of mine covors his enclosures with a blanket and that covors the top back and sides leaving the front to look through. i have also seen that people strap foam to the back and or put the enclosure on a small pice of foam.

it may just be me but if your heat sauce is not keeping up the temps now would that not mean that it is on all the time, if somaybe step up you heating a bit ( go from a 60w bulb to a 80w for example)

 

[kawasakirider]

I cut cardboard squares out that fit over the top of my exo terra mesh & covered them with alfoil. (just for the warm side). this keeps mine at a good heat. I can put a pic up if youre not sure what I mean

It kinda makes sense, but my heat lamp sits on top, and at the back I have a big UV thing that covers the whole part of the rear mesh. Only 1/4 of the mesh is really exposed, although heat could escape through the vents underneath the uv thing that looks like a rangehood lol.

Grogshla, I'm housing jungles, I've been keeping them at 32 with 1 degree of fluctuation, the heat source only cuts out when it's gets to 33. I'm not allowed to have a heater, my landlord is paranoid about them.

Dossy, yeah mate I was thinking that, upping to a higher what globe and covering the enclosure. I'll see how I go

 

[Grogshla]

hey buddy. you can try using a heat mat underneath the tank or stuck to the side of the glass. Use a hotter wattage bulb for a basking lamp and you will be sweet.
landlords can be a pain in the butt

 

[Kyro]

Cover all the glass on the outside of the enclosure with cardboard, except for the front & top where the light is

 

[pyrodarknessanny]

i use my exo-terra tank as a brooder, for heating i have a heat mat set up undernieth it srt up to a thermostat, and a heat lamp on the top (i leave that on pritty much all thim but turn it off during the day on realy hot days) what part of the mech that is exposed i have covered with stryofoam and also used foam to cover the sides and back of the tank, so only the glass doors are not covered.

 

[MChaz]

Good question, I was wondering the same thing as mine is struggling to pass 27 at the moment.

@Grogshla, do you have any problems with your heatmat on the glass? Cos I was actually thinking about doing this...

Sorry to bombard your thread

 

[kawasakirider]

I have a heat mat and my thermostat powerboard has two sockets, so I could run the heat mat and the thermostat. The question is where would I put it? My enclosure has 4 hides and a waterbowl. The waterbowl is underneath the heat lamp for a bit of humidity. Here's the set up.

So where should I put the heat mat? If it went under the lamp, it would site under the water bowl and do absolutely nothing?

There are 4 hides in there, one is hard to see but it's a little black one behind the tree.

 

[Bez84]

When i house things in glass tanks i used to stick foam and cardboard to the back and sides for insulation.. Emergency blankets work well as well or any reflective foil insulation..

What you got in there a python, dont need the lamp above the water... i have the water at the opposite end of the heat in all of all my pythons enclosures.
Only need humidity for rain forrest species...i havent gave humidity a thought outside incubation in 10 years lol.

 

[SamNabz]

I use these tanks for geckos, however I have never been a fan of housing snakes in them, mainly due to these heat issues.

Your best bet would be to remove the heat lamp and block the top of the enclosure (leaving some gaps for ventilation) then run heat cord underneath 30% of the enclosure away from the water bowl...

I would also purchase a melamine enclosure and sell that tank (something to think about) as they hold heat a lot better.

That's what I would do anyway... Good luck

 

[kawasakirider]

Cheers, the tank won't be around too long, I'll be getting one big enough for an adult soonish. I'll just persevere with what I have and try to insulate it a bit.

 

[SamNabz]

Yeah fair enough, if you only have a heat mat then I guess that will do for now but I don't use them as they are prone to failing which is not worth the risk IMO.

For now just remove the heat lamp, cover the top and run the mat on a thermostat underneath the enclosure..

 

[KaotikJezta]

I go with the styrofoam option around the sides and the back, or use fake foam walls on the inside. You could even cover most of the exposed mesh on top, just leave a gap of about 5 cm of mesh on the cool end.

 

[kawasakirider]

Yeah fair enough, if you only have a heat mat then I guess that will do for now but I don't use them as they are prone to failing which is not worth the risk IMO.

For now just remove the heat lamp, cover the top and run the mat on a thermostat underneath the enclosure..

Not trying to be a smartass, but the heat mat is only 5w and I can rest my head on it without getting burnt. The red bulb puts out quite a lot of heat, wouldn't it be better to run both?

I go with the styrofoam option around the sides and the back, or use fake foam walls on the inside. You could even cover most of the exposed mesh on top, just leave a gap of about 5 cm of mesh on the cool end.

I'll cover the mesh up, cheers.

 

[SamNabz]

You're going to have to try it and monitor the temps.

That heat lamp is pretty high up and being a glass tank that doesn't hold heat so well I can't see you managing to get the correct basking temps + gradient with that setup?..

Correct me if I'm wrong (you or anybody else who houses snakes in similar tanks) as I'm just going with what I have heard from close mates who have tried this kind of setup in the past

 

[KaotikJezta]

I couldn't tell from the picture but is there a branch, vine or something up closer to the lamp as this would mean they could get up nearer the heat and you wont have so much of a problem. Even if you rig up a hide up near the top somewhere.

 

[Bez84]

Maybe whack a small computer fan on top of mesh to blow some of the heat down...

 

[longqi]

Keep it simple
put two bits of 4x2 on edge under the viv
Put a small size 40watt light globe under there on one side and measure the temp an hour later
Too high/low = more/less wattage
During summer use 25watt
Heat rises and this will warm everything beautifully
If it stays too cool cover some/all of the top vent

Cheap as chips and nothing to go wrong