# Effectively heating a large 4'x4' Indoor terrarium



## TortNewbie (Feb 26, 2012)

I have a large terrarium I'm in the process of building. Its a mix of mulch and coconut fibers for the bedding its 4ft by 4ft and the walls are 12 inches high and I'm wondering how to heat it effectively. Its all wood and open at the top its for a young sulcata till summer comes. 
I have a 60 watt heat bulb on one side and a 100 watt UVB but its not very warm in there. Any suggestions?


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## coreyc (Feb 26, 2012)

Have you thought about using a CHE or a heat panel? what are your temps ?


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## Cherbear (Feb 26, 2012)

Just curious, what is a heat panel?


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## TortNewbie (Feb 26, 2012)

i was just about to ask the same thing about the heating panel
and the warmest i can get it is 75 degrees


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## Yvonne G (Feb 26, 2012)

I have a couple of Christmas tree storage bins and they're 4' long. Only a couple feet wide though. I have two heat sources, one at either end. I use a 100 watt MVB (mercury vapor bulb) for the UV at one end and a regular 100 watt incandescent bulb at the other end.


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## TortNewbie (Feb 26, 2012)

emysemys said:


> I have a couple of Christmas tree storage bins and they're 4' long. Only a couple feet wide though. I have two heat sources, one at either end. I use a 100 watt MVB (mercury vapor bulb) for the UV at one end and a regular 100 watt incandescent bulb at the other end.




How warm is the rest of your house? ours is kept at 62 and the basking area is fluctuating between 80 and 85. It only changes when the heat kicks on because its about 20 degrees outside
would getting a small space heater for the room and setting it on a timer be a good idea?


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## Yvonne G (Feb 26, 2012)

I heat my house with a wood stove and I don't build a fire until I'm ready to settle down in the late afternoon. So it gets pretty darned cold in here. When I wake up in the a.m. it's probably 55 or so, maybe even colder. Partially covering or even fully covering the habitat would help. For my smaller habitats I fold a couple sheets of aluminum foil together to make one large sheet and cover the habitat, lights and all, with foil. It keeps the cool house air out and the warm lights air in.


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## jwhite (Feb 26, 2012)

I keep my tort tables in the basement and a couple of things I do down there are open the heat vents and I also run a space heater these two things keep the cvool sides at about 72


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## EKLC (Feb 26, 2012)

If you can find a way to cover it, it will be very easy. I have a 4' x 2.5' terrarium and even a 75 W bulb brings the temp to 82+ everywhere if I dont crack the door


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## TortNewbie (Feb 26, 2012)

emysemys said:


> I heat my house with a wood stove and I don't build a fire until I'm ready to settle down in the late afternoon. So it gets pretty darned cold in here. When I wake up in the a.m. it's probably 55 or so, maybe even colder. Partially covering or even fully covering the habitat would help. For my smaller habitats I fold a couple sheets of aluminum foil together to make one large sheet and cover the habitat, lights and all, with foil. It keeps the cool house air out and the warm lights air in.





I really like that idea.


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## coreyc (Feb 26, 2012)

TortNewbie said:


> i was just about to ask the same thing about the heating panel
> and the warmest i can get it is 75 degrees



http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=66&de=752495


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## TortNewbie (Feb 26, 2012)

Thank you Corey


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## StudentoftheReptile (Feb 26, 2012)

I have a glass tank that my juvie sulcata is in and its dimensions are 36" x 42", just yea smaller than your 4'x4'. I currently use a 160watt MVB. Do I need that much? Perhaps not, but..:

A.) I have witnessed him routinely basking at temps of 140'F before, and the enclosure is large enough to accommodate a proper gradient, so why not?
B.) my wife is now 31 weeks pregnant, and hot-natured to begin with, so we generally keep our house like an icebox. Needless to say, it's difficult for me to use a smaller wattage bulb.
C.) I could try to use a smaller bulb, but while energy consumption costs maybe more, my mentality is that it's better to have a higher wattage bulb that I can always raise a little higher to decrease temps if need be...than be limited with a smaller bulb I can place only so close to the animal.


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## kibow (Feb 27, 2012)

I'm going through this problem now. Just built a 6.5x2.5 enclosure and with a 150 Che and a 125 mvb would only get one side to 85 tops and the other side is room temp about 60-65. I just bought a bigger Che and mvb on amazon so hopefully that helps. Am probably gonna need 3 maybe 4 heat sources or even larger ones.


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## TortNewbie (Feb 27, 2012)

kibow said:


> I'm going through this problem now. Just built a 6.5x2.5 enclosure and with a 150 Che and a 125 mvb would only get one side to 85 tops and the other side is room temp about 60-65. I just bought a bigger Che and mvb on amazon so hopefully that helps. Am probably gonna need 3 maybe 4 heat sources or even larger ones.



Im currently working on getting a space heater for the room even though i can already feel a difference in temp when i walk in. This is in my bed room and i have to say its really strange waking up to my entire room being about 70. I have a feeling a space heater even a small one will do what i need since we had a really small one at my dads house when our furnace quit working and it was about 20 degrees outside. the house gets cold fast but that little space heater kept the main floor pretty warm.


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## yagyujubei (Feb 27, 2012)

I have a warm room in the basement that I keep at around 70 with a oil radiator. For my big female on the floor, I have a pig blanket, CHE, and 100w powersun. I have the yearlings on a wall shelf 30" x 20' (L shaped)For them - 2 powersuns and 2 60w CHE.Also 3 - 60w ceiling lights for room light.


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## TortNewbie (Feb 27, 2012)

thats quite the set up


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## Tom (Feb 27, 2012)

If you simply close in the top and insulate the sides, you will need a fraction of the electricity and have a much better environment for your tortoise. I have a 4x8' in my cold garage. I use two 60 watt CHEs on a thermostat to maintain the temp at 80 24/7. Then I have a 75 watt flood bulb for a 100 degree basking spot for 12 hours a day. Finally, there is a 48" fluorescent just to brighten things up. All of these bulbs are INSIDE the closed enclosure, so ALL of the heat they produce is contained where it needs to be. It all uses surprisingly little electricity, but maintains a perfect young tortoise environment.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Closed-Chambers#axzz1nbJDAO2s Here's a thread I did on the subject.


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## TortNewbie (Feb 27, 2012)

Thank you Tom  
how did you build the peaked top for it?


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## kibow (Feb 27, 2012)

Good idea on the space heater. The enclosure is in its own room so I could just heat that room or I like making a closed enclosure. Tho I think that the new blubs that I bought are gonna be a wee bit to much for an inclosed enclosure.


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## TaraDodrill (Feb 27, 2012)

I have a similar size open enclosure and use a 100 UVB bulb, ceramic heat cool, a 150 watt heat bulb, huge infared bulb that gets to 120 quickly, so I have to keep it elevated well above the enclosure. My torts have two basking area ranging from 95 to 105 degrees and the ambient temp is approximately 85 degrees. The girls have two humid hides as well


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