Air condiction

[Luis Taveras0]

Is it a good idea to have my box turtles terrarium in the same room as an air condition?

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Depends on the temp in your room and the setup

 

[Luis Taveras0]

Depends on the temp in your room and the setup

 

[Luis Taveras0]

Depends on the temp in your room and the setup

It also has a heat pad on the bottom

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

How small are the box turtles ? If you can cover the top of the tank, that should do just fine with keeping the humidity and temp for the box turtle stable.
I have no experience with the use of heat mats. Many have said heat mats can get very hot and burn the tortoise. Be careful. I would buy one of those thermostats and set the temp to be very low if you want to use it. Im sure you could do without it also.

 

[Eric Phillips]

It also has a heat pad on the bottom

Hey Luis, I am not a fan of the heat pad mainly because it dries out the substrate. If your conditions in the substrate are dry and you add in any cooler draft air your going to equal an upper respiratory illness at some point. Box Turtles use the substrate to hydro and thermal regulate. That's why it's important to allow one side for basking and another for cooling. The key is to keep moisture in the substrate and have a closed chamber enclosure to control temps and humidity.

 

[Speedy-1]

This is where your "closed system" would be best . I have central air which never really affected Speedy because he was in his own , warm humid environment !

 

[BrianWI]

I use heat pads for boxies. Also for my tortoise. Set up right, they really rock.

I use a ir heat gun to measure the substrate with JUST the heat pad on. I use a rheostat to set it at the temp I want. For my new tort, that is about 82F. Then I plug both my CHE and the pad w/ rheostat into a thermostat that has my baskign spot at about 97F.

Why? At night, the che is turned off with the lights and only the pad is on and my hide is positioned so that it is 82F or so in it (edge of heat pad away from CHE). During the day, it helps add a little heat but also helps the moisture from the substrate get into the air, increasing humidity.

Heat pads are safe when properly sized and regulated. Always use substrate over it and be careful when you have an animal that may burrow to the bottom of the tank by it.
.

 

[wellington]

And if this is an adult Boxie, your enclosure is way too small and you should start there. Giving it a proper sized enclosure. If it's one hatchling then the enclosure is fine for a while.

 

[Luis Taveras0]

And if this is an adult Boxie, your enclosure is way too small and you should start there. Giving it a proper sized enclosure. If it's one hatchling then the enclosure is fine for a while.

Its a hatchling

 

[Tom]

Many reptiles are burned by heat pads every year. Even by people who think they are using them correctly. Best to use other safer heating methods.

 

[BrianWI]

Many reptiles are burned by ceramic heating elements every year. Even by people who think they are using them correctly. Best to use other safer heating methods.

Many reptiles are burned by heat lamps every year. Even by people who think they are using them correctly. Best to use other safer heating methods.

If you aren't smart enough to run a heat mat, don't I guess. Work great for me for 35 years and counting!

 

[BrianWI]

Look at what HEAT LAMPS can do. Dangerous...

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/help-with-a-shell-injury.42069/#post-405952