building an indoor 96sq ft enclosure for redfoots All kinds of ?s

[Hustler]

I am in the process of designing an 8 foot by 12 foot enclosure for my red foot group as the numbers keep growing
i have several hurdles to overcome that I am trying to figure out....
The average temp of the space I am building it is 72
the average humidity is 55
I plan to make a lid for this tank to hold heat and moisture and use a bathroom fan on a timer for fresh air.
I will have a few heat lamps/ceramic heaters around the tank on timers but could i use a space heater on a thermostat and blow in warm air to try and save on power?
Or should I go with heat tape or rope and burry it in the substrate to keep general heat?
What can I use for paint inside to hold humidity that is safe?
Cypress mulch is very expensive and rare up here.... what is a good cost effective substrate that can replace it and hold humidity?
I will post more questions as I come across them but any advice or experience you can lend will be greatly appreciated
Mel

 

[Madkins007]

Personally, I would make this basically a room within a room, an indoor greenhouse. Build a framework within the existing room (cheap wood, PVC pipe, whatever)

Raise the floor a few inches off the ground and insulate under the floor also. Build a short wall all around an make a 'bathtub' out of plastic tarp. Make the rest of the room's walls out of rigid foam board. Rig up a simple door, possibly as a clear vinyl curtain.

Use a space heater and humidifier within the room, like on a shelf. If you want to get fancy, you can even mount a small fan on the ceiling to blow hot air back down.

I would not worry about a humid substrate. If the air and hides are humid, and the animals are properly hydrated, it is OK if the soil is dry-ish. An alternative substrate might be a bioactive substrate about 3" thick. It would be somewhat heavy, but pretty self-perpetuating.

I would recommend something like Flex Watt tapes (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Flex-Watt-Heat-Tape) to keep the soil from getting too wet or waterlogged, or getting clammy. I'd use a layer of kitty litter under the Flex Watt to protect the bottom of the habitat.

 

[Hustler]

Awesome Thanks for all the info
Ill check into it.... I was trying to do the math with your post and it would seem I would need at the very least 6 of the longest highest wattage cables on 2 diffrent thermostats to even come close to heating it.
Im trying to design some kind of cubby shelf for a heater and humidifier so its completely out of reach.
The base of the enclosure will be heavily frames to account for any weight from the dirt and it will be on wheels so I can roll it out of the crawlspace to work on it and just the front will be an acrylic window.

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jeeze.... Looks like pig blankets are obsolite lol....
I think ill give the 11" wide heat tape a shot and do a few runs of 10 feet with it (fingers crossed)
I googled it and most of the info was that it only lasts a year or so...... I pray this isnt the case or It would be cheaper to stick with ceramic heaters all over