First winter: indoor setup in uninsulated room, need light help!

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Hilleriffic

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image.jpgI built an indoor habitat for my daughters Russian tortoise for her birthday, which is in June. We live in Texas. The need for a heat lamp was nil, but now it's time to start putting one up!

Thing is, Brownie's enclosure is in the "play room". Which is technically just an uninsulated enclosed room with lots of single pane storm windows. So while it protects from the rain/wind, the room will naturally get colder than the main house.

The enclosure has two levels, and it's filled with a couple inches of coconut noir plus top soil.

I was planning on putting a Zoo-med powersun 100 in the top right corner of the 2nd story box....the sides are about a ft high from the flat rock I put there (so the rock would get warm, too).

I guess I'm not sure if this is enough for her. The sun/bask area is small, so will she be able to wander through her bridge, go downstairs to chill at nighttime under her rock cave and be ok?

When it's cold here, it can reach lower 40's, maybe even mid 30's in that room, I don't know, we've never taken the temps in there during cold weather.
So while it's an indoor location, it's still going to be very cold due to the fact that the room is uninsulated!View attachment 57898
 
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wellington

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That is a great enclosure, very nice job. Now, I would put the 100 watt where you said, top level. I would also put a CHE on the lower level, maybe two. The 100 watt will be off at night, so you still have to heat it for night time. If it gets too cold, they will try to brumate and it sounds like you don't want them too. Plus, it's not recommended until you have owned them for one full year, going through all the seasons with them. Get a good thermometer and when your temps drop, check its temp day and night. You may have to add more or lower what you have.
 

Mrturtle527

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Love love love this enclosure! I am not sure about where to put the heat but it's also my first winter and my larger tort is out in my office (a finished shed) and I worry that it might get too cool as well.

Wishing you the best in accommodating your tort through the winter successfully.


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Hilleriffic

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Well, I'm glad y'all saw my picture, because I can't, lol!

So, I thought the zoo-med powersun 100 was an all inclusive UV/and heat lamp? That's what I'm trying to decide, an all inclusive lamp and how many? Gonna have to see other peoples set ups....I'm
Just worried that it'll be too cold in the winter with my uninsulated room
Set up!
 

WillTort2

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Why not move the enclosure to a heated room for the winter months.
 

Cowboy_Ken

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Hilleriffic said:
Well, I'm glad y'all saw my picture, because I can't, lol!

So, I thought the zoo-med powersun 100 was an all inclusive UV/and heat lamp? That's what I'm trying to decide, an all inclusive lamp and how many? Gonna have to see other peoples set ups....I'm
Just worried that it'll be too cold in the winter with my uninsulated room
Set up!

You are correct in your understanding of the Powersun being all inclusive. But at night, the light needs to be off for a regular day/night photoperiod as it were. This is where the use of CHE come in. Also, if daytime temps get too low, the CHE will turn on, providing you with supplemental heat as needed. If you have a big concern about temps, one thing I'd do in your position, would be to move the enclosure away from that big window. Even the low-e thermo pane windows can be drafty and lose a lot of heat.
 
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