First winter need help with enclosure heating

[Fireflyfarm]

Hi! this is the first winter we will have our RF's. Hatched in January. I've read everything and am more confused now than I was when I started my research. Hoping for some guidance.
If we build a 5'x5', high sided wooden enclosure that will be in an area that receives lots of natural light with day/night temps never going below 60 degrees, high humidity and good air circulation....what do we need to keep the little guys warm. (going in a sunny spot in our greenhouse). Their substrate will be cypress mulch/coir. They will have a couple hides - sometimes they like to sleep together - sometimes not.
1)I know we need a CHE...but just one? Is there a particular brand that is better than others? I've also seen different wattage - what should we get and how many?
2)What about heat lamps? They will have direct sunlight to bask - is the CHE enough since they have natural light?
3) Do they need heat mats under the substrate so they have toasty bellies at night when they burrow into their hides? If so, can you recommend a good brand/option?
4) What am I not thinking about? Have I missed anything they will need to stay healthy and happy over winter?

 

[Tom]

You are in uncharted territory here. Not many people do it the way you are doing it, so you might need some trial and error to figure it out. Only your thermometers can answer your questions about how many CHEs you will need and what wattage. Running them on a thermostat will make your life much easier. Unless you have special overhead panels, your greenhouse will filter out all the usable UV, so you will need to provide this artificially somehow. Long tube florescent or mercury vapor bulb. I don't generally like heat mats, but since RFs don't burrow, it might be okay...

I think 60 is much too cool for RFs. Most people keep them at no lower than 80 from what I've read.

 

[Mightymcknighty]

I house my Rf indoor and I recently just switched to a 150watt Che and gave up on my red infrared light, I heard the light penetrates they're skin and will dry them on and dehydrate them. I am seeing a little bit of better results on him, skin is looking better. I also have an under heater for the hide which is under 5" of soil. It does warm the substrate up good so he sleeps comfortable. I use plantation soil and coco husk for the bottom. And I have spaghum moss for the top and I also place it in the hide and mist the tank daily. I keep the temps at 85-90 on the basking spot and on the other end it's around 75-80. He has no sign of pyramiding and a nice smooth shell. Have the tank running before you put them in and keep track of the temperatures see if it maintains a healthy living environment if it's lacking heat maybe add another lower watt one

 

[Fireflyfarm]

Thank you!! That's a great starting point. We can house them indoors in the nighttime enclosure until we get their greenhouse enclosure tweaked.

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Mighty...what size enclosure do you have?

 

[Mightymcknighty]

I only have 1 tortoise at 4" in length I have him in a 40gal breeder tank. I'm. Currently in the process of building a tortoise table 5x3. I will also be getting another 90gal for two other redfoots in January once I find an expo near Toronto