Need help with my first Outdoor enclosure!

[seenam50]

New to forums!
I just recentley put my 5 year old sulcata outdoors and need help!
In san antonio , texas as of now the lowest is low 50s and im trying to find a way to heat his hide during cold nights. preferably a method that doesnt require electricity ( heat lamp or pad). The enclosure is 8 feet by 3 feet water trough. My second concern is RAIN! the trough has no drain so i was wondering if its a good idea to get a fiber glass/plexy glass rain cover like 3 feet above the top of the enclosure to act as a rain drain. If i did that, what clear plastic material could i get that lets UV rays through?
Any tips are appreciated!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi seenam50 and welcome to the Forum!!

Quite a few people use the CHE for night time heat (ceramic heat emitter). Its a porcelaine heat fixture that screws into a light receptacle and provides heat without light.

Yes, the plastic would filter out quite a few of the UV rays. I comment you for wanting your tortoise outside. In my opinion, that's where tortoises belong. Maybe you could figure out some sort of screen/wire cover. And you could always bring the tortoise indoors when it rains.

 

[lynnedit]

I can't think of a way to heat his hide w/o using electricity. Of course, with a bulb or radiant heat panel, the hide would need to be waterproof and perhaps elevated off of the ground. Planning ahead, you would need something like a shed outside as your Tortoise gets larger.
A torrential rain would be a problem for obvious reasons, there simply has to be drainage. Yvonne is right, you would have to bring your tortoise in. Or, you could cover the enclosure during rainstorms with a large piece of plexiglass or polycarbonate, secured down from winds, to keep the area dry, and remove it when the rain stops.
There are not many products that allow UVB through. I know there are some; sites in the UK mention them, but they are very pricey.