Nightbox

[DIYjoanna]

I’ve got a juvenile sulcata. I live in central Texas and it’s dipping into the 30s occasionally at night. I have a hatch style dog house that’s insulated and have a reptile heating mat as well as a chicken coop radiant heat panel in there. My question is, my radiant heat panel can range from 120-199 degrees. At 150 it was 36 last night and my Govee thermometer recorded a low of 56 in the tortoise box, way too low for ambient temp. My question is should I raise the RHP to 199 in order to up ambient temp? Or should I just be measuring the tortoises carapace temp with a heat gun? I don’t want to burn her. I guess my question is that I understand RHPs heat the animal as opposed to significantly upping the ambient temp. I don’t want to be trying to up ambient temp if she’s actually roasting.

 

[DIYjoanna]

I’ve got a juvenile sulcata. I live in central Texas and it’s dipping into the 30s occasionally at night. I have a hatch style dog house that’s insulated and have a reptile heating mat as well as a chicken coop radiant heat panel in there. My question is, my radiant heat panel can range from 120-199 degrees. At 150 it was 36 last night and my Govee thermometer recorded a low of 56 in the tortoise box, way too low for ambient temp. My question is should I raise the RHP to 199 in order to up ambient temp? Or should I just be measuring the tortoises carapace temp with a heat gun? I don’t want to burn her. I guess my question is that I understand RHPs heat the animal as opposed to significantly upping the ambient temp. I don’t want to be trying to up ambient temp if she’s actually roasting.

 

[DIYjoanna]

additionally both mat and RHP are on a thermostat with 100 degree shut off.

 

[Tom]

The RHP should be turned all the way up. The thermostat will prevent it from getting too hot, and its far enough away that it can't burn your tortoise.

Dog houses don't work well. Even when modified. I'd bring the tortoise inside and somewhere 80 degrees while you test to see if the box will stay warm enough. One cold night shouldn't be too bad. Two cold nights and you might cause sickness. Not a chance I'd take.