Sulcata enclosure heating in San Francisco

[swimqt]

I will be acquiring a Sulcata in a few months and need to figure out heating. Most of the year the weather stays around 70 and gets a bit warmer during the summer. But the winter is slightly rainy and drops to the upper 40s at the minimum. The area he is in will be long so I was thinking about making a good portion with an indoor area as well as just coverage from the rain.

I want to have his whole "covered area" stay warm aside from his basking spot, what type of heating do you reccomend? I saw the Mega-ray heaters which seems to be good for humidity too. But would a few strategically placed Mega-ray heaters keep the ambient temperature up? Is there something more efficient?

Also, he is about 8 years old, Im not putting a baby out there

Thanks everyone. This is my biggest challenge because I want it perfect for him.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Swimqt:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name?

I think all you really need is some sort of little shed or big dog house that is insulated and heated. There are several ways to heat your shed/dog house. Pig blankets do a good job, that's what I use. A CHE (ceramic heat emitter) or black light hanging from the ceiling. If its a big enough area, I really like those deLongi (not sure of that spelling) oil-filled electric radiators. I think Laura in Sacraments has a loafing shed for her sulcatas. That's a big open-sided barn. That way they have a large area out of the weather, but you can still have your heated dog house in one corner.

I don't know about the Mega ray heater. Never heard of that...or do you mean light? There's no sense in spending all that money on a Mega Ray UVB light when the tortoise is outside.

 

[swimqt]

Oh I'm sorry, my name is Julie

Thanks, that gives me a lot of ideas. I've heard a lot about the pig blankets and they seem ideal but on another forum they were discussing it as a fire hazard which worries me. Someone said that if anything gets pushed on top of it, it can catch fire. Do you know anything about this?

I'm also a little concerned about UVB because the area he would live in is shaded most of the day. He will be able to come out and walk around in the sun, but I want to make sure he gets enough UVB because I know how important that is for them.

 

[Laura]

check Osborne industries for the stanfield mats. Fire danger is very low.. much lower then the lights...

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Julie:


I have never worried about fire danger with my Stansfield Heat Mats and I've been using them for over 30 years. Not just using that brand for that length of time...actually using the same pad for 30 years. Right now I have three very large tortoises that cover the whole pad. No danger of fire and the pad doesn't get too hot. I have all mine mounted on 2x4's so that they are raised up above the floor just a bit. That way if I have substrate inside the house, it doesn't get on top of the pad.

If the tortoise gets some outside time, even in the shade, then he has access to UVB.

 

[swimqt]

Thank you Yvonne. I will check it out. The enclosure will be in the yard near the house so I want to be 100% sure that nothing will happen. I really like the idea of elevating it as well.

I'm sure I could figure this out but what size mat do you use? Also, what exactly is the power control and do I need it?

 

[Yvonne G]

I have different sizes. In this picture, the one at 11 o'clock is 2'x3', the one down towards the front is 1.5'x2':

This is the one that Dudley sits on. Its 1.5'x2' and he hangs off all the way around it, but it still keeps him warm:

 

[swimqt]

Thank you! Those pictures are really helpful. And I think I figured out the power control. I think I will purchase one without a power control then buy a rheostat.

 

[Yvonne G]

The F911 controller that Osborne Industries sells (its what I use) is made to handle 600 watts. One pig blanket is only 300 watts. It costs around $60, but its worth it. I plug two pads into one controller then dial up the heat I want. I have to raise it or lower it depending upon how cold it gets at night. I start out about half way on the dial, but usually by the end of the cold weather I'm all the way up to 3/4 of the dial. In my opinion, you should never just plug the pad into the wall socket. They get much too hot without a controller. I bought the cheaper controller that they also sell, and it wasn't worth the money. I couldn't get it to work properly for my tortoises, so I had to scrub it.