Temporary outdoor heated house

[Subersibo]

I really wanted to build a nightbox but I don't own a circular saw (among other things) or have any woodworking skills so I'm using this as a temporary outdoor house for my 2-year old leopard, Yoshi :
ASL dp hunter http://m.samsclub.com/ip/asl-solutions-dp-hunter-insulated-dog-house/prod2380592
It has 1.5 to 3" insulation and
25" L x 19" W x 17" H inside dimensions.
I heat it with a mini comfort zone 1,500 watt ceramic heater. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Comfort-Zone-Ceramic-Heater/21899614
It has an auto shut-off feature in case it falls. It's only about 10" tall so it doesn't take up a lot of space.
I just got these items yesterday and am still zeroing in the temps. Aiming for at least 80-85 degrees.
I am planning to put some sort of barrier so he doesn't tip the heater.


There is no electrical outlet near the large space where I usually keep him so I placed this setup in the garage near the door.

 

[Jodie]

The mini oil filled radiant heaters are a lot safer. They are only about $40 on Amazon. I plug the heater and a Kane mat into a thermostat. Hope that works for you.

 

[Subersibo]

The heater has a built in thermostat so it has been shutting off at around 85 degrees.
ill check if there is any oil-filled radiator that is small enough to fit wo taking too much space.
Is the one I'm using less safe?
Also planning to use orchid bark for substrate to increase humidity and that is what he is used to in his closed chamber.
I haven't put my tortoise in there yet. I'll give it a trial of maybe a week or two.

 

[Jodie]

That type of heater gets really hot. Another option is a radiant heat panel. They make them for animals so they don't get too hot. You could install that on the ceiling.

 

[Subersibo]

Ah, I see. Ok i'll research the oil filled one.

 

[Tom]

Those heaters are very inefficient and the thermostats that are built into them allow a wide temperature range. They burn way more power than you need. Many years ago, I used that type of heater for a monitor lizard enclosure. Since then I've discovered better ways to do it.

How big is your leopard?

 

[Subersibo]

9"

 

[Subersibo]

Darn! The oil radiators I've found won't fit cause of the shape of the dp hunter.
Would a heat panel plus a kane heat mat give enough warmth even during winter?
If I invest in these I'd like to make sure they'll be good enough for year round heat.
I kinda remember reading that the heat panel doesn't give off much heat or it has to be situated close for it to be sufficient.

 

[Subersibo]

Ok I did some reading and I am going to order a heat mat and a radiant heat panel, probably an 80 watt model. I think it's the perfect heating solution for my setup. The measurements are just right.
I already have 2 thermostats ready.
If it doesn't sufficiently heat the house during winter I'll just bring Yoshi in. He is a lot more active in his closed chambers than he is outdoors anyway. But I'd like him to spend spring and summer outside. It's getting nice and warm now. Still very cold at night though.

Thanks for the advice regarding the heater, guys. Safety and efficiency are my primary concerns as our house almost burned down last week. (An incident unrelated to herp keeping).
Scary experience!

 

[TurtleBug]

I have looked at that same house because I like how it has built in styrofoam insulation inside all the walls, floor, and ceiling. The manufacturer claims that using a regular 100w bulb as a heater, the house will stay 70 F when the outdoor temperature is 40 F.

But I didn't know what to do about the high entry at the doorway so that tortoises could enter and exit at will. Did you figure out a clever way to build a ramp, or other solution, for easy walk through? My tortoises are not very good at climbing steep ramps.

 

[Subersibo]

I'm planning to just put a mound of soil so it's gonna be like walking up a short hill.
I think the insulation is pretty good. It was about 50 degrees the other night and I experimented with the little ceramic heater and the temp in the house stayed in the mid-80's til i checked in the morning when it was in the lower 40's outside.

 

[TurtleBug]

Good idea! The door ramp in the smaller ASL house is 6" high, so filling the house with 6" inches of packed soil would make the doorway even with floor. On the outside, it would be easy to build a soil mound to the door height.

 

[Careym13]

Sorry to hear about the scare with your house...what happened? I'm paranoid about that type of thing too since my house is pretty old and has original wiring.

 

[Subersibo]

My Father-in-law put coals and ash in the recycle bin a few hours after I finished grilling. He said it was already cool to the touch. Apparently it wasn't.
Good thing our neighbor saw the flame which was almost as high as the house and burned down two bins and half the door to the water heater which thankfully did not blow up!