Winter in Florida help!

Mallory R

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Jun 25, 2019
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Jacksonville, FL
So I have 2 six-month old Redfoots that live full-time outdoors. Im tryin to decide what to do with them for the winter. Heated night house? Temporary winter home on back porch? I'm in northeast Florida, so while it does stay fairly mild in fall, we do get about 2-3 cold months (drop into 30s) jan-mar. Lately temps have dropped into the 60s at night so I'm needing a solution quick! They do have a night house in their enclosure, but as of now it is not heated. and I don't have room inside my (very tiny) home to be building some huge elaborate table.
 

daniellenc

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Jun 10, 2017
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Maryland
There are a bunch of threads on here on how to create a heated night shed but it’s timely and pricey so not a quick solution.

You can go grab two Christmas tree totes, fill with cypress mulch and get two ceramic heat emitters for night heat. You just cut holes in the top of the lids. Search closed chamber and you’ll get a bunch of threads with pictures and how to’s
 

Mallory R

New Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2019
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
Jacksonville, FL
There are a bunch of threads on here on how to create a heated night shed but it’s timely and pricey so not a quick solution.

You can go grab two Christmas tree totes, fill with cypress mulch and get two ceramic heat emitters for night heat. You just cut holes in the top of the lids. Search closed chamber and you’ll get a bunch of threads with pictures and how to’s
so CHEs won't melt plastic tubs? what watts would I need? I'm lost when it comes to heat lights.... fl sun is so much easier
 

daniellenc

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so CHEs won't melt plastic tubs? what watts would I need? I'm lost when it comes to heat lights.... fl sun is so much easier
I lined the edge of the hole with aluminum foil to be safe and used two 50 watt CHE’s one on each end. But for nights in the 30’s I’d worry it wouldn’t be enough for outdoors. Can you have them inside? There like 4ft long so not huge. Then you’ll have time to build a permanent outdoor night shed.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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CHE WILL melt plastic....And make plastic give off toxic fumes and worse. Start a fire.
But if you place a piece of lumber across the tote and the hang the CHE from that board securely, it will work. And I'd use the lower wattage 50 watt type and drop them down a bit lower.
I live south of you.
I bring mine indoors at 50 degrees.
(At 60 degrees, I have CHEs in my outdoors enclosure sleeping quarters.)
Anything below 55 is dangerous. Even just overnight. Especially if there is a draft and/or if it is damp.
Try to make a cold weather enclosure indoors or on your patio. Just for those extra cold nights.
Here it's only 2 or 3 times a year. I know it's a bit cooler up there. Even if we're talking a few days at a time.
Mine come in and are housed 2 in a crate on dry hay. Not ideal. But it doesn't have to be for short periods.
Thankfully your torts are still small.
You don't need to make them a fancy palace. Just a place to spend a few cold nights.
Humidity and U.V. lighting aren't an issue for this situation. Because it isnt a long term enclosure situation.

I always imagined using something like a broken freezer or a refrigerator laying on it's back. Its insulated and would hold in both heat and humidity.
Luckily I'm married. So I can't experiment with a yard full of decrepit rusty appliances.
But I'm just saying that its 100% likely that you can repurpose something into a makeshift cool weather enclosure....Even without a broken refrigerator or by breaking your bank account.;)
 
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Lyric

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Sep 4, 2014
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Tampa, Florida
There are a bunch of threads on here on how to create a heated night shed but it’s timely and pricey so not a quick solution.

You can go grab two Christmas tree totes, fill with cypress mulch and get two ceramic heat emitters for night heat. You just cut holes in the top of the lids. Search closed chamber and you’ll get a bunch of threads with pictures and how to’s

I don't know if this would work for you; but I put my 9 year old RF in a pool box with Florida mulch and a water dish inside our home. I improvise a raised lid so that he has a hide at one end of the box. I also have a heat lamp; but rarely have had to use it since we bring the box inside the house. We've also used it (outside) during hurricane season. We are in NW Florida, so if the temperature is good during the day, he'll spend the daylight hours in his outside enclosure, then back to his box overnight when the temperature starts to drop. He gets completely new mulch every season and the box gets a daily cleaning and raking with a small hand rake. I also put him our utility tub to soak since the house is drier than outside. Hope that you get some other ideas that may be more helpful.
 

Tanyabobanya

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Feb 12, 2017
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Los Angeles
So I have 2 six-month old Redfoots that live full-time outdoors. Im tryin to decide what to do with them for the winter. Heated night house? Temporary winter home on back porch? I'm in northeast Florida, so while it does stay fairly mild in fall, we do get about 2-3 cold months (drop into 30s) jan-mar. Lately temps have dropped into the 60s at night so I'm needing a solution quick! They do have a night house in their enclosure, but as of now it is not heated. and I don't have room inside my (very tiny) home to be building some huge elaborate table.


I bought 2 wooden bookshelves for 5 year old desert tortoises, turned on backs, shelves out, lined with pond liner and strong tape and each one has a cave. for the baby who is almost a year I have a plastic planter box and a hide thing that has 2 little dishes you fill with water for humidity. Ceramic heater light at night, uv/basking light for any part of day they are inside. For outside I have a big wooden enclosure with 2 ramps that lead to a box with a lid. I drilled a hole for a chord and put a heating mat on each bottom for lower temps. What I need to do is hibernate them unless I find homes soon. Rainy cold days with tortoises roaming the house is no fun.
 
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