Heating for Sulcata in UK

[SulkysDad]

Hi everyone,

Looking for some heating advice please. My Sulcata is now over 20 years old and we finally got a half decent size enclosure built in the shed for him. The shed is insulated (although needs finishing) pretty well.

He has his spot basking ceramic lamp at one end and a house at the other so colder there.

We had trouble keeping the shed at a decent temp. I like it to be 20c (68f) background heat. Finally we found a solution, a 2Kw greenhouse fan heater with thermostat. This works perfectly, as soon as the shed drops below 18c it 'tops up' the heat to 20c.

So now to the problem. Our electricity bill has shot up considerably, I'm talk x3 probably x4 the usual amount!!!

We live in the far north of the UK on the Shetland Islands so even in summer it's not warm enough for him to live outside, we just pop him on the lawn on rare days when it is warm enough to graze.

I'm trying to find a much more economical solution. Oil filled radiator wasn't as expensive (still 2Kw) but just doesn't maintain the temp in the shed. I know I need to improve the insulation further but just looking for any other ideas please.

The enclosure is open topped inside the shed. I did wonder about putting a lid on it but this would be a shame as the airflow is great for him.

Appreciate any input with thanks

 

[Tom]

You have a 20 year old sulcata in a pen inside a 68 degree shed? And you've got him under a CHE for heat?

The ambient should be no lower than 26 and there needs to be a large basking area that is 36-37 at the height of the tortoises carapace. Ambient should climb to around 32-33 each day. CHEs and basking lamps usually burn the carapace of larger tortoises. Having a cooler ambient makes it far worse because the tortoise will bask a lot more in a futile attempt to warm up.

They also need a lot of room to roam on a daily basis. I suggest a minimum of 2,500 sq. feet, but even 1000 sq. feet would probably suffice if need be.

How does someone accomplish all of this in a cold weather climate? I don't know.

 

[SulkysDad]

Well, you do the best you can I guess. Temp in the basking area is 35+

How on earth can I give him 2500 sq feet? That's larger than my house and garden! I'd very much like to give him much more room but the only other option right now is to donate him to an animal park who could give him the space and environment he needs.

 

[katieandiggy]

Hi Sulkysdad, I’m considering adopting an adult Sulcata at some point in the future. I’m down south a lot further so we do have nice weather in the summer.

I was thinking about a night box that is heated by a radiator or heat panel and then over the top of it a green house. The night box would be small so that it can be heated easily.

(Tom has a great version of a night box)

The temps inside a green house can get exceptionally hot even on a day with slight sun, that would be the outside area in winter when it’s too cold for the garden. There are some great ideas online.

 

[SulkysDad]

Yes, I've been thinking about adding a heated box area, he does have an enclosed house already at one end so maybe I can heat this.

We thought about greenhouses when we adapted the shed. Unfortunately due to somewhat frequent 100mph+ winds and long dark winters it just wasn't feasible. We do have storm-proof polytunnels here but they're incredibly expensive. Not something I've ruled out longer term though.

 

[Len B]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum. I live close to Washington DC and have raised Walker my sulcata from a hatchling for 22 years. He lives outside all year and has free roam outside daily if he wants to come out.Here is his 8ft by 8ft heated house with different door openings depending on the weather conditions.This is with the door closed, When the door is open it serves as a ramp.This when we have normal winter temps,This is when we get multiple days in a row of extreme very cold temps, This is what it looks like now, This is the inside He has 3 heat sources, a 3x4 ft heat mat,an oil filled radiator and a 150 watt che. Don't need all 3 running at the same time. This house is insulated to the hilt top bottom and walls and multi layers of vinyl flaps at the door opening, which cuts the electric use down. Cold temps don't keep him from coming out on a daily bases to wander around for a while, eat and get a drink.If the barometric pressure is very low he sometimes stays inside all day. I didn't have a pic handy of the summer door opening but it is a wide open door 3x4 ft.

 

[katieandiggy]

Have you thought about solar energy? A large solar panel or 2, may help towards the electric cost...

 

[katieandiggy]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum. I live close to Washington DC and have raised Walker my sulcata from a hatchling for 22 years. He lives outside all year and has free roam outside daily if he wants to come out.Here is his 8ft by 8ft heated house with different door openings depending on the weather conditions.This is with the door closed, When the door is open it serves as a ramp.View attachment 237905This when we have normal winter temps,View attachment 237906This is when we get multiple days in a row of extreme very cold temps,View attachment 237907 This is what it looks like now,View attachment 237908 This is the inside View attachment 237909 He has 3 heat sources, a 3x4 ft heat mat,an oil filled radiator and a 150 watt che. Don't need all 3 running at the same time. This house is insulated to the hilt top bottom and walls and multi layers of vinyl flaps at the door opening, which cuts the electric use down. Cold temps don't keep him from coming out on a daily bases to wander around for a while, eat and get a drink.If the barometric pressure is very low he sometimes stays inside all day. I didn't have a pic handy of the summer door opening but it is a wide open door 3x4 ft.

What kind of temperatures do you get there in winter?

 

[Len B]

What kind of temperatures do you get there in winter?

This past winter was unusually cold with below freezing temps and high winds for weeks at a time We usually get short spells with temps in the teens. It's not unusual to have to bring his water bowl in for a while in the morning to thaw some to remove the ice from it. Basically I can get what ever temps I want inside his house I don't use external thermostats, I use the thermostat built in on the oil heater. The che and the Stanfield heat mat are set to wattage needed by rheostats.The heat mats are made to run about 30 degrees F above surrounding ambient air temps without any type of controller.So the heat from the oil heater and or the che will effect the temp the heat mat will produce. With the mat cut back to about 60% of max using the rheostat, works for me and Walker.The oil heater is set at about 50% on the low side switch.I guess I should say that the heat mat is placed at the front right corner by the door, the oil heater is in the back left corner and the che is in the center between the other 2 heaters. The che is adjusted from outside his house from150 watts max down to what is needed to get the correct wanted temp from either of the other 2 heat sources (if needed at all) with this setup the heat from one source effects the heat output of the other heat source except the che because it runs constantly at whatever wattage it's set to run. I have 3 temperature sending units inside the house all hanging near Walkers shell height so I can track the temps in different areas.During winter the temps hold around 80 to 90 degrees F. As I am writing this the air temp outside is 70 with full sun hitting the house, the temps are 92,93 ,and 94 from back to front of the house with just the mat running.It will drop in temperature as the evening comes on and will hold to around 80 F thru the night Our nights are still in the 50s this time of year. For the past few years the only adjustment I needed to make is the wattage feeding the che, the other 2 heaters stay at the same settings.

 

[katieandiggy]

That is a very cleaver way of heating.
I have 3 oil filled radiators in my shed I could test out. I’m not technical AT ALL and I’m still trying to work out how a rheostat works as before coming on here I had never heard of them. I have a feeling they are just like the dimming switch on a household bulb and you dim it until you get the temperature you want..

During really cold weather do you keep him inside his shed as in locking him in? Or does he always have the option to come out?

 

[Len B]

That is a very cleaver way of heating.
I have 3 oil filled radiators in my shed I could test out. I’m not technical AT ALL and I’m still trying to work out how a rheostat works as before coming on here I had never heard of them. I have a feeling they are just like the dimming switch on a household bulb and you dim it until you get the temperature you want..

During really cold weather do you keep him inside his shed as in locking him in? Or does he always have the option to come out?

That is a very cleaver way of heating.
I have 3 oil filled radiators in my shed I could test out. I’m not technical AT ALL and I’m still trying to work out how a rheostat works as before coming on here I had never heard of them. I have a feeling they are just like the dimming switch on a household bulb and you dim it until you get the temperature you want..

During really cold weather do you keep him inside his shed as in locking him in? Or does he always have the option to come out?

That's right a dimmer switch is a rheostat, I have a wall mount type on the heat mat because it's good to 600 watts and a lamp dimmer on the che it's good to 300 watts. Walker has free range to come and go as he pleases all year. The only time his door is closed is if the weather real nasty. (which doesn't very often} He is dependable about going back into the heat when it's time to warm up.

 

[Miscally]

That's right a dimmer switch is a rheostat, I have a wall mount type on the heat mat because it's good to 600 watts and a lamp dimmer on the che it's good to 300 watts. Walker has free range to come and go as he pleases all year. The only time his door is closed is if the weather real nasty. (which doesn't very often} He is dependable about going back into the heat when it's time to warm up.

I'm also in the UK, in East Anglia. This is a very useful thread, thank you.
My baby is nearly one and a half and growing well. I'm starting to think about his outdoor enclosure which will be next to the house and probably consist of a large run area, a greenhouse and a heated and very well insulated night box. The greenhouse will have to have a solid bottom part to the wall. Any ideas on how high the non-glass part should be?
Thank you

 

[katieandiggy]

Tom has a great night box thread. @Tom hopefully he will link it.

P.s I’m in east Anglia too [emoji112]

 

[Miscally]

Tom has a great night box thread. @Tom hopefully he will link it.

P.s I’m in east Anglia too [emoji112]

[emoji112] great to know I'm not the only one here! I'm planning on baseing the night box on Tom's design [emoji4] Just wondering how high a wall I'll have to build inside the greenhouse? Were in South Cambridgeshire.

 

[katieandiggy]

I’d be really interested to see what yours looks like when complete. I’m thinking of something along the same lines.
You know that there is a type of plastic that you can use on greenhouses that UVB can transmit through. Might be good for those chilly winter days.

(PS - I’m on the Shotley Peninsula )