Trying to heat a wood humid hide.

jcase

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I have a 8x4 tortoise table, with built in hide. The unit is wood. I can bring the entire table to temp, except for the built in wooden hide, I can't seem to get it to raise much above room temp (74f). It is about 1ft x 2.5 ft and humid. The flooring is hard plastic liner on top of wood, with bark and coconut chunks as a substrate.

Any recommendations for a product I could place inside of the hide to add a little heat, I would like to get it to 80-85f, all heat pads warn against anything but glass, and all the heat panels are too big, or warn against humidity/loose substrate.

If I could find a small ceramic bulb and lamp, I could go that route, but all the small lamps I've bought have been really low quality, one (sold for reptiles) even started to smoke.
 

Maggie3fan

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I'm not quite sure if this is what you mean...this is one of my tort tables...
100_0150.JPG
there is a built in hide
100_0151.JPG
there is a hole cut in the top of the hide so you can put a CHE right there
100_0152.JPG
and put the ceramic socket over the hole
100_0153.JPG

I hope this is what you meant. I also have another tort table that is bigger and has 2 lids, but I forgot to take a photo of that one...
I hope this helps some...
 

jcase

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I'm not quite sure if this is what you mean...this is one of my tort tables...

there is a built in hide

there is a hole cut in the top of the hide so you can put a CHE right there

and put the ceramic socket over the hole


I hope this is what you meant. I also have another tort table that is bigger and has 2 lids, but I forgot to take a photo of that one...
I hope this helps some...

Thank you, I worded this poorly, I'm trying to find a heat solution that can handle the humidity but isn't lamp based. I'm leaning towards gutter heat cable right now, but need to test how hot it gets.
 

Tom

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I have a 8x4 tortoise table, with built in hide. The unit is wood. I can bring the entire table to temp, except for the built in wooden hide, I can't seem to get it to raise much above room temp (74f). It is about 1ft x 2.5 ft and humid. The flooring is hard plastic liner on top of wood, with bark and coconut chunks as a substrate.

Any recommendations for a product I could place inside of the hide to add a little heat, I would like to get it to 80-85f, all heat pads warn against anything but glass, and all the heat panels are too big, or warn against humidity/loose substrate.

If I could find a small ceramic bulb and lamp, I could go that route, but all the small lamps I've bought have been really low quality, one (sold for reptiles) even started to smoke.
What species?

Use a 12x12 inch RHP. Set it on a thermostat with the probe inside the hide.
 

Len B

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I've used CHE's inside closed chambers with the humidity constantly between 80 to 90 percent without any problems. And you can use a lamp dimmer to adjust the heat output if needed.
 

jcase

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What species?

Use a 12x12 inch RHP. Set it on a thermostat with the probe inside the hide.
platynota hatchlings (it is a sealed table, not open air), do you have a brand/source recommendation for the panels, all the ones I've found recommended against having it on the substrate (guessing just a liability issue)
 

jcase

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I've used CHE's inside closed chambers with the humidity constantly between 80 to 90 percent without any problems. And you can use a lamp dimmer to adjust the heat output if needed.
I'm trying to avoid the lamp if I can
 

Tom

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platynota hatchlings, do you have a brand/source recommendation for the panels, all the ones I've found recommended against having it on the substrate (guessing just a liability issue)
An open torotise table in a 74 degree room is totally inappropriate for platynota. You need a large closed chamber with high humidity. Minimum temp day or night should not drop below 80, and daytime ambient should be 88-93. There should also be a basking area around 100 degrees and they will use it. 74 for an ambient is much too cool and there is not way to keep humidity up in an open table.

Here is the care guide to follow:
 

jcase

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An open torotise table in a 74 degree room is totally inappropriate for platynota. You need a large closed chamber with high humidity. Minimum temp day or night should not drop below 80, and daytime ambient should be 88-93. There should also be a basking area around 100 degrees and they will use it. 74 for an ambient is much too cool and there is not way to keep humidity up in an open table.

Here is the care guide to follow:

It is a closed table, it has a plexiglass lid, and I'm aware the temp is too low, that's why I made the post. I need to get them temp sorted before I can move them into it.

I got my first platynota in the early 2000s, I'm not a new keeper, just building a new structure after moving to a new state.
 

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