Heating question

[Amanda81]

I built ivory a new enclosure and now I'm starting on an enclosure for the Aldabra. Of course the Aldabra enclosure is going to be room size but the issue I'm already having with Ivory enclosure is heat. I have used CHE the whole time I have had my tortoises and they work but what I seeing in these larger enclosures is that the area around the CHE gets really hot and then areas further away aren't as warm as I would like. I have CHE in multiple areas through out enclosure but was thinking perhaps a different product would do a better job. So I was browsing the enclosure section yesterday and had seen a thread where someone (I think @Tom) had used these panel heaters and I got to thinking that would probably heat these larger enclosures more evenly. I was thinking of getting some but know nothing about them. Can anyone tell me how to figure out what I would need. Do I look at watt size, dimension size, etc.? Say for Ivory enclosure, it's 8'X3' from top of substrate to ceiling it's about 30" (floor to ceiling is 36") The enclosure is made of plywood, it isn't insulated but its sealed well and it's in a room that isn't air conditioned so room temp is usually around 68-78 degrees. Also can anyone suggest a place to get them/brand? Any suggestions/advice will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Tom]

Closed or open top? Pic?

 

[Amanda81]

Closed. All my enclosures (indoor) are closed chamber. I can't get a pic, not home, but as soon as I get home I can. It's basically a rectangle, 8' long, 3' wide, and 3' tall, there's 4-8" substrate through out so 30" top of substrate to ceiling let's say. Walls,roof,floor are all plywood and the entire front is plexiglass that slides left to right in a track system. It's set up in my "rep room". It's a spare bedroom in my house that I have the heat pump cut off from. No AC in summer and I usually will run a ceramic heater in winter time if it's real real cold. The room usually stays about 75-80 in warm months and I will run heater if needed to keep it 68-72 in cold months. I looked some heaters called cove radiant heater this morning, their pricey but I think it would maintain a nice constant environment but wasn't sure how the humid environment would effect the actual heater.

 

[Amanda81]

This is one of my enclosures half built. The front still needs the track system and plexiglass put on. I usually drill one hole in back to run all my wires and tubes out and then once everything is set I will take insulation wrap it in a plastic bag and stuff that in the hole to fill in any open space. I seal all joints and cracks w silicone, my plexiglass sheets overlaps each other 4" to help limit heat and humidity lose. I waterproof wood and use a thick plastic to line the bottom 6". Then of course it will have substrate, plants, hide areas, and all the other furnishings and lighting. I will run regular shop lights and the tube type UVB lighting the whole length of enclosure. I only use my UVB lighting in winter months cause we usually go outside everyday for an hour or two in warm months so I put in the shop lights to run during warm months. I will also hang a MVB light for basking. In Ivory enclosure I currently have 3 CHE spaced out the length of enclosure which keeps everything 80+. It's like the area right around the CHE is extremely hot and then other areas further away are cooler (I know this is normal) I just think it's to hot in those hot areas and I was thinking if I used some type of radiant heat panel that perhaps it would be a more stable, uniformed temperature plus i would only need one heat source. I would position the basking area to one side so that it still creates a warmer side that gradually steps down to the cooler side instead of having these 3-4 "hot spots" through out enclosure.