help (can't get enclosure heated up)

[phebe121]

So i woke up this morning im sad and mad and worried this new enclosure i cant get the temps right its just to big for to light both my torts where cold to tuch and lethargic i put them in a warm bath and backto there old eenclosure so they can warm up and stay till i get more lights for this darn thing. I have them on dry coir dont want them getting sick what else should i do

 

[phebe121]

How many lights do i need for a 6 foot by 6 foot enclosure

 

[Jodie]

How many dou you have and what wattage are you using? I think i would try 1 100 watt low enough to create a basking spot about 100F in one corner. Do a second 100 wstt higher and toward the opposite corner. Put a CHE close to the center on a thermostat set at 80F. I have put heating pads on the walls in cold corners. This is a closed chamber right?

 

[phebe121]

Yes closed it has plasice over top i have 2 lights 65 watt heat and 160 heat uvb.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Good morning, Shannon. You might want to post your covered enclosure pics here too, just so people can see your set up. I can't remember, are you keeping the lights UNDER the plastic, so they're inside with the tortoise? You'll probably have to use some aluminum where the heaters are also, so they don't melt the plastic.
And when you say "light," I'm assuming a ceramic heat emitter. We'll see what other people chip in, but since it sounds like they're this cold, I would get 3-4 and monitor their temps REALLY closely. Easier to take one heater away after the temps are nice than to have to run to the store during a snow storm and get another one. Also take a look at where your heat may be escaping. Thin plastic isn't insulated, so you really want to make sure they're aren't any gaps. It's crazy what the tiniest gap can do.--It can change temps from night to hot day, with just a tiny bit of weather stripping.

Good luck!!!

 

[Jodie]

Wow. That should be enough i would have thought. I would up the watts on the 2 thn and keep them high enough to not create too hot of spots. I assume the 160 is basking? The CHE on thermostat would be for noght heat mostly, but kick on during the day if needed.

 

[phebe121]

Ok ty both yes its a ceramic im ganna pick up some more lights saterday till then there in there old enclosure a cuple more days should be ok i guess its all trial an err i thought it was going to be enough but i was wrong and the plastic covering to top is made for Windows in the winter to keep the cold out i thought it would be ok the lights are at the top of the enclosure out of the plastic anda hole where the heat can get threw i think i need to redo it

 

[Tom]

You have a large open table in a cold room? The plastic might hold in some humidity, but the lights outside and that thin plastic aren't doing much for heat. You need to make a closed chamber with the lights inside, or just heat the whole room.

 

[phebe121]

If i put ply wood on half the top do u think that would do it the room is heated to 70 and the 2 lights with the plastic. Ithink im going to redo most of this

 

[Levi the Leopard]

You need the lights under whatever top you have. Whether a plastic or wood top...the heat sources must be under it NOT over it with a hole cut out.
Hole cut outs can work on smaller set ups but even those are less than ideal for other reasons. A 6'x6'definitely needs inside heat sources.

@Elohi uses a plastic tarp/cover on her closed chamber, soo plastic can work, if done right.

 

[Tom]

If i put ply wood on half the top do u think that would do it the room is heated to 70 and the 2 lights with the plastic. Ithink im going to redo most of this

If it is all closed in and the lights are inside, it should work fine for you. In fact that should work very well for you.

Plywood comes in 4x8' sheets. So it makes sense to me to make a chamber as large as 4x8x4'. Any bigger than that and I think it makes more sense to just heat the whole room and use an open enclosure if its for a large/older tortoise.

 

[phebe121]

Well its 6 foot by 6 foot and in the kids play room are house is never below 70 but thats to cold for them ill be covering it and addin lights

 

[FlyinJohnnyL]

My enclosure is 4 x 3 x 2, but I keep it outside on the porch. Granted, I live in Florida but the temps have been dropping into the 40s lately. I have a 100 watt basking light and a 100 watt CHE during the day, and then I run two 100 watt CHEs during the night and my temps stay fine no matter how cold it gets outside. I could actually do some more caulking to really seal her up, but just having the lights INSIDE a closed chamber has made a HUGE difference. Luckily I live at the beach so humidity is nearly an afterthought.

 

[leigti]

Take a look in the enclosures section, or search for close to chambers. There'll be some pictures of ones in there that you can use to modify your table. also the 160 W MVB is going to have to be above your tortoise quite a bit, probably 15 inches or so.

 

[phebe121]

Ty all im redoing the top today with ply wood getting to more lights one for each corner

 

[phebe121]

All right thanks to everyones tips and suggestions my tort table is well heated no more worrying i have 160w,120w,65w, to heat there enclosure 2 cornners are 85 middle is 88 and to cornners are 98 and the other basking light is 105 i coverd.there enclosure with ply wood slats so i can move and see in they seem happy

 

[tortdad]

All right thanks to everyones tips and suggestions my tort table is well heated no more worrying i have 160w,120w,65w, to heat there enclosure 2 cornners are 85 middle is 88 and to cornners are 98 and the other basking light is 105 i coverd.there enclosure with ply wood slats so i can move and see in they seem happy

Awesome