Trouble keeping heat up...

[DVirginiana]

The weather has been getting colder here lately, and I've found out that our new apartment has about zero insulation. It's already really hard to keep the temps in the reptile room where they need to be. I've noticed the nighttime temps are getting down to like 70 even with the heating pad and heat lamp on constantly. There are spots in the cage that are definitely a few degrees warmer, but even when I try to coax Trevor over to them, she usually just goes back to her corner... which happens to be the coldest one in the cage.
Do you guys know of any equipment that could help keep the ambient temp up without being too bright for her? I'd really like to avoid having a bright light, especially since the main time I'm having a hard time keeping her temps high enough is at night; plus I'd like to turn my apartment's heat down a little since I keep it hot enough to be uncomfortable for the humans during the day just to get their room up to temp.

[Lija]

I would use dish shaped space heater that costco sells or anything similar, you can focus heat on certain spot without heating up the whole room a lot. It works great for me, i don't like to heat up the whole house just to raise temp for reptiles/frogs especially at night and as you said just UTH and lamps are not raising temp where they should be.

[GrifTheGreat]

Buy a space heater and adjust it for whatever ambient room temp keeps the herps temps correct. There are some really nice ones that are HE like EdenPURE.

[DVirginiana]

Sounds like a good idea. I'll check out those brands. The only ones I've seen looking around are the cheap ones that I'd be afraid to leave on for very long. Even if I have to order one, it'd be worth it.
Geez... My old house was log, and I'm just realizing how well that held the heat in. Luckily all my other reptiles are native to the area, so I only really have to worry about changing my equipment and stuff for Trevor!

[GrifTheGreat]

Sounds like a good idea. I'll check out those brands. The only ones I've seen looking around are the cheap ones that I'd be afraid to leave on for very long. Even if I have to order one, it'd be worth it.
Geez... My old house was log, and I'm just realizing how well that held the heat in. Luckily all my other reptiles are native to the area, so I only really have to worry about changing my equipment and stuff for Trevor!

Yeah she will begin to lose appetite more so and begin to dig in to aestivate if you don't correct it soon.

[Ra]

I would suggest getting one of the radiator style oil filled ones, those are the ones generally used by herpers to heat reptile rooms for their safety and their productivity. It is also a good idea to buy a back up thermostat that you can plug it into, and then set for the temperature you want the room to reach.
It would also help to weather seal the windows with plastic shrink wrap stuff, which will keep the heat in

[DVirginiana]

Definitely going to weatherproof the windows, and hopefully I'll have a heater by this weekend.

Yeah she will begin to lose appetite more so and begin to dig in to aestivate if you don't correct it soon.

Her temps have never dropped below 70 at night, and during the day they hover just above 80 (at the price of making the humans live in an inferno). Is that low enough to cause her to estivate?

[GrifTheGreat]

Definitely going to weatherproof the windows, and hopefully I'll have a heater by this weekend.



Her temps have never dropped below 70 at night, and during the day they hover just above 80 (at the price of making the humans live in an inferno). Is that low enough to cause her to estivate?

Yes if it drops that way for extended periods of time. The other problem is that they use heat to help digest their food and if its too cool they cannot digest properly and even take much longer to do so. Loss of appetite and sometimes lethargy follows.

[DVirginiana]

Yikes! I annoyed her into eating two nightcrawlers last night, since she hadn't taken anything in a week. It's strange though, that she stays in the coolest section of her tank. The temps are def. up to 85 beside her heat pad and lamp if she'd just go sit there...

I'm going to have a space heater by this weekend though, and my husband is picking up the stuff to insulate the window tomorrow. Next I just need to con someone into getting me a temp gun for Christmas.

[GrifTheGreat]

Yikes! I annoyed her into eating two nightcrawlers last night, since she hadn't taken anything in a week. It's strange though, that she stays in the coolest section of her tank. The temps are def. up to 85 beside her heat pad and lamp if she'd just go sit there...

I'm going to have a space heater by this weekend though, and my husband is picking up the stuff to insulate the window tomorrow. Next I just need to con someone into getting me a temp gun for Christmas.

Sometimes they prefer the cool side. Especially near the water dish.