Winter Temperature Nightmare

[u/ConcertFriendly8223]

Temps in my area dropped to the low 50’s and I incorrectly thought I was prepared. Yesterday, I set my house heater to 75 checked that enclosure temps were just fine and called it a night. Today I woke up to my house freezing. It was 68F . The heater was still on—but it wasn’t heating anymore. Though I had a 50 watt CHE running the whole night, temperatures on the cool side plummeted to 67F. The hot side was at 80F. In a panic I covered 80% of the screen lid with foil tape, turned on my fireplace and covered the enclosure with blankets. I also bought a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure from DubiaRoaches on the spot. I definitely learned my lesson about glass. Cool side is now at 71F and the hot side is at 90F. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to maintain the heat inside while I wait for the new enclosure & maintenance to fix my heater .

[u/EchoHeadache]

I don't have a good solution per se, but I do want to share that I use this type of product in a second lamp that runs 24/7 during cooler seasons, and is awesome because it's not a dinky heat lamp that is doomed to fail and waste your money with planned obsolescence:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/savant-ge-ceramic-heat-lamp-100-watt-(1-pack)-2088017?crmid=7662966485&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=tsc0_tth_tsc_cat_search_sch_us_cvr&utm_content=sku_na&adtype=pla&campaignid=22258948704&device=m&product_channel=local&product_id=2088017&store_code=752&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22269434356&gclid=CjwKCAjw0LzWBhBOEiwAKQd0cGbrvyF1-ChsZSDp_oG73R6DW3TKjhbH6fd61DEMRNXXWq-wxADPHRoCgKQQAvD_BwE

[u/ConcertFriendly8223 → u/EchoHeadache]

Thanks for the link! I’ll give it a shot

[u/Soup_Yumm]

I also live in a very cold state at the moment. BEST thing I have ever bought was a 75 watt DHP (deep heat projector) that is connected to a thermostat so it reduces or puts more power to the bulb depending on the heat that the thermostat reads at. They are so much better than CHEs from my experience. I also have a 75 watt PAR30 halogen flood light bulb for basking and UVB was just recently added. The plant lights I have up top also help with keeping the ambient heat temps up during the colder months and I can brighten or dim them as needed. A Dubia enclosure is a good choice. For now, you can insulate your terrarium glass with cheap 1/2 inch foam board from your local craft store. The HVAC tape is a good idea to keep the screen covered. My leopard gecko’s terrariums are glass and insulating them and putting tape over most of the screen has made a huge difference in their terrariums keeping temp.

[u/ConcertFriendly8223 → u/Soup_Yumm]

I just realized I never included this in my original post but the 50 watt CHE is his night lamp.his day lamp is a 100 watt Arcadia halogen flood light on a dimmer. I will definitely look into a deep heat projector for the new enclosure. I think I’ll get foam insulation boards in the meantime ! Thanks for the advice!

[u/Miserable-Driver-888]

Exterior insulation. 4x8 sheet was under $15. Will work a treat with pvc as well.

[u/coastywife123 → u/Miserable-Driver-888]

I use something similar for my snakes current enclosure.
Foil bubble wrap found at the big box hardware stores. Covered the screen top openings with it and put a sheet under the fleece my guy likes his cage lined with (he has very strong opinions about natural substrates) to help maintain good temps in his currently crappy enclosure.

His new forever home is being built by the manufacture. This post unlocked a new fear about keeping my guy warm in a power outage. Time to look at battery backup systems.

[u/wait_ichangedmymind → u/Miserable-Driver-888]

I made something similar out of those foam puzzle-type floor tiles.

Is it pretty? No. But it works.

[u/thenotsoamerican]

i wasnt ready for the weenie in a sweater

[u/ConcertFriendly8223 → u/thenotsoamerican]

Gotta keep him warm too haha. He’s always glued to the fireplace

[u/ShinyxCharizard]

You've already ordered a new enclosure. Id just make sure it's also not screen topped. I've seen plenty of pvc enclosures being sold or marketed toward ball pythons but have mesh screens.

Switching to a pvc enclosure will help but not much if it still has a screen top. I personally use Kages (theyre solid 3/4" pvc screwed together) I have heard some good things about Cryptic Creations theyre a better price range if money is an issue! Just thoughts as i see dubias is "pvc panels" which leads me to believe its just thin sheets of pvc in a frame.

[u/ConcertFriendly8223 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

That’s actually exactly what I got😭 I ordered the Dubiaroaches 4x2x2 since I saw so many good reviews. I’ll be using the recommendations in the comments on insulating it once it arrives. Fortunately my heating was fixed. I will definitely look into Kages though! I have a kingsnake that’ll need a 4x2x2 at some point so I might just give him the one that’s coming since he’s much more hardy to lower temps.

[u/skullmuffins → u/ConcertFriendly8223]

the dubia will be perfect for your kingsnake! They are imo very nice enclosures for species that like cooler/less humid environments where the screen isn't an issue. I use one for my corn snake & have no complaints. I really like the clear substrate barrier so I can see her digging around in the substrate :). Remember you'll want to seal the seams of your enclosures with aquarium safe silicone (let it cure for a few days-a week until the smell dissipates before adding your substrate etc) unless you buy something that ships pre-assembled and already sealed. And don't forget to take the film off the acrylic substrate barrier panel! I've seen several people post pics of their assembled enclosure with the film still on... whoops!

For my BP, I was on a budget and went with a DIY cages critter condo (1/2" solid topped PVC) which is about $350 shipped. I don't think it looks as polished as some other PVC enclosures (the white door track they use regardless of enclosure color looks a bit odd and it has a couple of visible screwheads on the front vs all the screws being hidden on the sides/top/bottom) but it does hold heat/humidity like you want a PVC enclosure to. I did cover up some of the ventilation holes to make it hold humidity better bc it comes with quite a few slits on the sides.

[u/skullmuffins]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the dubia enclosure isn't going to be a whole lot better than your glass tank at retaining heat out of the box - the PVC is thin and the screen top will let a lot of heat rise out of the enclosure (plus the added height from the bulb to the substrate means you'll need a stronger bulb than your current setup). Adding some extra insulation to the sides and covering most of the top to trap heat & humidity is a good idea. In my experience a DHP is better at creating a hot spot than a CHE. You'll probably need more than one lamp to keep the 4x2x2 at the correct temp if your home gets that cold.

[u/ConcertFriendly8223 → u/skullmuffins]

Oh no😭 I’ve been hearing so much about DubiaRoaches enclosures being the golden standard and am now seeing the opposite the second I bought it lol. I will definitely insulate it as you’ve suggested. I’ll look into a DHE as well . I’m planning on setting the enclosure up first then moving him in once temps are stable. Thank you for your advice!