heating options

[canadian red tegu]

my tegu setup is costing a fortune to heat. $50 month increase in electric bill. I bought mine at one year old and 3ft long so started out with adult habitat. 8ft long, 3ft high, 3ft wide. maintaining temp at 84f. two 75w, one 45w bulbs for basking during the day with 48" flourescent - on timer! also have 2 100w heat lamps on thermostat as backup and for at night. my setup is made out of laminate particle board and has solid top. front opening doors with plexi. vent on each side. any suggestions on alternate/more efficient heat? , mainly for night. was at home depot and saw reflective aluminum insulation (like bubble wrap) that is animal safe. was thinking for inside of top. Has anyone had success with insulating? worth the $ investment?

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[Adrya]

The two new cages I built for my ball pythons are insulated and I really think it helps a lot because I'm only using an 11x11" inch heat tape, and it's keeping the temps in the right range sufficiently. I didn't use the aluminum insulation though, I recycled the yellow insulation that comes in the RodentPro boxes. But I didn't insulate just the top, I also insulated the sides and the bottom of the cage. ALL around.

For the daytime, instead of using all of those bulbs that you have, you may want to invest in a PowerSun Mercury Vapor bulb... 100-150 watts, depending on what you get, but it gives TONS of heat and also has UVA and UVB. Do you use the flourescent as a UVB source?

As for a nighttime heat source you may also want to try a ceramic heat emitter instead of nighttime bulbs, the CHEs last much longer.


I don't know if what I suggested will make a difference but it's worth a try.

	Ultra Violet Radiation B Ultra Violet Radiation B

	Ceramic Heat Emitter Ceramic Heat Emitter: A porcelain heating device that screws into a standard porcelain incandescent socket

[plizardman]

I work with Argentine B&W's, and heat is not an issue. I use an outdoor pen till daytime highs are low 60's, then let them hibernate inside till sunny days shine again. Here in NY, they are outside for around 6 months. When I do bring them in or need to keep them indoors for any reason, a couple of hours under a heat lamp should be all that is needed to keep them happy the rest of the day and night at standard room temperature. That's the reason I work with these monsters, because with their temperature tolerence and appreciation of a varied inexpensive diet (lots of fruit and table scraps, few rodents), the expense of keeping them is minimal. Reds come from a warmer part of Argentina as I understand it, but still should be hardy enough to require only a few hours under a 100w bulb to heat the engine enough to comfortably run 24 hours at a normal room temp. Think temperature gradiant, not ambient temp. Intense heat in one spot for a few hours a day is ALL YOU NEED. BTW, good hibernation is crucial to breeding. A nice clutch should cover your heating costs. good luck

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[NicoleRussell]

I use heat mats coupled with zoo strength mega rays. The heats mats are Kane. This supplies the adult cyclura and tegus with all the indoor heat they need.
The above statement is correct:
Intense heat in one spot for a few hours a day is ALL YOU NEED.

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