winter-izing tort cage....info needed

DeesBalls · 10-23-12, 09:15 AM

Hey all, im getting ready to winter-ize my torts cage... hes temporarily in a 96 qt tub, but will be moving into his 4x2x2 cage (it use to be for a BRB i had, who passed)

unfortantly, he wont be able to go into the snake room i just built, because there is no room for such a big cage, so he will be sittting outside of it in the basement- this is where the winterizing comes in....

im thinking of-

a 150 watt basking bulb
a 100 watt che (for night time temp- want to keep the cage at 70 or so at night)

2 10.0 UVB lights - for sun light, and to try and grow some grass in the cage...

Doors to keep heat in

and i was thinking of maybe a UTH or something too just for some more heat

i live in northern Ohio, and get some bad winters temps CAN go below 0

any tips, let me know!

Zoo Nanny · 10-23-12, 09:23 AM

At the zoos we used hog mats for our sulcattas along with heat and uv lights. These guys were in 10x10 stalls. They worked really well. PVC pipe can be used over the wire to protect from bites.

DeesBalls · 10-23-12, 09:48 AM

where can i get hog mats?

Gungirl · 10-23-12, 02:42 PM

There is no way the cage can be placed in the house for the winter? A 4x2x2 isn't that large..

DeesBalls · 10-23-12, 02:47 PM

we have a very small house... dont really have room for it in the house.... i guess i could talk to my wife and see... doubtful, but its worth a shot....

any other advice on to "winter-ize" the cage

Gungirl · 10-23-12, 02:49 PM

As far as winterizing it I would build another cage around the outside of the 4x2x2 and add insulation between them. Otherwise the walls of the cage will get cold and you will loose a ton of heat.

DeesBalls · 10-23-12, 05:16 PM

Maybe I'll just keep him in his tub....

Zoo Nanny · 10-23-12, 05:31 PM

Most farm store will have heated hog mats or you can get them on line. This is just an example, I can not vouch for this company.
Heat Mats - Mats & Flooring - Farm & Livestock | QC Supply
Another idea which would help is if you were able to block off a section of the basement and use a radiant heater near by the box. They are very safe and throw off a good amount of heat. I bought some when my furnace went down. I was able to heat a room with one heater to 70f while the rest of the house dipped down to the 50s. I had 5 parrots that I was sitting at the time plus my own and they were all nice and comfy.

Gungirl · 10-23-12, 05:32 PM

If keeping him in the tub will keep him inside for the winter that would save you a lot of hassle...

DeesBalls · 10-23-12, 08:32 PM

I will look into the options your two gave. I would like him down stairs in his nice cage.... but if its not the best thing foe him, then I won't.

I did say it could get below 0 but doesn't offen.