# Winter heating in cold climates: Poll



## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Just read Stevendarts plea about his cold (ca 50) living room, and was wondering about this myself. For those who cannot raise the ambient room temperature, what is the preferred way to heat a vivarium? While my animal room is no where near as cool as his, I need it a bit warmer (lizards and hylids). 

I'd like to know people's recommendations--these can include:

1) A UTH (undertank heater) from ZooMed uth or Exo Terra "Tropical" mat of appropriate size/wattage, affixed to the bottom or back of tank;

2) An undertank heating cable;

3) Small water heater in the false bottom;

4) Daytime heat lamps (if the tank is big enough);

5) Some combination;

6) None of the above--if you have more than one tank, find a way to heat the room.

I'd like to hear people's thoughts, for example: Can a uth work with a deeper substrate? Any big difference between ZooMed and Exo Terra? Any potential risk in putting a submersible heater in the false bottom? How does one use heat lamps with glass tops? Does this all depend on size/# of tanks? 

So for those among you in Alaska, Montana, Minnesota, Maine, Ontario, etc.--please, enlighten us

Thanks in advance.


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## Sammie (Oct 12, 2009)

I haven't tried this myself, but how about insulating the tanks sides with styrofoam sheets or similar? If the tank doesn't already have GS on the background/sides that is.

I don't know, maybe it doesn't help that much if not all the sides are covered. Just a thought.


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

Finally went out and bought the biggest portable oil heater I could, put double layers of wool blanket across the doorway to the room, double styro into the window...nice and cozy now...and in the summer, the largest, portable air conditioner. Of course, the frog "room" is not visible from the rest of the house, and can't look out any window...but me, the frogs, computer, and plants are just peachy.


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## Michael Shrom (May 20, 2004)

For my 90 gallon terribilis tank I use a decent electric heater with a thermostat pointed at the side of the tank. I don't want to heat the hole room. I just want to heat at least part of the terrarium. I keep the rest of the room a little cooler and the house real cool when I am not home. The salamanders like it.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Should work for you, Michael. A couple of us pointed out that Steven's problem may not be his dendrobatids, but some tropical plants that he may grow. (Of course, dying plants would would not make for a healthy frog environment 

Incidentally, Michael: Do all your caudates like constant cool (e.g., Salamandra), or do some just like it in winter?


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## Michael Shrom (May 20, 2004)

My terribilis tank doesn't get much under mid 60's F in the winter or over 75F in the summer. It is great for most tropical plants and orchids. In that room I keep Pleurodeles walt, Cynops chenggongensis, Cynops cyanurus, and Cynops pyrrhogster. I would call them warm tolerant salamanders. They can take it easily into the high 70's. 

The cooler salamanders are in my basement where it never gets much over 72F. Anything much over 70F isn't tolerated well by fire salamanders.


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## ndame88 (Sep 24, 2010)

How about a space heater like a Pure Edge, expensive, but worth it for overall temp. control. Also lets you enjoy watching them more if you are warm. I bought one for my critter room in the unfinished part of our basement.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

ndame88 said:


> How about a space heater like a Pure Edge, expensive, but worth it for overall temp. control. Also lets you enjoy watching them more if you are warm. I bought one for my critter room in the unfinished part of our basement.


Just tried to google "Pure Edge," cannot locate it. Can it be run it when you're not home? Whats the wattage/amperage?


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## Gnarly (Mar 3, 2011)

I use a space heater to heat the room. It's a basement, so luckily the temperature is fairly mild (never really too hot or cold), but it does make a noticeable difference in the electric bill. 

I have used the zoo med heating pads before, but usually find they are inaccurate, and in a lager tank, they seem to put off a lot of heat on the floor, but not so much in the ambient air throughout the tank. 

We have also used hot water bottles and hand warmers to heat everyone in a pinch.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Any time you heat the viv, rather than the room, you end up with a warm viv in a cool room. These conditions will increase your condensation on the glass, making viewing your frogs more difficult.

I use an oil filled, electric heater. They are said to be the safest type of space heater. I don't rely on their internal thermostat. Instead, I turn it up to high, and plug it into a RANCO ETC (Electronic Thermostat Control). This is accurate enough to keep your room within a degree or two of your set point.

A good thread discussing the possible setbacks of under-tank heat pads and glass breaking. 
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/78335-under-tank-heater-placement.html


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

I would find a way to heat the room. If the room is an open living room, yes this could be difficult. Under conditions like this, a closet turned into frogroom may be best. A trick you can do though, is to build a cabinet structure around the tank, sort of liek a tv cabinet. It will help hold in heat. Keep your lighting on top of the tank during the day....and I mean touchign the tank. This wont help at night though. I've known people who kept Monitor lizards, frilled dragons, and bearded dragons. They literaly built a "room within a room". What I mean is literally picking a room, and just building a 2x4 frame inside that room. Insulate the walls with one of the various methods. Then you can heat just that small little room for your frogs, much easier and economical. My bedroom (200 sq ft) was gettign down to 59 degree at night, to low for my comfort. I know use a little $60.00 forced air heater witha built in thermostat to heat my room. It only goes on mabe once a day. A couple times at night.


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## Daleo (Jan 31, 2012)

Yep. I use a $20 space heater from Lowes. Could probably use a little more power, but didn't have the money at the time. It keeps the room at 70 just fine though.


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## hughjass5976 (Mar 12, 2012)

I have a few questions about this issue, as it does apply to me on some of the coldest winter days. 

It seems so far that the biggest downfall of heating the tank and not the room is condensation. Now if you were in a pinch, this does not actually harm the frogs, correct? It is simply an inconvenience for those attempting to view them, but isn't not being able to see the frogs better than possibly sacrificing the frog's health to colder weather?

I know I must be missing something here as I am a noob to this, but what is the actual harm in say putting a 40watt night(red/blue etc.) on the tank top to run all the time, then having your CFL bulbs turn off at night? It seems this would be fine and give a decent Day/Night temp gradient. It also should be plenty safe as long as you were monitoring and making sure Temp and Humidity were staying within their respectiive acceptable ranges, correct?


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