Heated Hide for over wintering

[Mighty_Quinn]

As I won't be hibernating Quinn this year I'm starting to plan how to keep him cozy during the night, I'm going to be building him a new table in the next month or two so was considering having a wooden box in the table that will have a CHE built into it for at night as my flat seems to loose heat more and quicker than I'd like it to. I thought a decent size box with a CHE on a thermostat he should stay cosier than just having the CHE pointed directly over him, the coco coir would be dampened down regularly to stop him dehydrating.


Does this sound good idea?
Anyone got ideas-plans of one they've made?

Advice greatly appreciated

[Mighty_Quinn]

Thinking of a heat meat on thermostat that will be mounted on the roof, this will be fixedwithin a wire mesh fixture for securityso wont be touching the wood.....

[yuna1971]

Go for a nice CHE on a thermostat. I use the Komodo Radiant heat 100w. I have it on a stand with the holder, angled up and inwards towards where Lily sleeps. Usually fixed to come on around 17 degrees (preferences may alter with others here). His hide is a built in one with a wooden lid. I simply leave the lid off at night and switch the ceramic on for him.
In the mornings, he's mostly always up and basking...so on goes the lid and switch off the CHE. xx

[Mighty_Quinn]

Hey Rach, so is it better to keep lid off at night with CHE directed in to the hide and being a smaller boxed area it will keep it cosier than over a big open space??

I have a CHE on thermostat but usually just wait and see where he goes to sleep then direct it over him, thought an enclosed area would be better

[burnt toast]

Probably irrelevant but I set up a temporary area outside. Its a large coldframe on breeze block wall & in one end I have made a wooden box'd in area ( very basic!) which I have lined all the way round with 2" polystrene except for lift off lid which is 2 sheets of 2" thick ploystrene! against one wall I taped a small old heat mat I already had, thinking if it didnt hold temps I would swop for a small tubular but I was amazed how cosy it kept the sleeping area even with me leaving a slim doorway for them to come & go which I planned to fill in but didnt need to.

[yuna1971]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Quinn

Hey Rach, so is it better to keep lid off at night with CHE directed in to the hide and being a smaller boxed area it will keep it cosier than over a big open space??

I have a CHE on thermostat but usually just wait and see where he goes to sleep then direct it over him, thought an enclosed area would be better

Well, its what I have for Lily - but others have different methods Im sure.
I keep the stand (with holder & CHE angled in) set back a bit from where he sleeps - he's usually in a corner in the far end. The probe on the thermostat is set back behind so as to monitor the rooms temp. Then just set it to your desired temp. Job done.
Maybe see what others do for additional options. But if your happy to try the CHE set up then go for it xx

[Mighty_Quinn]

I'm thinking something like this

the wire mesh is a barrier so heat emitter doesn't fall into box or for heat mat to rest on.......this good or bad?

[burnt toast]

Heat rises doesn't it. So that's the theory I was working on when opted for attaching to rear wall. It might be ok above wire if you put insulation to bounce it back down to tort again?

[Mighty_Quinn]

For the size of the box it's about a foot square I thought that might radiate down enough to warm it up

[yuna1971]

I think just ensure that the tort can move away if he's getting warm or he'll end up waking up and start stirring.
That's why I have my lid off and the CHE set back a ways. It's never going to be full pelt from a distance back but just enough to keep his area from being too cold. If he wants it cooler he will bury down, or move away from that area. xx