What temperature?

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by mrscross78

How cold has the outside temps been so far this winter for you in Scotland?

Not bad over here in the east at all, not even a minus yet as far as I know. the reason it gets colder in the room with the heater on is simply because of the window, double glazed it is but there is still a coldness by it. we had our first snow last night here but it didn't stick around for long.

I always check the forcast and set the heater higher if it's to be colder. it's about 1c outside but thursday it's to be a tropical 10c

[Alan1]

I haven't needed these but have thought that they might be of some benefit... those thick polystyrene slabs you can get in B+Q and just laid over the table. even one under the table might help a degree or two, depends if the table is on a floor or anything cold

5.39 at wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/polystyrene-...?source=123_74 8ft x 2ft x 1inch thick

[Watermelon]

Originally Posted by mrscross78

Yes the house I live gets cold at night too. We have the heating off while we sleep and the room my tortoises are in has dropped to around 15C at night and it hasn't really dropped below 0C outside yet this winter I will have to consider having the heating on at night... The trouble with that is it keeps me awake.

Well I suppose the other option is a ceramic heater with thermostat or an infra red bulb... Lynne Easter (think I'm correct) uses infra red at night and it boosts the temp to about 19/20C. Correct me if I'm wrong....

We considered leaving the heating on all the time but having it on a lower temp to keep the room temp at a constant temperature however the radiators wont even bloody turn down. The dials dont work.... so gunna have to go see landlord about it. I have my primark leopard onesie on a thick fleece and some warm joggers and bed socks on lol.

[LincsBren]

I have this problem - the tort's room is the extension and has some kind of issue (probably poor insulation or drafts not sealed) as it is always several degrees lower than the rest of the house. One of the key reasons they are in that room is that they are secure from our other pets (2 cats and a dog) and the room has french windows so it has the most natural light, so it's not practical to move them.

Once the room overnight temps dropped below 15 degrees, I went to buy a heat bulb but the shop didn't have any and I was panicking so I bought a heat-mat as a temporary measure. It's on a thermostat set at 21 degrees and so comes on at night when the combi bulb goes off. The other end of the table can be really quite cold (9 degrees is the coldest so far, but we've only gone to -2 degrees outside so far!) but the soil over and around the heat mat is nice and warm. They've finally realised it's warmest there and tend to sleep in that area.

However, I will be buying an infra red bulb as I think it'll cast heat over a wider area. It's simply not practical or affordable to have our heating on all night for the sake of one room, when there are other solutions.

[emma_mcraf]

Originally Posted by LYNNEEASTER

My night temps were dropping to about 13c. So I bought them an infra bulb and it does the trick nicely, temps are now about 19-21c xx
The newbies have a 150 watt bulb and Ronni and Reggie have a 75 watt. They are in different rooms.

Have you got the bulbs on a timer or thermostat Lynne?
I've been monitoring our night time temps and so far they haven't dropped below 17 degrees but if it turns colder (as it could well do), I've got infra bulbs here to use.

[mrscross78]

Originally Posted by emma_mcraf

Have you got the bulbs on a timer or thermostat Lynne?
I've been monitoring our night time temps and so far they haven't dropped below 17 degrees but if it turns colder (as it could well do), I've got infra bulbs here to use.

Using a bulb with a thermostat is the best option for me I think and is better than leaving the heating on all night... Sorry for sounding stupid but how does a thermostat fit on and work with normal bulb sockets, I cant imagine it?

[mrscross78]

Originally Posted by caledonia

I haven't needed these but have thought that they might be of some benefit... those thick polystyrene slabs you can get in B+Q and just laid over the table. even one under the table might help a degree or two, depends if the table is on a floor or anything cold

5.39 at wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/polystyrene-...?source=123_74 8ft x 2ft x 1inch thick

Thanks Alan, good idea but my table is on a stand.

[Shelled Lady]

Infra Red are an excellant night light, warm and inviting and cheap to buy, compared to a ceramic. 100w would give out a nice heat and you will have very happy torties bouncing with energy in the morning. Over night you don't really need it on a stat if your tortoises are in an open table but just have it on a timer.

[shellonia]

I use ceramics, really low wattage, 50-75, which provide a gentle heat hung fairly low over the table.I don't use a thermostat for wattage this low.Or you can have a heat mat on the side oy the table, or the lid of the sleeping compartment-a 11watt mat is sufficient.