Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all. I've had a pair of red ackies for about 2 years . They're in a wooden enslosure that I built for them with a metal screen top. They've got retes stacks, soil, great hiding places...basically an ideal cage setup. They eat well and are very active. However I read a post that mentioned that if you put a heat lamp directly on a metal screen top, this dehydrates the animal because it creates a 'heat sink'. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks

Screen tops cause dehydration also.

The top is open, the heat rises through the top, and so does the moisture, including whats inside the animal, therefore they dehydrate. Its not from the top being a heatsink. You should always pu the heat inside the cage with a solid top.