Reptile & Amphibian Forums

could you use a small space heater to heat a large enclosure to about 85 and then use lights to make the basking area 95??? Since good sized iguana enclosure are basically the size of a small room. Of course the heater would have to be a good one with room size setting, temperature control, cool touch housing, and all that stuff. and it would have to be in something so the iguana couldnt come in contact with it.

This of course is just an idea. Please don't yell at me.

You are right about the fact that it would have to inserted into the room so that the igs can't get to it. I am assuming that the room you want to use is not heated with the rest of your house. If it is not,think about this; it's probably not going to stay warm for as long as the rest of the house will if you lose electricity which means that your ig may freeze to death. I have personally heard many times about someone having a room for their iguana that is heated by a space heater and basking lights. They lose their electricity and eventhough the rest of the house gets cold, it doesn't get as cold as the room that is not heated with the rest of the house and the ig or igs freeze to death. Just something to think about. I have my igs in their own little room, but it is heated with the rest of the house. Now, our house is never below 78 degrees and some people can't have the heat that high either.
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JS

"It's funny how from simple things, the best things begin."

Tempest's enclosure is in my living room, so the cage temp will never go below what the house temp is (natural gas). To keep his enclosure warmer, he also has a baseboard heater with two coils disabled in it, so it never gets too hot for him to touch. Up top, I have basking and UVB lamps. So far its worked out well, but I don't know that I'd put a fully enabled baseboard heater, or a space heater in there, just because it could get too hot. Lots of people use flat, wall-mounted heat panels too.

I have both of my igs enclosures in a bedroom on the
2nd floor.

I use a ceramic heater on the floor in the room. During
the day I keep it at an average heat of 75 degrees. It
is digital and turns on and off at 2 degrees either side
of optimum. The room is also heated along with the rest
of the house to 72-74. At night, I set it at 77 so it
does not drop below 75. My igs do not have access to it.

It has worked very well for me and along with basking
bulb and UVB fixtures keeps an optimum temp. I do not
need any additional heat sources at night. I do not have
to use it at all in the summer time. In fact, I have to
use a little air conditioner in the summe, meaning I leave
the vent open a little and change the wattage in their
basking lights to a lower wattage.

Linda