Thinking ahead to next winter.

[TylerK]

This is the first winter I've been through with my new terrarium (fairly large exo-terra glass terrarium). The temperatures and light levels it received over the winter were understandably lower than they were the previous summer, and as a result some of the plants inside suffered...a couple deaths and a few other near misses.

I've been thinking of buying a seedling heat mat to put under it next year. Will the heat mat provide enough heat to significantly bump up the temperature inside?

Tyler

[harrywitmore]

Originally Posted by TylerK

This is the first winter I've been through with my new terrarium (fairly large exo-terra glass terrarium). The temperatures and light levels it received over the winter were understandably lower than they were the previous summer, and as a result some of the plants inside suffered...a couple deaths and a few other near misses.

I've been thinking of buying a seedling heat mat to put under it next year. Will the heat mat provide enough heat to significantly bump up the temperature inside?

Tyler

Not sure what your setup looks like but what were the temperatures inside during the winter. Mine is in a area of the house that was shut off during the winter but heat rose from the first floor and kept the room at 60F. The lights heated the terrarium an additional 10 degrees to 70F. Depending on what you grow this may be a bit cool.


You can use an aquarium heater in a large jar to heat a terrarium also. Works great but also raises the humidity which may or may not be what you need.


I'm not sure a heat mat would work. Are you planning on putting it under the terrarium of inside. Heat build up against the glass bottom could be a problem if setting the terrarium on the mat. But, I've never tried.

[TylerK]

Hi Harry. Thanks for the response.

The terrarium base is 18" square and 24" high. Supplementary lighting is a couple of CFLs, but I rely mostly on sunlight to get the light up to adequate levels during the day. I also have a fogger going periodically through the day which keeps the humidity running around 85% (but also keeps the temp down).

Temperature during the day is OK but not great...hanging around 20C. It's night I'm worried about (falling to about 15C). The majority of the orchids in there are warm growing Angs. I can make a direct link to the temperatures listed on my Baker's sheets and the relative health of the plants in the terrarium. The warmer the temperatures listed on the sheets the worse off they are right now.

I was planning to put the heat mat under the terrarium on the outside. The inside collects a fair amount of water from the fogger, so I don't want to put anything with an electrical supply in there that isn't specifically built for that purpose. The glass itself is raised off the surface by a black metal frame, so the heat gathered by the terrarium would be radiant rather than direct transfer from the mat to the glass.

Unless I take some plants out I'll have no room for an aquarium heater.

[harrywitmore]

It would be good if the mat doesn't touch the glass. So, you most likely are trying to increase the temperature about 10C I suspect. I think normal seedling heat mats only operate at about 80-85F (27C-30C). That may help but I don't think it will bring it up 10C. But, never know till you try unless someone else has tried it.