How to properly heat a terrarium: top and bottom heating, types of equipment

Keeping a terrarium animal means, first and foremost, creating the right microclimate for it. And the key element here is heat. Many pets, especially reptiles and amphibians, do not generate their own heat and are completely dependent on external sources. Without it, they cannot digest food, be active, and stay healthy.

Organizing heating is not just a matter of installing a lamp. It is essential to understand the difference between top and bottom heating and how they work in nature. The sun heats from above, warming the ground and creating warm areas. At night, the heat from the soil slowly rises. Your task is to get as close as possible to this natural cycle in a terrarium.

In this article, we will look at the main types of heating equipment, their strengths and weaknesses. You will learn which animals are better suited to bottom heating and which require top heating, how to position the devices correctly and control the temperature so that your pet feels comfortable and safe.

Why you need to heat your terrarium

Many amphibians, reptiles, reptiles, and arthropods living in a terrarium are cold-blooded animals. The speed and quality of their metabolic processes directly depend on the temperature of the environment.

That is why it is so important to maintain the optimal temperature for the inhabitants of the terrarium. Heating lamps, heating mats, heating cables, and some other devices, which will be discussed in this article, are designed for this purpose.

How to heat a terrarium correctly

Terrarium heating is necessary for terrarium inhabitants in order to:

• synthesize vitamin D;
• dry and warm skin folds to prevent fungus.

• actively digest food;
• produce hormones necessary for the normal functioning of all organs and systems.

Universal rules

When choosing heating devices for a terrarium, you should adhere to the following universal rules:

• place heating lamps and UV lamps in one corner (the “warm” corner), as vitamin D is produced in the animal's warmed skin.
• the heating lamp should not heat the UV lamp, as this reduces the latter's service life:
• equip a “cool” corner in the terrarium where your pet can hide from the heat;

• the heating temperature in the “warm” and “cool” corners depends on the species of your pet and should be monitored using alcohol or electronic thermometers.
• install thermometers in places that are safe for the inhabitants of the terrarium.
• the heat spot should completely cover the animal.

Types of heating

There are two types of terrarium heating: top and bottom. Let's take a closer look at them.

Top heating

Top heating is provided for arboreal animals:

• chameleons;
• felzums;
• banana eaters;
• green iguanas.

In addition, the upper type of heating is used when keeping Central Asian tortoises. Due to the peculiarities of their physiology, these animals cannot tolerate too intense bottom heating, which can cause their kidneys to fail.

Top heating is provided by various heating lamps: halogen, neodymium, incandescent, spot heating, etc. The intensity of top heating is regulated by using lamps of different power (usually from 100 W to 200 W), as well as by changing the distance between them and the terrarium.

Important! Heating lamps are most often made of metal and ceramics. They are attached to the lid of the terrarium or the side walls. The distance from the lamp to the place where the animal will bask (driftwood, flat stone, etc.) is 20-30 cm. The temperature at the heating point ranges from 30 °C to 40 °C, depending on the needs of the animals living in the terrarium.

Bottom heating

Bottom heating maintains the optimal temperature terrarium substrate. It is suitable for most terrestrial animals, such as:

• frogs;
• for toads;
• spiders;
• scorpions and other arthropods.

For bottom heating, use heating cables, heating mats, and heating stones. The intensity of heating depends on the power of the heating device. Low-power models are ideal for keeping tropical amphibians, while high-power devices are ideal for heating desert amphibians.

For reptiles to feel comfortable in their terrarium, they need proper heating—both above and below. Top heating, for example, with lamps, creates a warm spot where the animal can bask, as if in the sun, and bottom heating, through heating pads or mats, helps animals digest food better, as many of them absorb heat through their stomachs. The main thing is not to overheat the terrarium and to ensure a temperature difference: one end should be warm, the other cool, so that the animal can choose where it is more comfortable. And be sure to use a thermometer and thermostat to keep everything under control.

Temperature gradient and its adjustment

A temperature gradient, i.e., areas with different temperatures, is necessary for keeping terrarium animals. It is not difficult to create such a gradient.

It is enough to place the heaters so that only ⅓ of the terrarium is intensively heated. In the corners furthest from the heater, the temperature will be several degrees lower. For most terrarium inhabitants, this is enough to maintain the desired body temperature and feel comfortable.

Thermometers are needed to adjust the temperature in the terrarium. They will help you understand whether your pet is comfortable and whether it is suffering from overheating or hypothermia.

Simple and practical mechanical thermometers are perfect for measuring background temperature. High-precision electronic devices are useful for measuring the air temperature in the intensively heated area.

Temperature in the terrarium

Thermostats are used for automatic temperature control. If you set a temperature range for this “smart” device, it will be able to independently maintain the air temperature in the terrarium within the required limits by turning the heaters on and off.

Night heating

At night, heating lamps, heating stones, heating mats, and heating cords are turned off, allowing the terrarium to cool to room temperature. The drop in temperature at night mimics the natural evening cooling.

There are two exceptions:

• if the temperature in the terrarium drops too low after the heating is turned off;
• if the terrarium contains reptiles or amphibians that hunt in the evening or at night (e.g., milk snakes, banana snakes).

In these cases, night heating of the terrarium is organized. Ceramic heaters, infrared and night lamps are used for this purpose. Ceramic heaters maintain the desired temperature without disturbing the animals with visible light.

Note! IR lamps and night lamps emit diffused light that does not disrupt the natural biological rhythms of animals. Under the rays of such lamps, reptiles and amphibians hunt and sleep peacefully.

Equipment for top heating

The most extensive group of equipment for heating terrariums is thermolamps. They perform two functions at once: they illuminate the space and heat the air.

Some modern lamp models, in addition to the functions listed above, generate weak ultraviolet radiation.

Incandescent lamps

Incandescent lamps are the most common lamps used in everyday life.

Advantages:

• affordable price;
• uniform heating of small surfaces.

Disadvantages:

• maximum energy consumption is spent on lighting rather than heat; these protect animals from burns.
• not suitable for night heating;
• the lamps get very hot, so they can only be used with lampshades.

Recently, halogen lamps have increasingly replaced incandescent lamps in terrariums.

Mirrored (directional)

A directional lamp has a partially mirrored coating. Thanks to this feature, it emits heat in a local direction without scattering it into the surrounding space. Mirrored lamps are more expensive than incandescent lamps, but they are more economical to use, since a low-power lamp, for example 20 W, is sufficient for local heating.

Halogen

A halogen lamp is an incandescent lamp with bromine or iodine vapors pumped into its bulb. Here are its brief characteristics.

1. Made not of glass, but of practical quartz.
2. The interior of the bulb is filled with buffer gas.
3. Consumes 30% less electricity than an incandescent lamp of similar power.
4. Heats up significantly, so it has additional protection against burns.
5. The lamp's service life is 8-9 months.

Please note! Accidental contact with the surface of the lamp will cause it to burn out.

Neodymium

Neodymium lamps emit a spectrum that is as close as possible to natural sunlight. They are designed for daytime heating and lighting of the terrarium. In the rays of a neodymium lamp, the colors of the terrarium inhabitants and plants appear brighter and more attractive. A lamp with a neodymium coating uses energy efficiently and is protected from water splashes.

It not only heats, but also emits type A ultraviolet light, which stimulates physiological processes and mating behavior in animals and promotes photosynthesis in plants.

Infrared

Infrared lamps with red light are designed for heating and lighting the terrarium at night, when the air temperature drops below 20 °C. In terms of heating intensity, lamps of this type are comparable to incandescent lamps of the same power.

They provide good heat, do not dry out the air, and emit little light. The dim light from these lamps does not disturb the animals inside the terrarium or people outside.

Some pets (such as bird-eating spiders) cannot distinguish infrared rays at all, so they sleep peacefully under the light of the lamp and feel completely comfortable. Infrared lamps do not dry out the air in the terrarium.

Mercury gas discharge

A mercury vapor lamp can replace all other lamps in a terrarium, including ultraviolet lamps. It simultaneously illuminates the terrarium, heats it, and provides pets with the UV rays necessary for their normal life. The radiation from mercury vapor lamps is as close as possible to natural sunlight. Such lamps are expensive and have a power range from 75 W to 160 W.

Moonlight

Moonlight lamps are used during the dark hours of the day. Their dim, subdued light is well suited for nocturnal animals that feed (go hunting) at dusk or late at night. Thanks to their low thermal radiation barrier, moonlight lamps reduce the heating of the terrarium at night, mimicking natural temperature fluctuations throughout the day.

Ceramic

A ceramic lamp will not explode or burst if accidentally splashed with water. It is especially good in aqua-terrariums and terrariums with a humid forest landscape. Such a lamp does not emit visible light, but it warms the air very well, so it is most often used at night. The only drawback of a ceramic lamp is that you cannot see when it has stopped working.

To determine whether a lamp is functioning, you need to touch it.

Equipment for bottom heating of the terrarium

Heating cables, heating mats, and heating stones are used for bottom heating of the terrarium.

Heating cables

Heating cables can be placed both outside and inside the terrarium. When placed inside, the heating element, sealed in a waterproof cable, is laid under a layer of soil. After connecting the heating element to the mains, it will evenly heat the entire substrate.

Please note! To heat a terrarium, it is important to choose the right ratio of cable length to power.

The average power of heating cables for terrariums is 50 W. Heaters with a power rating of more than 5 W are equipped with a thermostat.

Heating mats

Heating mats function similarly to heating cables. They are made of metal and plastic, equipped with thermostats and an automatic shut-off system in case of overheating. The average power of heating mats is 5 W. With these heating devices, you can change the heating temperature up to 40 °C.

There are regular and waterproof versions of heating mats. Regular heating devices are placed under the terrarium, while waterproof ones are placed under a layer of soil. During operation, the heating mat heats up and transfers heat to the substrate. Thermal energy is distributed throughout the entire area of the heating device, ensuring uniform heating.

Heating mats and heating cables will be completely useless in terrariums with a thick layer of soil.

Heating stones

Heating stones are artificial stones with a thermocouple inside. In appearance, they are practically indistinguishable from small natural stones. The average power of thermal stones is 10 W. These devices have remote thermostats that can be used to increase or decrease the heating level. The maximum heating temperature of the stones is 40-45 °C.

Important! Some terrarium inhabitants like to bask on warm stones for long periods of time. The heat awakens their vital processes and stimulates digestion. To prevent the animal from getting burned, the stones are covered with soil.

Infrared heated flooring

Infrared heated flooring warms the terrarium without drying out the air. It can be installed in specific areas, so that only the areas where the film is installed will be heated. This makes it easy to create cold and warm areas for your pet. The device has the following advantages:

• consumes a minimum of electricity and is an economical way to heat;
• allows you to set the desired temperature, which it maintains automatically;
• the radiation from infrared heated flooring is similar to that of the sun;
• film infrared floors are durable and will last up to 20-30 years.

Remember! Some models of infrared heated floors can be programmed to heat at specific times.

Heated floors can be used for agamas, banana snakes, spiny-tailed lizards, crocodiles, eublephars, tree climbers, vipers, rattlesnakes, yellow-bellied snakes, tarantulas, loris, degus, gerbils, sand lizards, reptiles, and other exotic animals.

So, choosing a method of heating a terrarium is not just a matter of comfort, but an important part of caring for your pet's health. As we have found out, upper and lower heating have different tasks. Lamps or ceramic emitters from above create the necessary temperature difference and a warming zone, imitating the sun. Heating mats or cords from below gently raise the overall temperature and aid digestion.

The most important thing is to carefully study the natural needs of your particular animal. A desert lizard and a tropical frog need completely different conditions. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Always focus on the species, age, and behavior of the terrarium's inhabitant.

Don't forget about safety and control. All equipment must be securely fastened and protected from direct contact with the animal. You can't do without a good thermostat and a pair of accurate thermometers — they are your main assistants. Check the equipment regularly to avoid overheating or, conversely, overcooling.

Properly adjusted heating will make your pet's life long and healthy, and watching it even more interesting. We hope these tips will help you create a cozy and safe corner of nature in your home.