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Old 11-12-2017, 05:39 PM   #1
Lunarstar
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Default Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

OK so right now the weather is cooling down, and the temperature in the house is dropping too obviously. My parents usually keep the heat on at about 65, but for some reason my room, the room my hamster is in, has always been slightly cooler than the rest of the house. Same in the summer, it's always a bit warmer for whatever reason. Lately I've been adding extra bedding for him to pile up in, but is there anything else I can do? He's not near any drafts so I'm not worried about that.
I was wondering if maybe I could use a lowest wattage reptile heating lamp, the ones used for night time heating. The tank he is in now is huge, a 40 gallon breeder, so it would be possible to just keep it on one side so that the heats not all over. I already have the fixtures for one if this would be a good idea, since I used to keep lizards in this tank in the past. I'm not going to use heating pads, I don't think they would be the safest anyway.
So what do you think? I really want to find some good ways to keep him warmer this time of the year so he won't end up sick.
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Old 11-12-2017, 10:19 PM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

It's a fairly good sized cage so if you have really deep substrate & plenty of shredded tissue for a cosy nest then it should retain heat well, it's important to know what the temperature is rather than guessing so keeping a thermometer in the room is a good idea, if it's less than 65 then you may need some additional heat, I've found the most efficient & economical thing is to use a small oil filled radiator that you can leave on all night.
I've never used a reptile lamp but you do need to take care not to overheat any part of the cage especially the nest area.
If it's really cold I do use snugglesafe heat pads under the cage but with a gap of a few inches between & not directly under the nest.
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Old 11-13-2017, 12:54 PM   #3
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

I used to have the same problem. I just moved my hamsters cage closer to the nearest working radiator checked the temperature and it was good to go. Hope this helps.
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Old 11-13-2017, 01:20 PM   #4
Lunarstar
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

Actually his cage is in a part of the room that's right next to where the heat blows out. So he's about as close to the heater as he can get, so that probably helps right there I guess. Ok and I just stuck the digital thermometer I have right in his tank, and it's between 65-66 in there, so I think that's ok for now. Also his tank is made of glass, so I'm guessing this is probably gonna help with keeping drafts out and retaining heat right?
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Old 11-13-2017, 02:05 PM   #5
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

That sounds fine, if the temp stays that warm you shouldn't have any problems.
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Old 11-23-2017, 03:49 PM   #6
Lunarstar
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

The temperature in my room now, and probably will be for most of the winter, is only 60. I really think I'm going to buy a heat lamp, unless this you guys think this temperature won't make him sick or anything.

**updated*** I found an old heat lamp and a new bulb I never used for my lizards, it's a 75 watt red night lamp, says 'for reptiles, amphibians, birds, Hamsters***, rats, mice, etc' on the box, so I'm gonna try this out for an hour to see how this goes. I'll monitor the temperature obviously, and if it's too high I'll invest in a lower watt bulb. Also, I've heard these guys are not sensitive to red light, is this true?

Last edited by Lunarstar; 11-23-2017 at 04:10 PM. Reason: adding info
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Old 11-23-2017, 10:47 PM   #7
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

I've no experience with heat lamps so can't really comment on how that would work but as far as red light goes hams see mostly in the blue end of the spectum & see very little in red light but they do still see the light, for example if I turn my red lights off at night when the hams are running in their wheels they all immediately stop in response to the change in light levels so don't have a red light too close to or shining into the cage.
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Old 11-23-2017, 11:15 PM   #8
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

Another issue with heat lamps is that you wouldn't know for sure what the exact temperature is without having a good thermometer(not all are perfectly accurate).

It'd be better to invest in methods that would give a stable known temperature rather than play guessing games Room heaters are preferred over heat lamps,and they have the added bonus of making things more comfortable for humans as well without having to wear unnecessary extra layers!
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Old 11-24-2017, 10:36 AM   #9
Macy
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

Fill a plastic bottle with hot water, cover it with a sock and put as many of them in the cage as you see fit. I suggest putting one under your hamster's house.
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Old 11-24-2017, 10:53 AM   #10
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Default Re: Want to make cage warmer, any tips?

Sorry Macy but I have to say that really isn't a good idea.
Socks could be chewed which would be a real danger, bottles could be chewed & flood the cage (& the plastic from bottles can be very sharp) & you should never put any heat directly under the house.
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