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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eighth Eye Blind" data-source="post: 239503" data-attributes="member: 49683">I second m0lsx's distaste for heating devices. I build custom incubators and environmental chambers for my lab so I can personally attest to how difficult it is to get safe, consistent heating across even a small enclosure without professional-grade thermocouples and temp controllers.If you go this route start with the lowest wattage heat source that will do the job and make sure to monitor the temp in different parts of the enclosure. A 5 to 10 watt heating element with a large surface area is usually all you need for something like this. I've seen consumer-grade controllers overshoot by 10°C when paired with a high-wattage heat source.Set up the external enclosure and run it empty for a few days while moving a thermometer around inside to look for hot and cold spots before risking your animals. Remember that humidity is relative to temperature and that humidity inside the individual enclosures will be different from inside the environmental chamber which will also be different from the outer room. As m0lsx said, check the water dishes frequently to make certain things don't get too dry.Also keep in mind that it'll take a couple of days for the temp to come up and stabilize as the substrate absorbs heat after you put the animals in. Don't make the mistake of cranking up the thermostat at the beginning because it seems the temp isn't rising fast enough. Be patient and let the temp get there over time. When animals and heating come together it's slow and steady that wins the race.Good luck!</blockquote>

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