[Tasha]

I have just spent 3 days, a lot of money and completely done my back in to build Henry a HUGE mansion house. However, im now worried there is not enough light getting. What does everyone else think?

Its not finished yet, but it is made out of conti board (the same stuff used for vivariums), the front is made out of fly screen mesh and i totally stole the idea from Thistle (so thank you Thistle, hope you don't mind ) The tube will be attached the back wall to get to the second floor. Its looks a bit rough & ready (im not that great at DIY) but is safe & sturdy.

If anyone sees anything wrong so far, or any advice, tips or comments would be greatfully received, but would most like to know if there is enough light for him. [attachment=0:1pert7fc]IMG_1116.jpg[/attachment:1pert7fc]

 

[sagesmommy]

Wow! What a lucky hedgie! I think that there will be enough light , It looks pretty well lit inside

 

[Immortalia]

If you're worried about lighting, you could just have a lamp on a timer across from the cage, so then extra light will shine inside.

 

[hedgielover]

It looks good to me too.

 

[HedgeMom]

Is the cage going to sit on the floor? Keep in mind that cold air falls and the floor is cooler than the top of a dresser or sideboard.

Personally, I think it's dark. Can you put a full spectrum flourescent light inside the top of the cage? It wouldn't take much of a light, maybe a 15W bulb, to brighten that up considerably.

 

[Tasha]

Yeah, its going sit on the floor, but i also use a oil heater and have a warm flat. I also use vet bed which is quite thick so im not too worried about the heat.

Im going to change the black mesh to a grey one which im hoping will allow more light, but if not ill add the full spectrum flourescent light as suggested. Do you know if it costs a lot in electricity? Would this also help a bit with heat?

 

[HedgeMom]

What I've seen used are the same as what is used in reptile habitats. 12 hours a day on a 15w bulb is going to cost pennies. Flourescents give off very little heat (incandescents are hotter) but I'd still monitor temps before putting the hedgehog in the cage. Install the light, turn it on for 12 hours, at the end of 12 hours measure the temp directly underneath it and see what it says.

 

[Nancy]

Keep in mind that most of the heat from a space heater is going to go up and the room is going to be VERY hot before that floor level cage is feeling the heat from the heater. I have stacking cages and my top cages are roughly 3F warmer than the ones that are a foot off the floor. It works ok for me because I put those who need more heat up top and those who are fine at the cooler end of the temperature range at the bottom.

To have a floor level cage at a suitable hedgehog temperature the room is going to be hot and you are going to spend more in electricity than if the cage was sitting on a table.

The whole cage needs to be warm, not just the bed. When the hedgehogs get up and active at night is the most important time for the cage to be warm. They are opposite to us. We turn our heat down at night while we are sleeping to conserve energy, yet hedgehogs are sleeping during the day and need that extra warmth at night.

 

[Tasha]

Thanks for everyones advise.
I was a little worried about it being on the floor so after reading your post Nancy i measured the coffee table (which his current cage sits on) and tho it may look a bit silly it will fit on top. Its huge, but quite light so the table will be able to hold it. If i put it on top of that I should be able to keep it warm enough without blowing up a huge electric bill.

The vetbed i mentioned is his cage lining. Its a really thick fleece type material (about 4cm deep) with a lining underneath. It gets covered in a cotton sheet, so it will allow a small amount of insulation.

Just one more question regarding the Flourescent lamp, if i put one in, would it provide enough light to reach the bottom of the cage? Or would i be better putting a lamp outside?