Try buying some foam panels from a hardware store. We have my boy in a cold basement too, we had to add the foam on 3 1/2 sides to keep the heat in. Also keeps them feeling more secure! You should be able to get a massive piece of foam to cut to size for less than $10.
And if money is an issue, a dimmer is also totally fine for the lamp. You should be able to buy them cheap from a hardware store. But a thermostat for the UTH is a must. We have to use both as well- the lamp and UTH. However, it looks like you have the UTH stuck to the side of the tub- that could be part of your problem. When you get it hooked up to a thermostat, I would place it under the tank, it helps distribute heat better!
If you are still having trouble keeping the heat up, you can use foil on the lid instead of cardboard and then place the lamp right on the metal mesh. The few inches it hovers can really lose a ton of heat.
Q: how are you currently measuring temps?
Also, re: food. It's better to feed one large meal than 3 small ones. Rats are also a better full nutrition for BPs!
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