Snake Room in unfinished basement: Heating

[dakski]

With proper insulation and extra RHP's, it could work, but I wouldn't recommend it. Too much margin for error.

Do you have to move them now? Can it wait until the basement is insulated/finished/heated?

If you have to move them, extra RHP's running off dedicated thermostats, or if the tanks are all the same, one multiple device thermostat, should work. I would be checking temps a lot and test first. You might end up spending a ton on electric.

What tanks do you have and how cold does it get where you are?

My finished basement, where my reptile tanks are, can get to 65-66F in the winter, but my boaphiles, which are really well insulated and properly fitted with heating elements (both 4X2' tanks and 6X2' tanks have heat tape on the cool side and RHP and heat tape on the warm side, and the 3X2' tanks only have RHP and heat tape on the hot side) barely run in the summer, but get the job done in winter.

If you are talking 50F range or even below 60F, I would be concerned regardless of what you put in there. What about when you remove the animals for cleaning etc. Where do they go? That's a big shock. Also, humidity has got to be terrible in a cold basement.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but IMO, unless it's fairly warm down there, and a space heater won't touch 1,500 SQ FT, it's probably not a great idea for the Boas.