The location of the terrarium
With a few exceptions, any indoor location is suitable. However, make sure you choose a place where you can observe the animals comfortably from your own favourite spot. You should also be able to reach the terrarium for cleaning, feeding, etc. without having to contort yourself! And make sure not to choose a location with the risk of overheating from sunlight, such as a spot near a window. Attic flats which are very warm in the summer and barely cool off at night are not suited for keeping heat-sensitive species. Last, but not least, the weight-bearing capacity of the surface under the terrarium must also be taken into account.
The climate in your terrarium
The climate in the terrarium is the most important factor for your animals‘ wellbeing. The animals will only be able to display their full repertoire of behaviour and lead a healthy life if the natural climate of their immediate habitat is reproduced as closely as possible by a skilful application of equipment.
The most important climatic factors in a terrarium are made up of the temperature zones (the air and the floor/substrate and of basking spots with high temperatures); the lighting (duration, intensity and quality of light); the relative humidity; and ventilation (air supply/removal). As in the wild, these individual climate elements impact each other and are subject to the changes occurring in the course of a day.
The relative humidity normally decreases as the running time of the lighting and heating equipment increases. Please remember this when choosing your terrarium. The individual climate parameters usually change quickly in a small tank, and therefore need to be adapted continually with the use of sophisticated control technology or repeated manual intervention. In large tanks, the climatic factors change much more slowly and it is easier to create zones with different microclimates (zones of different temperatures and humidities) so the animals can seek out places with the climatic conditions they prefer at a given time.