I have a plastic terrarium and would like to attach a heater under it or use a lamp heater. What are the consequences of heating plastic? Am I better off getting a glass tank?
It melts if you get it too hot.
You will likely not heat your terrarium hot enough to melt most rigid plastics if you have plants inside. Whether it will melt depends upon which plastic your terrarium is made of and what temperature you are heating it to. A lamp heater posed some distance above the terrarium should not increase the temperature beyond what is comfortable to touch. Please visit your local pet shop and see what type of heaters and heat lamps they have. It is likely you will find a unit that will heat sufficiently yet not be a melting or fire hazard. Of course, if you still have the manufacturer's information for your terrarium, contact them.
Heating some plastics will cause them to degas residual solvent, and heating others will cause them to decompose or degrade into what could be toxic or hazardous gases. So I wouldn't consider heating plastic. It will melt if the heat is to great.
