Winter is coming....heat bulb question.

[kiiarah]

As I have been monitoring Shesha's tank I noticed that it has been getting as low as 75 degrees on his cool side. I am anticipating problems because as it gets colder out (I am in Arizona and we are just starting to get cooler nights) I have a feeling it will drop even more. I went out and picked up a black heat bulb and lamp stand to aid in maintaining temperatures during the night. I have a feeling we won't need it during the day, at least for a bit, as he is staying around 80 degree ambient temps right now during the day. So I guess my main question is, is there any benefit to red, blue, or black heat bulbs or is it just a visual preference? Also, I am reading that there should be a slight temperature drop in the evening to better imitate a natural environment. What type of drop are we talking about here, should it stay around 80 all night. Any help with exactly what temps I should be aiming for and what the variation should be from day to night would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

Edit: I realize a heat bulb for basking is not required for bps, and also that UVA/UVB is not needed for good health. I am only pursuing the lamp because the UTH alone doesn't seem to be cutting it for the overall temps as it gets colder out.

[Skittles1101]

Temp drop isn't necessary. 80 is good, as long as it stays over 75. As far as I know, the color of the bulb won't make a difference, it's the wattage.

Have you looked into ceramic heat emitters (CHE)?

[kiiarah]

I have looked into them but after literally hours of research on wattage required for a specific temperature in a given tank size and finding absolutely no useful information I decided to do a test run with the cheapo bulbs to figure out what level of heat will be ideal. I really like the idea of ceramic but they are pricey for someone who has no idea what they are going for lol. I will probably invest in one once I have had time to try out a couple of wattages and see what best fits the situation. Plus I sort of wanted to have a way to see him exploring at night without disturbing him. I am always up quite late, so I am awake when he is active, but i hate having to turn on lights in the room to watch him. My prior solution was to lay in bed and aim my tablet screen at the ceiling or wall but that is sort of a pain, plus he probably doesn't like the varying color and brightness when a show is pointing at him. Figured this would be a more practical approach and would keep him nice and cozy at the same time.

Just out of curiosity is there a benefit to ceramic beyond the extended bulb life and reliability?

[Eric Alan]

Just out of curiosity is there a benefit to ceramic beyond the extended bulb life and reliability?

The lack of actual light coming from the bulb.

[kiiarah]

Thanks Eric, that was my understanding but hey, I am still new to this. It seems like the black bulb hardly puts out any light but then again, I switched the plastic wrap to aluminum foil for the heat lamp "installation" so that is blocking quite a bit of ambient light from the bulb. I followed a guide that I found either on this forum or another one I was reading, but it suggested plexiglass with a round cut out for the lamp (about an inch around from the rim) and three smaller round holes on the opposite end of the lid to help pull in fresh air as the warmed air circulates. Not sure how most people orient the bulb and how much foil they use.

What is the proper placement for the heat lamp. Right now I have the UTH and hot hide on the far left side of the tank, and the cool hide, water dish, and night bulb on the far right. Is this correct or is it better to place the heat bulb in the middle of the lid?

[calmolly1]

I took a picture of the layout we've done. On the warm side I have a flukkers UTH on a Tstat and a black 100 watt CHE on stand over warm side. ( also on Tstat). I have covered the top (screen) in aluminum foil. I can adjust heat from lamp by raising or lowering CHE. This keeps ambient 79-82 on cool side and 85 on warm side with temp if 90-92 in hide over UTH on warm side. Sorry about glare in picture. Anyone feel free to comment/suggest opinions


Molly & Steve
0.1 Normal BP. PRECIOUCESS
0.1 Normal Columbian BCI. LUNA

[Pyrate81]

When I was using tanks, I'd use a 40w red bulb over my hot side. For me, it was enough in the winter to keep the ambient temps no lower than 80 in my 40br. But I also had an aparment full of heat lamps.

Several ways to up the ambients in the winter:

1. Heat lamp(as you are using). Wattage and distance from screen top will determine the temperature your tank will heat.

2. CHE. Similar to heat lamp where you can use distance to regulate temperature or a thermostat. Thermostat recommended, these can get very hot and dry out your tank.

3. Raise your room temperature. Adjust your house or room thermostat to be around 78-82 degrees and that should do the same for the tank.

[kiiarah]

Thanks for the input guys. I have been running the heat lamp for a couple of days now and it is keeping the cool side ambient at 80 - 81 at the max height the lamp stand allows for. Seems like it should be good since as it gets colder I will want to lower and not raise it.

The main issue with keeping the house that warm, apart from just cost considerations, is that we also have a chinchilla so keeping the whole house at 80 would be tough on her. I would prefer to keep his tank cozy and her room cool. The rest of the household either has fur coats or fleece clothing, lol. I did switch to the aluminum foil over the top, mainly because I was afraid of the plastic wrap getting hot and releasing fumes or melting. It seems to at least be maintaining temps. The only problem I am having now is that since the cool side became nice and cozy, he has lost all interest in his hot hide (the reason for my most recent post).

In case anyone else reading this has a similar tank set up, I am currently using a 50 watt bulb and it seems to be just right, if not a bit on the warm side.