Overhead Heating for lizards with Tstat?

[jclaiborne]

Hey Everyone. So I have been working on building some bigger cages for all my lizards. Right now all my lizard cages have bulbs dropped inside them for heat, because it is generally accepted that lizards do better with a heat source that generates light due to them using their parietal eye to detect where to bask. With my new setups I wanted to hook my lights up to a TSTAT instead of dimming each one individually and adjusting wattages as the weather changes, so I contacted Spyder Robotics and asked them which stat would work best for my setups, they replied with this:

"You can't use basking bulbs with a thermostat or any bulbs that give off
light. They will dim/brighten and turn off once it hits target temp. Two common setups:

1. You swap the basking bulbs for ceramic heat emitters. These fit the same
light socket and do not produce light. They also radiate heat better. Just
make sure your lamp fixtures are rated properly for them.

2. Switch out to radiant heat panels. This is the most common setup. The
panels mount to the ceiling on the inside of the enclosure."

I explained my reasoning above for using a bulb and they then suggested using a light that doesn't create a large amount of heat (LEDs or a low low wattage bulb" and then put a RHP next to it to create the actual hot spot instead. My question really comes down to would using this setup work with Lizards. Has anyone tried using RHPs for lizards? I have reached out to a lot of people and no one really can give me any info, just "lizards need a basking light that creates heat". Any experience would be appreciated thanks.

[Skiploder]

I use RHPs for heloderms. The RHP is run off of a herpstat.

[jclaiborne]

I use RHPs for heloderms. The RHP is run off of a herpstat.

Do you provide a bulb at all to simulate the sun or just the RHP? I provide a UVB tube for all my lizards so they will still get light in the cage. Thanks.

[Skiploder]

Do you provide a bulb at all to simulate the sun or just the RHP? I provide a UVB tube for all my lizards so they will still get light in the cage. Thanks.

I don't provide heloderms with any supplemental light. Ambient room light and the rhp.

[jclaiborne]

I don't provide heloderms with any supplemental light. Ambient room light and the rhp.

Which brand RHP did you go with and what size cages are you running them in? My cages are 4x2x2 and different companies I have talked with have said it will be hard generating a hot spot with a 2 ft tall cage using a RHP. I was going to try and give Pro Products a call and talk to them since I haven't gotten a response to my emails.

[Skiploder]

Which brand RHP did you go with and what size cages are you running them in? My cages are 4x2x2 and different companies I have talked with have said it will be hard generating a hot spot with a 2 ft tall cage using a RHP. I was going to try and give Pro Products a call and talk to them since I haven't gotten a response to my emails.

I run both PP and RBI.

I'd call Bob instead of emailing him. Cages are 4x2x2.

[jclaiborne]

I run both PP and RBI.

I'd call Bob instead of emailing him. Cages are 4x2x2.

That's good to hear, thanks Skip, I will give him a call this afternoon.