CHE wattage

[digcolnagos]

The weather's been cooler lately and I'm having trouble keeping the temps up in my 20-gallon long. I'm running a Cobra UTH mat on the warm side with a Herpstat thermostat and nothing on the cool side. The past couple days, it hasn't been able to get past 86 on the warm side, so I'm going to get an emitter. I'm wondering what wattage would be appropriate. I'm thinking either 60 or 100. I'd REALLY appreciate any advice.

While I'm at it, I'm going to get a ReptiTemp 500R thermostat to control the temperature on the cool side--I have a UTH for that end that I'm currently not using but figure will come into play as summer ends.

[mikehorton]

you are better off to get the 100watt, i can't see the price being all that more. then if you upgrade to bigger tank you have the extra wattage. you are better off to just use a dimmer switch. the repti temp is the same thing, but puts more stress on your uth, b/c it switches on and off.

[mikehorton]

just be sure to get a stand for the che.

[sweety314]

Your 86* now-warm side can become your cool end---snake doesn't care which is which...and w/the CHE (try the 100w) on either a dimmer or the thermostat, you can adjust it until it's the 92-94.
I had a screen lid on my 30g breeder & the CHE in a heatlamp hood w/clamp sitting on the screen, but I had to turn it off and on to keep it from getting too hot. (This was before I learned about the dimmers and thermostats.) Just be careful to put SOME sort of regulator on it, because they're VERY good at what they do, and can get VERY HOT.

R

[digcolnagos]

Yeah, I wasn't about to put a CHE atop the metal screen. In an effort to economize, I'm going with a clamp fixture instead of a stand. I figure if I still need a setup that allows more height adjustment than is possible with a clamp, I'll jury rig a stand to clamp the fixture to.


With two UTH's, each with its own thermostat plus a CHE in a 20-gallon long, I'm probably going overboard. But better than the other way around, I think. Next step: Attaching a "roof" to the screen to retain humidity...

[mikehorton]

try to block off a portion of the screen with something (tin foil, etc.) i have it surronding my light. it seems to hold my humidity to 60% or so. and cheap.