Flexwatt or RHP, which is better for a plastic encloure?

I have been hearing mixed reports on this and I am currently thinking of getting proline enclosures. From my understanding having both is a waste but does either do a better job of providing requisite hot spot temps as well as ambient??

I have an Animal Plasics T8 cage that utilizes both flex watt and two 40 watt RHPs. The cage is currently divided, one RHP on each side with the 11" flexwatt installed under the middle of the cage. With a herpstat II controlling each heat source, in a room with temps that fluctuate from the upper 50's to the upper 60's this time of year, my ambients fluctuate between 76 and 80F. The RHP has a significant effect on ambients in my set up as opposed to the flexwatt which probably doesn't do anything for ambients. This specific set up represents my entire experience with UTH/flexwatt, RHPs, and pvc enclosures. I have ordered a t10 and will use RHPs, flexwatt, and herpstat again, hoping for similar results.

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Originally Posted by dav4

I have an Animal Plasics T8 cage that utilizes both flex watt and two 40 watt RHPs. The cage is currently divided, one RHP on each side with the 11" flexwatt installed under the middle of the cage. With a herpstat II controlling each heat source, in a room with temps that fluctuate from the upper 50's to the upper 60's this time of year, my ambients fluctuate between 76 and 80F. The RHP has a significant effect on ambients in my set up as opposed to the flexwatt which probably doesn't do anything for ambients. This specific set up represents my entire experience with UTH/flexwatt, RHPs, and pvc enclosures. I have ordered a t10 and will use RHPs, flexwatt, and herpstat again, hoping for similar results.

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I have the same setup in my T8, because I'm using a divider though I went with two 28 watt RHP's.

Here is a picture.

http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...1/DSCF0732.jpg

I cannot comment yet on my temperatures as I'm still waiting on the glass doors to arrive to complete the assembly. But since I didn't want to use any type of heat bulbs I choose to go with RHP's to assist with ambient temperatures.


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Typically neither effect ambient temps as both are radiant heat sources. That can be changed by adding objects of great thermal mass that will become heated y the heater and then in turn heat the air but generally speaking this is in efficient. If it were efficient and RHP did heat air they would be dangerous as they typically can run well over 130º and 130º air will do serious damage.

I see you live in Stow. I live down in Canton. With the colder temps of Ohio unless you keep your house closer to 80 the flexwatt isn't going to raise the ambient enough. I had to add the rhp and another thermostat. Now with both I set my temps and haven't had to mess with them in 10 months. Happy happy happy.

Thanks for the feedback everyone, @kitedemon, what is the solution then, I understand the radiant heat process and it would seem that the only solution is to keep the room heated to the required ambient temp and use either one to create a hotspot?

I use RHP and a flourescent light. The Floursecnt light does warm the air quite well and provides a hot spot for the tank above it that generally does not exceed 91 directly over the light (stacked wall of PVC enclosures). Between the light and the RHP with a herpstat on each enclosure, I have no issues mantaining 82 ambient in all the caging with a room temperature at a constant 74-76 with no night drop. The rest of the home is 55 this time of year. But this one 12 x 12 room houses 9 RHP running 24/7 at about 20-30% power, and 12 32 qt tubs and 12 41 qt tubs all heated which in itself raises the room temperature 10-15 degrees plus with my gaming PC set up in that room that thing emits a ton of heat.. . none the less, the RHP works great for my conditions in itself!

I find that fluorescent lights and LED nigh lights hold ambient just fine. Ambient temps have a long range if we look at the bitter ends (I avoid the ends) but 75 at the low side and 88 at the high. (I use 78-85 personally) This is a big target so high precision is not needed. In the summer I often run fluorescent lights for a few hours in the morning and afternoon with LED (deep blue for royals has lower visibility than red) over night in the dead cold of winter I run the led 24/7 and fluorescent 12 on 12 off. The fl lights run a surface temp of 100º or so and led in the 90s. This when the warm air circulates hold 10-15º over the ambient air temps. I add insulation and get 3-5 on top again. This keeps the 70-60º room inside an acceptable range. I find my ambient temps change during the day They start low and gain to the afternoon and drop again over night. My winter low is about 78-9 and highs are 84-5 I build one degree every hour and a half or so.

I have RHPs (two actually) One is used as they were designed in an arboreal set up with vertical gradients and tall ceilings. The other is in a 12 inch enclosure I used it as a test for ages (empty of just snake) and now I use it to hold the hot spot. With light weight hides it make next to no difference to ambients at all. Good thing too. The surface is often 160º to hold a 90º hot spot and if it added substantially to the ambient temps It would cook the snake (10-15% of 160 is 16-24º over room temps. I know way over simplified but to illustrate the point)

RHPs have and are being used in rooms kept at 80º or close to it and it is also clear that the ambient air temps are not in the 90s under these conditions. It either heats the air or it does not, if they do the excitedly hot operational temps (hotter than my UTH get) would make them unsafe in a serious way. UTH gain 3-5% in my tests about the same as the RHP as they are effectively the same. Adding heavy mass that is heated will clearly add some more but how much I cannot guess as I have not experimented with it.

..been using uth , rhp combo for months and man is is GREAT !!!!!!!!

Thanks for the info, I want to get this correct :) Where do you place the thermostat probe for the RHP. I know that it would go under the UTH but I'm not sure about the placement within the enclosure and how to secure to a single spot. I've seen vertical gradient placements of the probe suspended around mid range but I would imagine that it would have to be on the floor of a terrestrial setup and I would probably want it around where the hide is on the warm side, but as my boa gets bigger the hide would become larger too and it may not fit or is that not really a concern?

It looks like I will be going with a UTH and RHP with Herpstat 2/4. I would also include LED's. Where could I get LEDs for my enclosure, HomeDepot or someplace like that or do I need to order reptile friendly ones? Thanks again.