Exo-Terra tank screen vs. heat lamp questions

Hello

I am currently using an Exo-Terra 24 x 18 x 12 (Medium Low) terrarium for my 5 month old ball python, which has a screen top and two plastic cross beams (making 4 quadrants).

My heat set up is that I use a UTH (controlled by Jump Start brand T-stat), and also a lower watt heat lamp to keep ambient temps in check. I live in SoCal so it doesn't get too cold (although right now, overnight it has been getting pretty chilly so sometimes I'll swap for a bit higher watt)... so during the day, I've found the happy spot to be UTH t-stat set at 95*F in combo with a 40w heat bulb. Keeps hot side within the range 88-91 and cool side around 80-81 this way .... night time I'm still experimenting to keep it from dropping too low, but not overheat either....figure getting the dimmer switch on a higher-watt will help me have more control there (and one is currently being shipped to me) .... but anyway..

Also, for the heat bulbs, I am actually switching between two of them on a 12/12 cycle - day and then moonlight (heat only, no UV). I know day is not necessary usually, however her placement in my living room is very dark and gets absolutely no sunlight hitting from a window so, that's why I decided to use a light instead so that there's some sort of day/night pattern

Since I use two bulbs, I am using the Zoo Med mini double-dome that way I can just easily switch between the two lights. This is where I run into a bit of annoyance though with the exo-terra top ...

Since there are plastic cross beams on top of the screen, I have to kind of wedge the light fixture into one of the quadrants so that it's not resting on the plastic, otherwise it will melt... it works if I kind of tilt it diagonally and then wedge it in, but it's a pain to deal with. ALSO, I wanted to get a light stand to hang it on instead that way it's not pressed against the screen constantly

My question is - If I use a stand to hang the light over the top, will the light hovering over still melt the plastic?? Basically, I'm not sure what a safe distance is -- does anyone else have a similar set up? (either with light or CHE?) ....should I not use the stand?

OR even better -- is there an all-screen top that fits on these exo-terras that I could replace it with so I dont have to worry about the plastic at all?

Thanks for any insight!

Darn it, I accidentally posted the the thread in the process of making the title, sorry for the confusion!! I'm new here, is there any way to edit the title? Meant to say Exo-terra tank and heat lamp question or something along those lines

Nevermind, figured it out

If you hang that Heat lamp your going to loose the heating effect into the tank most likely..Post a pic of the situation for ideas.

I cant take a pic right now of MY set up since I'm at work, but this is the screen that's on top to show what I'm working with.... and then the light dome is the zoo med brand combo deep mini (so like two mini's stuck together in one).... BARELY fits into one of those quadrants if I tilt it diagonally and kinda jam it in there:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...-exo-terra.jpg

If I increase the watt on the bulb, it wont adjust for the fact that it's hung up? I wonder if I can even hang a double one

I actually just received the stand in and haven't even opened/tried it yet... it looks as if it's better suited for just a single lamp, but I figured it could still probably work for the double (and the double does have a metal hanger thing on it) ... but I'm a newbie at all this, so maybe I'm wrong

original reason I ordered the stand was because unless I was using a low 40-watt bulb (which is what I have in it now since it's against the screen), it was heating up too much as the day went on with the higher watt (75w) and I got worried about over heating

Maybe just the dimmer switch is all I need? I wasn't sure if always being up against the screen was ideal or not

Well, and plus the annoyance of having to jam the fixture in between the plastic cross beams... I could deal with it, but it's annoying.

If you rest your double lamp directly on that top and it is touching that plastic cross member it may get melted some.

The good thing about the stand is you will be able to hover your lamp over the screen without touching the plastic.

Here's a tip if you don't want to be spending money on bulbs every 1-3 months:

Buy a 100 or 150 watt bulb and hook it up to dimmer. Use a temp gun to dial in the proper heat 88-90. Went done right your dimmer will be turned down to roughly 50-60% power.

This keeps your bulb filiament from getting too hot and burning out.

I have done this for over 2 years on 4 tanks and have yet to replace a bulb. And these bulbs run 24/7.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...952635f9af.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e1c1495c4f.jpg

My Exo- Terra tank on the left

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Reinz

If you rest your double lamp directly on that top and it is touching that plastic cross member it may get melted some.

The good thing about the stand is you will be able to hover your lamp over the screen without touching the plastic.

Here's a tip if you don't want to be spending money on bulbs every 1-3 months:

Buy a 100 or 150 watt bulb and hook it up to dimmer. Use a temp gun to dial in the proper heat 88-90. Went done right your dimmer will be turned down to roughly 50-60% power.

This keeps your bulb filiament from getting too hot and burning out.

I have done this for over 2 years on 4 tanks and have yet to replace a bulb. And these bulbs run 24/7.


My Exo- Terra tank on the left

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Thank you! So do you think that if I hover the lamps over, if some of the light still hits the plastic it shouldn't melt? Since it's not RIGHT up against?

Right now, since I jammed it into one of the quadrants, the only part touching the plastic is the outside lip of the lap, and it seems to be OK, although I only have 40watt bulbs in there right now, since the 75w seemed to heat it up too much without a dimmer on it. But I just received my dimmer so now I can probably put the higher watt back in and just turn it down some -- especially at night. During the day, the 40w is actually perfect by itself, it's only really night time that it gets too cool. Too cool with the 40watt, but heats up too much with the 75w... it's so frustrating

The Dimmer will really help your flexibility.

On one of my other tanks I used to have, the hovering on a stand worked out really well. But you may not have to worry about that anyway since you have the dimmer switch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Reinz

The Dimmer will really help your flexibility.

On one of my other tanks I used to have, the hovering on a stand worked out really well. But you may not have to worry about that anyway since you have the dimmer switch.

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What if he bent the Bell Housing a tad bit? Just enough so that it fit in between the cross member? I just looked at my CHE and I have the same housing as you Reinz and i have atleast 2" on each side of the CHE to bend and play...alot of clearance.

My boyfriend has the same medium-low tank that I am helping him set up for a ball we're getting on the 25th. I ordered two 8.5" Flukers brand porcelain socket clamp lamps w/ combined lamp dimmer switch, each for 13.48 on amazon prime. Those sized lamps should fit easily within the quadrants, and like you we are using them to maintain ambient temps during the day and night with the bulbs on a 12/12 timer switch. I haven't gotten everything in yet to experiment with temps and once I do that I will decide if I need lamp stands, but honestly with how much snakes like to push against the screen tops of their enclosures, I feel more comfortable having them on stands just for safety reasons. I ordered 75watt bulbs (zilla blue daylight incandescent and flukers black nighttime) to go with the lamps and plan to tweak the heat output with the built-in dimmer switches that come on both lamps.

With your setup, I would get a lamp stand (does your lamp have a clamp?) and some higher wattage bulbs, just to avoid melting the plastic cross beams or burning your snake.