CHE and PVC

Can I hover a CHE over a PVC cage to help with temps? I read on a different thread to do that with a tub and wondering if it would help in my new PVC cages, right now, after buying 2 new cages, I can't afford 2 RHP.


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Why? Shouldn't belly heat be enough?

At night the cage drops to below 78. The hot side is not getting above 82, I am worried about winter.


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I have to use my RHPs and belly heat in the winter. I don't know about using CHEs with PVC though.

Ambient of 78* isn't bad. I keep my ambient at 75º Usually around 75-77.

If you are using belly heat, you should easily get a hot spot of 90º. What kind of thermometer is measuring your hot spot?

Just ordered a temp gun.


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Your hot side is not getting over 82ºF ? The question I have is what kind of pad are you using. There are HUGE differences between brands and wattages some are designed not to get overly hot and may not be able to cope with a PVC cage insulation value and a cool room.

A RHP (RADIANT HEAT... Where the idea that a radiant heat source is actually a Convection heat source is baffling to me) does not change air temps in my experience with two (one test set up for 5 months) the best air temp change I managed was 4º. They (RHPs) replace UTH not ambient air heating methods. Personally I find a standard fluorescent tube mounted inside the enclosure lifts the ambient air temps exceptionally well. It is safe as its maxed temp (100ºF) is below a contact burn point and it is unlikely to lay against a light top mounted long enough to become unable to digest food. I find a 2 foot tube lifts 10º over the room temp. They are also about the cheapest convection heater around. (radiation aka RHP produce electromagnetic waves that transfer heat to objects, not air, just like the sun. Conduction transfers heat to objects in direct contact like a UTH or stove. Convection is a heat source that heat the air directly and causes thermal air currents like a wood stove or CHE.)

Temps ideally are Warm (hot) side surface 90ºF (88-94ºF)
cool side surface 80ºF (78-84ºF)
Ambient air temps 79-81ºF (75º-85ºF)

I quoted the temps that are closest to universally accepted the bracketed figures represent the extremes max and mins I have seen from reputable sources. It depends a bit on snake size too small snakes generate more heat while digesting than big snakes do so lower temp warm side temps are sometimes used (88ºF is common) with sub adult snakes.

The heat pad I use is from the link below. The cages do have a light strip that can be turned on during the day and off at night. Would that help?




http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads


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Ok here are pics of the enclosure.
From the front:
http://img.tapatalk.com/ae496fab-2420-621d.jpg

The floor space:
http://img.tapatalk.com/ae496fab-2438-b11e.jpg

The light at the top:
http://img.tapatalk.com/ae496fab-244f-420b.jpg
Is there a red bulb for this type of fixture?


The humidity box is not needed, but Buddy likes it during she'd time so I left it in there.

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I have a PVC cage (Showcase Cages) and it actually has a spot for a CHE. So... I'd double check with the manufacturer, but I'd venture to guess they're fine.

I do not have a spot for one, I bought the cage used. I am sure we could drill a hole and attach a screen if need be. I think I may leave the light on during the day and cover it at night.


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The ultratherms generally do not get hotter than 95º at least the ones I have don't. I have two pvcx enclosures both run set points around 97-8ºF so if your set up is similar to mine it is likely the ultratherm is maxed out and simply will not get hotter. I would guess you have too thick a layer of aspen on the hot side, try thinning it out some. No red gel, just use the FL light during the day cycle the temp will drop over night but not overly fast you should be fine with just the 12 hour on time.

my ambient temps run something like this...

coolest is around 78ºF at around 4 am the warmest is about 85ºF at 5 pm it drops about one degree every one hour to 1.5 hours. The temp never drops below 78ºF I run dk blue LEDs during the night and this and the remaining warm spot heat (never drops mine is constant 90ºF)

I do not even have a fourth of an inch of aspen in the enclosure. I ordered a temp gun, so I can better measure.


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