Lamp Dimmers?

Didn't want to wander to far off topic in another thread so I'll start a new one for this question:

I've got a pair of CHEs on two separate 10g glass tanks. I want to control them with a simple dimmer/rheostat. (I'll also have UTHs controlled with a Thermostat). Any suggestions on a good, cheap one to get that'll handle both CHEs?

Actually, now that I think of it, shouldn't that be the opposite? I mean having the CHEs attached to thermostat since they're maintaining the ambient temp, and hooking the UTHs to a dimmer since they're just going to be providing a constant temperature hot spot.

The thing with dimmers, from my understanding, is there is not a lot of safety if any, when using a dimmer. One brand of thermostats I like are herpstats from spyder robotics. They have a herpstat 4 for example, this is actually 4 thermostats in one, it comes with four separate probes, one for each heat source, this allows to to program up to four different heat sources at temps of your choosing.


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Originally Posted by martin82531

The thing with dimmers, from my understanding, is there is not a lot of safety if any, when using a dimmer. One brand of thermostats I like are herpstats from spyder robotics. They have a herpstat 4 for example, this is actually 4 thermostats in one, it comes with four separate probes, one for each heat source, this allows to to program up to four different heat sources at temps of your choosing.


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Yeah, but that's PRICEY. I'm just getting started and trying to get the best setup I can for not a lot of cash.

Am I not right on the dimmer, though? Doesn't it make more sense to set up the hot side sensor on my thermometer like you said over the UTH, then use the dimmer to dial in the UTH to the right heat and leave it there, then use the Thermostat to regulate my CHEs based on the ambient temp of the hot side?

You can use a dimmer, but if you have big temperature swings in your room, you're going to have to adjust it. It puts out...say...50% power regardless if what the room temperature is (assuming you have it set to 50%...). I would still use a thermometer in conjunction with it. A thermostat really is the best way to go...but I've used them successfully in the past. Hydrofarm (http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S) makes a relatively inexpensive one that works well. I've also used one from ZooMed (http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-HygroT.../dp/B0019IHK9Q) with success.

I don't have any real expertise when it comes to dimmers when using them with UTH's sorry. I know it's not recommended, but hopefully someone with more knowledge can chime in on that subject. :)


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Originally Posted by KatStoverReptiles

You can use a dimmer, but if you have big temperature swings in your room, you're going to have to adjust it. It puts out...say...50% power regardless if what the room temperature is (assuming you have it set to 50%...). I would still use a thermometer in conjunction with it. A thermostat really is the best way to go...but I've used them successfully in the past. Hydrofarm (http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S) makes a relatively inexpensive one that works well. I've also used one from ZooMed (http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-HygroT.../dp/B0019IHK9Q) with success.

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I'm not saying either/or. I've got a thermostat coming, but I don't see how I could run my UTHs and CHEs off of just one. Also, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me to put the UTHs on a thermostat since they're there to provide a hot spot that's pretty much direct heat and shouldn't be affected by changes in room temperature that much. The way I see it, if I use a thermostat to regulate my CHEs to keep the tank at a constant 90ish hot side then keeping the UTHs set with a dimmer at a decent 98 degrees everything should stay pretty regular. Am I missing something big here?

Are you housing a ball? You want more of a 80ish cool side and a 90ish hot side...

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Originally Posted by KatStoverReptiles

Are you housing a ball? You want more of a 80ish cool side and a 90ish hot side...

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There's no way to get a 10 degree gradient in a 10 gallon tank. I'm at 90/86 and 88/81 right now, and that second one is the largest gradient I've seen so far.

So, back to the OP, can anyone tell me why I shouldn't use a dimmer on my UTHs if I've got thermostat regulated CHEs?

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Originally Posted by ChaosAffect

So, back to the OP, can anyone tell me why I shouldn't use a dimmer on my UTHs if I've got thermostat regulated CHEs?

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You CAN use a dimmer on the UTH, it is not the best choice though.
Hydrofarms are pretty cheap I've paid more than $30 for a light dimmer in my room so I don't see much sense in going for a 2nd best option when there really is only a minimal savings.
But, if the room the snake is in can be kept at a very constant temp then a dimmer can work. If the ambient temp in the room swings the dimmer won't help keep the hot spot at the same temp.

What I would use a dimmer for, is to tone down the heat output of say 150 farm grade infrared bulbs. And, that would still be on a thermostat. The reason I would do this is 150W farm infrared bulb is about $10 here while the exoterra 75W infrared bulb is $17 almost $18. Also, running a higher rated bulb in a constant or near constant "on" cycle should contribute to longer bulb life.
I don't know if there is much to be gained from doing this with CHE's which to my understanding already have a very good service life.

And, you might want to start saving for something bigger than a 10 gallon or researching tubs/racks or terrarium/vivarium builds.

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Originally Posted by Raven01

You CAN use a dimmer on the UTH, it is not the best choice though.
Hydrofarms are pretty cheap I've paid more than $30 for a light dimmer in my room so I don't see much sense in going for a 2nd best option when there really is only a minimal savings.
But, if the room the snake is in can be kept at a very constant temp then a dimmer can work. If the ambient temp in the room swings the dimmer won't help keep the hot spot at the same temp.

What I would use a dimmer for, is to tone down the heat output of say 150 farm grade infrared bulbs. And, that would still be on a thermostat. The reason I would do this is 150W farm infrared bulb is about $10 here while the exoterra 75W infrared bulb is $17 almost $18. Also, running a higher rated bulb in a constant or near constant "on" cycle should contribute to longer bulb life.
I don't know if there is much to be gained from doing this with CHE's which to my understanding already have a very good service life.

And, you might want to start saving for something bigger than a 10 gallon or researching tubs/racks or terrarium/vivarium builds.

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A rack system is definitely in my future. I've probably got until the end of the summer to worry about that, though. From what I've seen I can pick up a dimmer for about $10 at Home Depot, which, combined with the Hydrofarm should handle anything that Georgia can throw at it for the near future. I'll be saving up for a better Thermostat for the rack system that I'll inevitably purchase. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some serious downside to the dimmer on the UTHs, like "It'll blow up and burn your house down." Two thermostats seems like overkill to me since the one will already be regulating the overall temp of the tank and the UTHs only need to provide a consistent temperature hot spot, something they'll do fine as long as the ambient doesn't change that much.

I've been using dimmers for 20 + years with no problem. My snake room stays within 2-3 degrees. I set the temps in summer and leave them in winter when most of my snakes are brumating anyway.

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Originally Posted by treeboa

I've been using dimmers for 20 + years with no problem. My snake room stays within 2-3 degrees. I set the temps in summer and leave them in winter when most of my snakes are brumating anyway.

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And you've got to deal with temperature extremes much more severe than anything I'm going to encounter down here. Thanks for that info, that definitely tells me that I'll be fine going ahead with this setup.