heat lamp question

Hi - back again. Got the thermostat regulated on the the mat. runs between 84-87. The humidity is a bit low, working on that a bit more. I have a question about the heat lamp. Seems that I'm having a problem getting the temp up in the tank. The ambient temp is about 77. I'm waiting on a new digital thermometer and humidity gauge. I have a heat lamp, with a Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared Incandescent Heat Lamp 75 Watt bulb in it. It's not heating up the inside of the tank quite enough. Should I switch to a ceramic heat lamp? what does every else use? It's a 50 gal tank, hid on each end, UTH on one end, cool moist hid on the other end. Large water dish and wood in the middle. Bob is a 5 1/2 year old female BP. Thanks for your help.

kc

A 50 gallon is a huge area to try to heat. You'll need to cover about 90% of your mesh screen with plexiglass or damp towels to trap in some heat and humidity. What are you using for a substrate? I recommend cypress chips mixed with some eco-earth coco fiber for such a large tank. Now for heating. Your uth needs to keep your cool side around 80 degrees. I hope that uth is at least 16" long to get the job done. Since your cage is probably 16" tall you're going to need a 150 watt red or blue lamp with a dimmer switch to tune it down if need. You'll need to run that lamp 24 hrs to attain that 90 degree hot side and to keep ambient above 75(minimum). And as always, pics of your setup do help us help you.

How tall is the tank? I have a 40 gal for my son's snake. It's about 18" tall. I had to insulate the bottom and every side but the front with Reflectix insulation. Using a Herpstat II we control the 75w infrared and the UTH. I have the top screen covered with Reflectix and I use a damp towel to control humidity.

For a glass tank its perfect. You may want to try a stronger bulb in a 50 gal. or try to insulate the cage. I have photos to demo some if this if you need to see it.

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

A 50 gallon is a huge area to try to heat. You'll need to cover about 90% of your mesh screen with plexiglass or damp towels to trap in some heat and humidity. What are you using for a substrate? I recommend cypress chips mixed with some eco-earth coco fiber for such a large tank. Now for heating. Your uth needs to keep your cool side around 80 degrees. I hope that uth is at least 16" long to get the job done. Since your cage is probably 16" tall you're going to need a 150 watt red or blue lamp with a dimmer switch to tune it down if need. You'll need to run that lamp 24 hrs to attain that 90 degree hot side and to keep ambient above 75(minimum). And as always, pics of your setup do help us help you.

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It is a huge area. I'm kind of regretting moving out of the 20gal tank, but I wanted to add the cool hid at the other end. I have some of the green terrarium rolled on most of the bottom of the tank. It is a large uth. On top of the pad I have the thermostat, the green terrarium stuff and some aspen. The screened top is covered with foil. At the other end I have coco fiber which I keep moist, there's a large water dish and then the piece of wood. I had the lamp on most of the day but just went in to change the water out and moisten the coco fiber in the cool hid. The humidity is about 50 but runs low when I have the light on. I usually put the light over the middle of the cage.http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/8899/img10091v.jpg

you're gonna need at least a 100W infrared heat bulb to get your temps up. that's what i'm running in my 55G tank but I do have to raise the lamp up off the screen at bit to keep it at about 90-93 on the hot side. my hot side runs 95, middle of tank is 85 and cool side hide is 81-82.

I also forgot to mention that I have the back and sides insulated with foam boards and the top screen is covered except for where the lamp is at.

I will check out the Reflectix, up the wattage of the bulb. Thanks so much.

Should I put the lamp up over the end of the tank with the uth?

Yeah that's probably an 18" tall 55 gallon. Please tell me you have a THERMOSTAT that your UTH is regulated by, and not simply a THERMOMETER sitting on top of it measuring the temp. Do you have a mesh screen? Or simply an open top covered by aluminum foil? I ask because it looks like your lamp is clamped onto an open top. Dangerously high risk of escape! I'm guessing you turn that white lamp off at night allowing your temps to drop unsafely into the 70's. Those digital thermometer probes need to be on the floor of the cage. That is where the snake is so that is where you need to measure the temp.

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Originally Posted by final4kc

Should I put the lamp up over the end of the tank with the uth?

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how low does your cool side run? I don't use a uth at all, just the heat lamp. u shouldn't need to use a uth on your cool side unless your house is crazy cold. insulate your tank will help. also, buy a temp gun. I got one locally for $20 at a hardware store.

also, are you using a basking light bulb or an infrared heat bulb? the red colored heat bulbs are best. run it all the time and not worry about turning it off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

Yeah that's probably an 18" tall 55 gallon. Please tell me you have a THERMOSTAT that your UTH is regulated by, and not simply a THERMOMETER sitting on top of it measuring the temp. Do you have a mesh screen? Or simply an open top covered by aluminum foil? I ask because it looks like your lamp is clamped onto an open top. Dangerously high risk of escape! I'm guessing you turn that white lamp off at night allowing your temps to drop unsafely into the 70's. Those digital thermometer probes need to be on the floor of the cage. That is where the snake is so that is where you need to measure the temp.

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I do have a thermostat regulating the uth. There is a mesh screen with clamps. I had to remove the clamp lamp which is now on a movable post. The lamp isn't in the picture. I don't use a white lamp, I use an infrared heat lamp at night. I'm waiting on a digital thermometer which I ordered and will probably go by the hardware store to buy a temperature gun. I usually run the lamp all night and into the morning. The light you see in the picture is the window. Should I put the heat light over the end with the uth?

I'm using an infrared heat bulb, as soon as I get the digital thermometer I'll be able to get a better read on the temps at either end. right now, in the middle of the tank it's 77.

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Originally Posted by final4kc

I will check out the Reflectix, up the wattage of the bulb. Thanks so much.

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This is the bottom of the cage. I even use the Reflectix over the UTH. Use foil tape and just cut it for the side and top and back.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_0206.jpg

Comes in a roll and is easy to cut.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_0205.jpg

The tank can still be very attractive. The background covers the Insulation.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_0646.jpg

I'll be stopping by Home Depot and will pick some up. Thank you.

The insulation is on the outside of the tank correct?

Beautiful BP, do you use more than one hide?

Great. I'd center your light for the ambient temps. In the picture above on the left is one of my remote thermometers.

I have 80-81 on the cool side and 90-91 for the hot side.

If you need to insulate the bottom and rear with an inch of styrofoam and Refletix.

I even did the back, bottom and top of my plastic boa cage just to keep my heating devices working more efficiently. I had the stuff so why not use it!

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by final4kc

The insulation is on the outside of the tank correct?

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Yeah outside.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by final4kc

Beautiful BP, do you use more than one hide?

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Oh yeah. the cage has changed a lot since this, but used to have 4 hides. She's a lot bigger now and has 2 identical hides.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_0217.jpg

Hey, just looking at your cage picture again, I'd use 1" styrofoam on the back (behind the Reflectix) and same for the bottom. You are losing a ton of heat from those areas. Just use Reflectix on the side. Before doing so, get yourself some nice background paper for the outside and tape it in place. The you won't see the insulation from inside the cage and it will look nice. Cut a full top cover of Reflectix for over your screen and use a razor knife and cut around your heat lamp skirt and then the light will have its custom spot on the top. If you need humidity, a damp towel between the Reflectix and the screen will work great.

Sadly, this is what happens when we buy glass tanks. The good news is you can make them work although 50 gal is about max.

If you are doing belly heat, put your probe between the outer bottom glass and the UTH. Then tape the Reflectix over that. There should still be enough air in there and the insulation will help the UTH heat stay in.

Hope this all works for you.

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Originally Posted by Gio

Hey, just looking at your cage picture again, I'd use 1" styrofoam on the back (behind the Reflectix) and same for the bottom. You are losing a ton of heat from those areas. Just use Reflectix on the side. Before doing so, get yourself some nice background paper for the outside and tape it in place. The you won't see the insulation from inside the cage and it will look nice. Cut a full top cover of Reflectix for over your screen and use a razor knife and cut around your heat lamp skirt and then the light will have its custom spot on the top. If you need humidity, a damp towel between the Reflectix and the screen will work great.

Sadly, this is what happens when we buy glass tanks. The good news is you can make them work although 50 gal is about max.

If you are doing belly heat, put your probe between the outer bottom glass and the UTH. Then tape the Reflectix over that. There should still be enough air in there and the insulation will help the UTH heat stay in.

Hope this all works for you.

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I was just going out to the store to pick that up, so I'll get the styrofoam and Reflectix, but you're saying to cover the uth with the reflectix? Thanks so much!

kc

Quote:

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Originally Posted by final4kc

I was just going out to the store to pick that up, so I'll get the styrofoam and Reflectix, but you're saying to cover the uth with the reflectix? Thanks so much!

kc

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Yeah, hang tight and I'll post the pics of the bottom of the tank.

This is the foil tape and the UTH. (Ultratherm)
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_0201.jpg

Inside looking at bottom. The Probe is outside between glass and UTH.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_0207.jpg

Outside of bottom looking up. The pad is covered, but you can see the pad and probe from inside looking down. That is the picture before this one.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_0206.jpg

The bottom is the hard part. Now for the outside, I'd find some nice background, tape it all around the outer part of the cage so you have a nice jungle or savannah look. Then tape (foil tape) your Reflectix around that. Basically you are wrapping the cage sans the front. The back and bottom could be further insulated with the 1" styrofoam. Its ugly so I'd skip the sides unless one side faces a wall. The Reflectix is nice and looks like foil on the sides and its not a real eyesore.

Earlier I mentioned doing the top screen, but just let it sit. No taping because you may want to put damp towels between it and the screen.

Bump the light up to a 100W and you should be set. Center the light to give the whole cage the chance to get a nice ambient temp.

All of this works best with a Herpstat II as a thermostat. $195 might be a bit of a drag, but you control your UTH and your light. The light will dim or get brighter depending on the amount of heat needed. In the summer or light would stay off a lot if we did not use the AC in the house. Herpstats are the fricking real deal. Well spent money.

Serpent Merchant from this board told me about them. I'd never use another.

As I have not read some of your previous posts which you have hinted to, I will guess on what you want to know, plus I haven't read through all three pages of this thread...

what I use for my tank (this works really well) it is 16" tall.

• A 150w infrared heat bulb (exo-terra i think) on the hot side, this gets it to a nice hot 90ish depending on the sunlight coming in, if you get this one simply connect it to your thermostat, and a timer for day/night. this is used on my hot side
• on the cool side, I have a 100w infrared heat bulb which gets to 78-84 and i keep this on all the time for an ambient temp, etc.
• I have no UTH because I have no need for it
• all my temperatures are measured fairly close to the ground.

are you trying to get your hot side temps ups, the cool side up, or both?
also where is the substrate on the right side of the tank?
please excuse me if there is stuff in this that already has been recommended, didn't read previous stuff.