Attaching a CHE lamp - Screen Top Glass 40 gallon Tank

Hey All,

Figured, before I start working on attaching a CHE to replace an old IR lamp, however, it came with a clamp. Now, I have nothing above my tank, I have nothing for the clamp to attach to. The current IR lamp has hooks that go into the screen top, what is the best way to attach a CHE lamp with a clasp attachment? I am not opposed to something a bit technical, but I was curious how most folk attach a CHE? Any and all ideas are welcome. The new lamp is a Fluker's Repta-Clamp Ceramic, any advice would be welcome, if I purchased incorrectly, than inform me! All suggestions welcome.

Regards,
E_Nigma

Why do you need to attach it to something?* Is the screen too flimsy for the weight of a dome light + bulb? I use welded wire tops on my tanks, they support the weight
of my (aluminum-) domed warming lights. (*I'm assuming you don't have a curious cat or kids on the loose that might knock it off? That would be unsafe any which way...)

Might help to see exactly what you're talking about...in case I'm misunderstanding? I've seen dome lights that come with a pinch-type clamp but I just take it off & don't use them. Scratch that, I just looked them up, & I have some just like them...& yeah, I removed the clamps because obviously they cannot hang onto the edge of the tank if you need a lid on it to keep a snake in. I'm sure you could devise a work-around to attach it if you feel you need to though. I suppose it would be safer...in case you have an earthquake, you don't have a hot lamp fall on your flammable carpet, etc.

Same idea. I use a pig pannel cut down to fit on top of the screen with the dome on top. Any metal rack can be cut down. They can hold several pound without flex.

You are correct in your assumption, of no kids no cats, I worry that if I simply lay it atop, it could fall or otherwise be disturbed. While I do live in an earthquake prone area, if we get the big one (WA State), I may be more worried that my home stands and there is much left. See Juan De Fuca (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...really-big-one).

I have a habit of securing my heat lamps, well hell, I double and triple check my front door to ensure it is locked. Perhaps overly cautious. I also commute 40 minutes a way per day, I have a habit of needing to know things are secure and I am overly cautious, for peace of mind, prefer things as secure and stable as can be.

This light has a large clamp, like one might enjoy in a garage, the previous lamps had hooked springs that secured it to the top of the screen.

Please see photo for current set up.

Thank you Bogertophis, I have seen you quite often in these forums, I appreciate the response.https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach....com/a/Uhcdz1O

Edit: Not showing the image, attempted to link from Imgur, will try mobile from tapatalk that has worked before, apologies.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Why do you need to attach it to something?* Is the screen too flimsy for the weight of a dome light + bulb? I use welded wire tops on my tanks, they support the weight
of my (aluminum-) domed warming lights. (*I'm assuming you don't have a curious cat or kids on the loose that might knock it off? That would be unsafe any which way...)

Might help to see exactly what you're talking about...in case I'm misunderstanding? I've seen dome lights that come with a pinch-type clamp but I just take it off & don't use them. Scratch that, I just looked them up, & I have some just like them...& yeah, I removed the clamps because obviously they cannot hang onto the edge of the tank if you need a lid on it to keep a snake in. I'm sure you could devise a work-around to attach it if you feel you need to though. I suppose it would be safer...in case you have an earthquake, you don't have a hot lamp fall on your flammable carpet, etc.

---

Here is the current light, using springs and hooks to stay atop the screen.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e51ff8b71b.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

I'm pretty cautious too, & lived thru some big quakes in So. Calif. some years back, but I still don't attach my dome lights. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to attach
it though...nothing wrong with hooks & springs anyway. Nice looking set-up too, btw.

As a sidenote, with the current setup, 92 on hot side, 73 cold side, 4 hides, 1 large water dish, 2 of the hides are single entry and 2 are half logs, she is determined to make the half log her home and I am tired of thinking otherwise! Humidity stays about 50% plus, I occasionally mist, two hygrometers/thermometers, spaced to be one on each end of the tank.

Bah, I want to give the weight of the lamp... the weight it deserves. It likely will not/could not move.. it isn't OCD, perhaps being hidden under a table through the 1989 Quake in Cali did it, I recall my home.. we lost every dish plate, glass, and anything fragile... Bay Area. It should be safe to simply place the CHE lamp above? Luckily, I work form home, for now, I will temp check her tank and also it might take me a fair bit to be comfortable with an unsecured lamp, but I trust if the majority do it, I might simply be overly sensitive and overly worried
!

Snakes are entitled to their own opinions too, lol...:snake: They don't read the manuals, much less abide by them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 303_enfield

Same idea. I use a pig pannel cut down to fit on top of the screen with the dome on top. Any metal rack can be cut down. They can hold several pound without flex.

---

I will admit, I am not entirely sure what a pig panel is, or how one might attach anything to secure the lamp or screen. Do you have an imagine or a way to explain it? I might also simply give in and let the lamp simply rest above. Thank you for your response!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Snakes are entitled to their own opinions too, lol...:snake: They don't read the manuals, much less abide by them.

---

This might be the only point I have ever disagreed with you on, she has a lengthy post on Xanga, I just didn't tell her it is a dead media.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by e_nigma

This might be the only point I have ever disagreed with you on, she has a lengthy post on Xanga, I just didn't tell her it is a dead media.

---

:rofl: I can live with that... :rofl:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by e_nigma

Bah, I want to give the weight of the lamp... the weight it deserves. It likely will not/could not move.. it isn't OCD, perhaps being hidden under a table through the 1989 Quake in Cali did it, I recall my home.. we lost every dish plate, glass, and anything fragile... Bay Area. It should be safe to simply place the CHE lamp above? Luckily, I work form home, for now, I will temp check her tank and also it might take me a fair bit to be comfortable with an unsecured lamp, but I trust if the majority do it, I might simply be overly sensitive and overly worried
!

---

I agree it would be safer to attach the lamps. I don't worry much about mine as (a) I don't live on such shaky ground anymore, & (b) while I use up to 7 such warming lights in winter, they are dimmed down pretty low...they're not serious "heat lamps", just supplemental warmth for spoiled rat snakes that like to sleep in their "tree houses"....:D

That couldn't have been fun dealing with all that broken glass...:( I actually had nothing break, for all the hard shaking we had, & I didn't live far from desert epicenter. But one thing I did BEFORE they happened was to install rubber 'peel & stick' weatherstripping on the bottom edges of all my glass tanks, and without that, I'm quite sure some would have slid off their cabinets & crashed (snakes & all). By coincidence, there was a 5 pt. pre-quake that showed me how much my tanks could slide, so I had weatherstripped all of them months before we had a serious earthquake...whew! Been using the stuff ever since, so anything short of the house actually up-ending, they're pretty safe...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I agree it would be safer to attach the lamps. I don't worry much about mine as (a) I don't live on such shaky ground anymore, & (b) while I use up to 7 such warming lights in winter, they are dimmed down pretty low...they're not serious "heat lamps", just supplemental warmth for spoiled rat snakes that like to sleep in their "tree houses"....:D

That couldn't have been fun dealing with all that broken glass...:( I actually had nothing break, for all the hard shaking we had, & I didn't live far from desert epicenter. But one thing I did BEFORE they happened was to install rubber 'peel & stick' weatherstripping on the bottom edges of all my glass tanks, and without that, I'm quite sure some would have slid off their cabinets & crashed (snakes & all). By coincidence, there was a 5 pt. pre-quake that showed me how much my tanks could slide, so I had weatherstripped all of them months before we had a serious earthquake...whew! Been using the stuff ever since, so anything short of the house actually up-ending, they're pretty safe...

---

I recall, as a kid, being sequestered, and waa made very unwelcome in the kitchen! Too much debris!

Thank you for all your responses, I will give an unsecured lamp ago, where else may it go? If the ultimate earthquake happens.. well, I watched enough Stargate and always wanted to be a host, Gou'uld incoming.

Thank you for your advice and humoring me!

I will try the CHE and monitor it hourly.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Hi. A pig pannel is 20' x 5' with 2" spacing alone the bottom an 8" after 2' or so. It's used to pen pigs up. Cattle panels have 8" spacing the entire length. I just cut up old ones or scrap. I bought an old farm so I have junk :D I've also used dog kennel panels. Any stiff squared mesh will work. Just cut to length. I use wire (scrap electric fence) to secure the dome to the grid. I have used safety wire, pop rivets, an hot glue to secure the grid to the screen top.

Something like this without the dip:
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Panel-S...8761305&sr=8-1

If it wasn't for the lockdown you could find a grid for .25 at Good Will or a yard sale.

One friends that's OCD saw the panel my kid uses over the turtle tank. She had to tig clips onto the screen frame, grind the panel perfect an powder coat everything. My 8yo asked me if the turtles cared :rofl:She thanked my friend but won't let her see her snake set ups.


Small pig panel, you don't need it. I just have them.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...ft-l-x-34-in-h

Good luck!

I have a few Zilla (I believe) heat lamps, they use a metal ring that goes around the lamp then hooks with springs onto my screen tops.

I have the heavy duty tops you can buy separate. They hold the lamp on to the top even if I remove the top.

Look like this:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...NiWewx=s910-no

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...BBBKb0=s910-no

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by e_nigma

As a sidenote, with the current setup, 92 on hot side, 73 cold side, 4 hides, 1 large water dish, 2 of the hides are single entry and 2 are half logs, she is determined to make the half log her home and I am tired of thinking otherwise! Humidity stays about 50% plus, I occasionally mist, two hygrometers/thermometers, spaced to be one on each end of the tank.

---

You need to drop that hot side a bit and up your cool side quite a bit. Hot spot shouldn't be over 90 at max and you want your ambient to be closer to 80. I had a heat lamp that clipped onto the screen top with several clips and that seemed quite sturdy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by e_nigma

As a sidenote, with the current setup, 92 on hot side, 73 cold side, 4 hides, 1 large water dish, 2 of the hides are single entry and 2 are half logs, she is determined to make the half log her home and I am tired of thinking otherwise! Humidity stays about 50% plus, I occasionally mist, two hygrometers/thermometers, spaced to be one on each end of the tank.

---

92 is too hot, you want it 88-89 and 73 is way too cool, it needs to be 80-81. It would be much easier controlling those temps in a smaller tank, if your snake is less than 2000grams they do NOT need to be a 40gallon tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GoingPostal

You need to drop that hot side a bit and up your cool side quite a bit. Hot spot shouldn't be over 90 at max and you want your ambient to be closer to 80. I had a heat lamp that clipped onto the screen top with several clips and that seemed quite sturdy.

---

Much appreciated, I will adjust accordingly, might have also temp checked the top of the hide and not the ground. Ground temp under the lamp sitting at ~88 - 90. Cooler side is probably too cool, will prioritize bumping that up and ensuring the ambient is closer to 80. Thank you! I am going to jury some hooks and get things back ship shape. Thanks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sophia_carguillo

92 is too hot, you want it 88-89 and 73 is way too cool, it needs to be 80-81. It would be much easier controlling those temps in a smaller tank, if your snake is less than 2000grams they do NOT need to be a 40gallon tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Adjusting temps accordingly, probably temp gunned the top of the hide, ground temp on hot side reads as 88 - 90. I am currently working on bumping up the cool side and ambient. I monitor it regularly and have not seen the cool side dip quite so low, or maybe poor temp gunning on my part. Either way, I appreciate the response and am working on rectifying the temperatures across the tank. Thank you for the advice!

- - - Updated - - -

This is exactly what my old lamp has, I am currently going to jury rig my own set of hooks and possibly a ring to secure it to the top. Thank you!

Ah, got it! Thank you, I wasn't entirely sure what you were referencing. Oddly, I do have some around in my yard, along with some smaller gap fencing. I am going to rig up some hooks and possibly a ring to help secure the lamp down. Thank you!