40w che enough?

[chrid16371]

I check my temps every morning before work and this morning my air temp was 73....I've never had it drop that low before, usually 76-78. I need to pick up a couple of che so this doesn't happen again. Will a 40 watt be powerful enough to raise my temps 5-6 degrees? Also should I have it night time only or run them during the day also? My day temps are 80-81. I'll be using them for a v400 and v211. Should I get a 40 for the smaller cage and a 60 for the bigger?

[Sauzo]

Depends on how cold the room gets at night. I use a 65 watt RHP on a Herpstat on my 4x2x14 Proline in a 75F room and it works fine. So I would imagine a 60 watt CHE would work fine on a V400 assuming your night time room temp is the same. As for running it during the day, either use a t-stat on it or a lamp dimmer and dial it in during the day when its the hottest. Should keep it warm enough in the night then when the temps dip. Have to just mess around with it on a lamp dimmer unless you are using the t-stat. As for the 40 watt, should work. If you are buying them local, most pet shops will let you exchange them if they aren't big enough. It just means more money for them.

[chrid16371]

I use heat mats for both hot side and cold side so I figure I would put each che in the middle of the cage. I'm out of spots on my herpstat 6 but I have lamp dimmers so I figure dial them in so my air temp is 85 during the day so at night it should drop around 80. Would that be the best thing to do?

[chrid16371]

My room is usually 76-78 at night so but last night was 73. So if I set it up the che right my day air temp should be around 85 and normal night 80-82 and on the coldest 78

[Sauzo]

Should be fine but why do you have a UTH on the cool side too? Just need 1 on the hot side and then dial the CHE in until you get around 82F or so ambient temp. I keep Dottie at 78F cool side and 82F warm side for ambient with a 90F hot spot with a UTH on a Herpstat. I keep Vicky the same way and Rosey is on a RHP with 80F cool side and 86F hot side. I don't use UTHs on PVC cages. Never was really fan of them but they seem to work ok for glass tanks.

[chrid16371]

I use Kane heat mats inside the tank and have the hot side 90 and cool side at 85. Keep it like that 24/7. When I pick up the che's I could lose the cold side mat and just run that. I plan on getting rhp soon and running it full length but still keeping hot side mat so I can keep a gradient. I know its not necessary but I like giving options to them.

[LittleTreeGuy]

I would buy the biggest CHE your light housing can handle. If it can take an 80 or 100w, I'd go with that. Then get a dimmer switch from Lowes/Home depot, wherever... and use that to control how much heat you need. In my opinion, it's better to run a 100w at 40% power and know you can bump it up if you need to as opposed to having a 40w running at 100% and hoping that's enough.

[chrid16371]

I would buy the biggest CHE your light housing can handle. If it can take an 80 or 100w, I'd go with that. Then get a dimmer switch from Lowes/Home depot, wherever... and use that to control how much heat you need. In my opinion, it's better to run a 100w at 40% power and know you can bump it up if you need to as opposed to having a 40w running at 100% and hoping that's enough.

I was actually just thinking that. I have a bunch of domes rated at 300 and a bunch of light dimmers rated at 300 also so I'll probably pick up a 150w since I think that's the highest they go.

[LittleTreeGuy]

Personally, I think that's your best bet. Now if there was a $200 difference in price, I wouldn't recommend that, but they're not usually that much more for the bigger bulb. Best of luck!

[chrid16371]

I see that they make 250w but that's probably over kill right? Plus that's getting close to my 300w limit. 150w should be plenty right?