Enclosure for Boa

[Sauzo]

I will try Petco/Petsmart tomorrow and see if I can buy a CHE. Is there a specific one I should be getting? Will the CHE dry out all the humidity?

They do a little but nothing major since you will just use it to bump up ambient temps. My advice is since you are only using a 20 gallon, get a 40 watt Nano CHE and fixture. They are small and that should give you enough. Also be sure to cover the top of the cage except around 1/4 of it. I use tin foil for tanks. It holds in humidity and heat and is cheap. Also cover the sides of the cage with black craft paper or if you feel like it, sheet insulation like R-type stuff. And if the nano isnt enough, then just return it to Petsmart or Petco and get a full size 8 inch dome with a 60 watt CHE but be sure to use a lamp dimmer for both.

[svtvenom]

None of the Petco/Petsmarts have the nano in stock. Should I order it online? Or just get the 60 watt? I can pick up a lamp dimmer from Home depot?

[svtvenom]

Just checked and the 60 watts are also out of stock. So I guess I'll be ordering it. Which one do you think would be better? I covered pretty much the entire tank with a towel except a little hole for ventilation to keep as much heat in there as possible right now.

[Sauzo]

None of the Petco/Petsmarts have the nano in stock. Should I order it online? Or just get the 60 watt? I can pick up a lamp dimmer from Home depot?

Yeah those Nanos seem to sell pretty quick. They are awesome for the smaller cages and the front opening terrariums. I use a 40 watt nano on my GTP 18x18x18 cube. Well you can order but the reason i said try and get from petsmart or Petco is simply because if the 40 watt isnt enough to raise the ambient, you can return it and not lose cash. You can go with a 8 inch dome and a 60 watt but you will definitely need a lamp dimmer. And yes, you get the lamp dimmers are Home Depot. This is the ones i use for my beardies heat lamp as well as my dubia roach colony CHE. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-...-203812619-_-N

[dakski]

If you need a dome light in a hurry, Home Depot sells them as well. They are overkill, but can be used with a lower wattage bulb.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-150-...0PDQ/205031467

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-75-W...0PDQ/205139241

That assumes, the have CHE at your local pet store.

And, as Sauzo said, definitely use a dimmer (also sold at home depot).

[CALM Pythons]

I will try Petco/Petsmart tomorrow and see if I can buy a CHE. Is there a specific one I should be getting? Will the CHE dry out all the humidity?

They sell a 60/75/100 watt CHE. I cant remember your tank size..
60 watt for 10gal
75/100 for 20 gal+.
You have to cover the top if its screened with Tin Foil and a Hand towel to hold temps for Glass enclosures. Again cant recall what you have

[svtvenom]

Ok so I decided to go to Petsmart and see if they had the CHE and they did. Online it said it wasn't available in the store. So I got the 60watt CHE and the fixture. I also have a stand from when I had my Bearded Dragon years ago. This is how I set it up. Should I put the bulb over the middle or cool end? Should I put it closer to the the screen? I just turned it on so I'm waiting to see what temp it brings it to. I know the humidity is low. As soon as I take off the towel on drop it drops. I'm going to try using foil.

[dakski]

Ok so I decided to go to Petsmart and see if they had the CHE and they did. Online it said it wasn't available in the store. So I got the 60watt CHE and the fixture. I also have a stand from when I had my Bearded Dragon years ago. This is how I set it up. Should I put the bulb over the middle or cool end? Should I put it closer to the the screen? I just turned it on so I'm waiting to see what temp it brings it to. I know the humidity is low. As soon as I take off the towel on drop it drops. I'm going to try using foil.

First, you are using it with a dimmer switch, correct?

When using a dimmer, start low and slowly turn it up.

I would put over the middle/cool side. You want ambient temps up and cool side temps up.

By putting on the cool side, say 40% from the cool side (50% being the middle), you may get ambient temps up to 80-83 or so and the cool side to 77-80F or so.

If you need to move it closer to the cool side, that's fine, just make sure ambients are good and there is a gradient.

Foil is fine. Safer than a towel. Also, more sanitary.

Regarding height from screen, see what temps you get and if you have to move it closer, you can. Remember, every time you move the CHE and/or adjust the dimmer, you will have re-check temps and fine tune again.

[svtvenom]

Yes, sorry I forgot to add that I got the dimmer as well. I'm still trying to play around with it but I'm so glad that it won't get down to 68. That freaked me out when I saw that. Right above the heating pad, the side against the mirror, next to the water bowl. The degrees seem to vary from like 75-90 is that normal? It's like when I run my temp gun over that area it gets different readings. Should I be aiming the temp gun through the screen top or taking the screen off and going closer to the substrate?

[dakski]

At the substrate.

Not through the screen.

The closer the better. They are not as accurate the farther away you go.

Also. If you have a thermostat in the house, hit that with the temp gun. Read the temp on the thermostat and compare. Some temp guns can be off a few degrees. Don’t sweat a degree or two but adjust from the home thermostat. In other words. Home thermostat is 68 and temp gun reads 69, subtract one degree from temp gun reading in tank.

Depending on how the CHE is pointed there can be temp variance.