heat lamp question

[final4kc]

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

[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.

[Gio]

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.

[final4kc]

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.

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.

[python baller]

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.

[final4kc]

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

[final4kc]

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

[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.

[python baller]

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

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.

[final4kc]

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.

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?