rhp?

[scottcovell]

I am going to set up a new enclosure to get my baby out of a tank. I was wondering if I can put a dimmer on a 40 watt rhp or does it have to be on a thermostat? Do I run both the uth and a rhp. The pvc enclosure comes with the rhp and I've never used one. Any help advice and tips would be helpful.

Thank-you Scott

[Evenstar]

How tall is the enclosure? What is the room temp?

The rhp alone should be enough to adequetly heat the cage but we'll need to know this first.

I would always use a t-stat for any heat source, including an rhp, an not just a dimmer. I don't think many dimmers can keep it from getting too hot - especially if the room temps fluxuate. And I want to know just what the unit itself is set at and what the probe is reading.

[scottcovell]

I don't have it yet. It's 24-24-24. I know its to tall but I'm getting a heck of a deal. The house stays 72 in the winter 78 in the summer. I have a stat but only one for at least 2 weeks. I can always leave the snake in the tank until I get another one. But if the rhp would be enough I could use the one I have for that. Just wasn't sure if you use the rhp for ambient temp and a uth for hot spot? Or if I can do both with the rhp?

[Evenstar]

Scott, is this for a BP?

If so, you may want to use a UTH for a hotspot and just use the rhp for the ambient temp. Both units should run on a t-stat though. But BPs and boas too benefit from the belly heat a uth will provide. But there are many who just use an rhp so it does rather depend on your preferences.

One thing to keep in mind is that BPs like to hide. An rhp heats like the sun - it warms the surface under it. If the rhp is set up at one end for a warm side and there's a hide box under it, the top of the box will heat nicely, but inside the box will not be very hot at all. That's why a uth would be beneficial for a BP.

I use my rhp for my GTP which uses perches to get close to the unit and that's the hot spot. I love it - it's a great product! But I wouldn't use just that for my BP - she'll always have a uth simply because of the hide boxes. One day when my boas are big enough for their adult enclosures, I will probably use rhp - but boas don't absolutely need hide boxes the way BPs do.

Personally, I would set up a 2x2x2 pvc cage with the rhp in the center to heat the ambient temps and place a uth on one end for the hotspot. Put both units on a dual control t-stat such as the VE300 x2 or the Herpstat 2 and you'll be good to go!!

These are just some thoughts to consider......

[MJT_23]

Scott, is this for a BP?

If so, you may want to use a UTH for a hotspot and just use the rhp for the ambient temp. Both units should run on a t-stat though. But BPs and boas too benefit from the belly heat a uth will provide. But there are many who just use an rhp so it does rather depend on your preferences.

One thing to keep in mind is that BPs like to hide. An rhp heats like the sun - it warms the surface under it. If the rhp is set up at one end for a warm side and there's a hide box under it, the top of the box will heat nicely, but inside the box will not be very hot at all. That's why a uth would be beneficial for a BP.

I use my rhp for my GTP which uses perches to get close to the unit and that's the hot spot. I love it - it's a great product! But I wouldn't use just that for my BP - she'll always have a uth simply because of the hide boxes. One day when my boas are big enough for their adult enclosures, I will probably use rhp - but boas don't absolutely need hide boxes the way BPs do.

Personally, I would set up a 2x2x2 pvc cage with the rhp in the center to heat the ambient temps and place a uth on one end for the hotspot. Put both units on a dual control t-stat such as the VE300 x2 or the Herpstat 2 and you'll be good to go!!

These are just some thoughts to consider......

Can you plug an extension cord into a hydrofarm t-stat then plug both the uth and rhp into the extension cord having them both run at the same temp?

[Evenstar]

Can you plug an extension cord into a hydrofarm t-stat then plug both the uth and rhp into the extension cord having them both run at the same temp?

NO! You can only run multiple heat sources from one t-stat (extension cord or not) if the units are exactly the same.

Each unit will put out different levels of heat depending on the nature of the unit and the wattage. If the probe is attached to the UTH, for example, it may regulate that at the set temp but the rhp could still get much hotter if it's a higher wattage than the uth. Make sense??

I would not try a multiple unit setup with a hydrofarm even if the units are the same. A hydrofarm just wouldn't handle the multiple units. You must use a higher quality t-stat such as a Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics or Helix for multiple unit applications. And for 2 different heat sources on one enclosure, use a multi-zone t-stat such as the ones I previously mentioned.

Some folks will use a power strip to plug in multiple uth's on one t-stat. But every uth is exactly the same - same size, same brand, same wattage, etc. That's the only safe way of doing it.

[kitedemon]

Evenstar has that bang on! NO a hydrofarm should not be used to run both. I would go so far as to say a hydrofarm should not be used with a RHP at all. With the heat source INSIDE the enclosure I would recommend a proportional Tstat for it I might also suggest a fail safe as well. I have two of them but they don't heat ambient temps much they seem to only heat stuff not the air alone. The addition of a stone under the RHP may help with that.

[MJT_23]

Evenstar has that bang on! NO a hydrofarm should not be used to run both. I would go so far as to say a hydrofarm should not be used with a RHP at all. With the heat source INSIDE the enclosure I would recommend a proportional Tstat for it I might also suggest a fail safe as well. I have two of them but they don't heat ambient temps much they seem to only heat stuff not the air alone. The addition of a stone under the RHP may help with that.

Hydrofarm won't work with a rhp? It works perfectly with my uth what's the difference. I don't have the money to buy a Herpstat anytime soon