Probes and Heating

[mercerasian]

My CHE won't increase its heat past 77 or 78. How can I fix this? It's a 100 watt CHE in a Wire Fixture and a 30 gallon tank.

How cold is it in the room you have the tank in? My 75 watt infrared bulb lights my 20 gallon long tank just fine on the medium dial setting. The room the tank sits in is heated by a space heater to 75-80 degrees (compared to below 70 in the rest of the house) so it's pretty easy to get the tank temps right.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I strongly suspect that your thermometer isn't accurate... what type is it and where is it located. Do you have any way of checking its accuracy?

If a 100 Watt CHE can't heat your tank you must live in the arctic.

[futurebpowner]

My house temp is at 70. I'm using an Accurite. I just put it in about 7 hours ago. Does it need to take longer to heat up?

[The Serpent Merchant]

If its at full power it shouldn't take long at all. Where is the acu-rite unit, and where is its probe?

You are talking about this acu-rite thermometer correct?

[kitedemon]

nothing sticky glue based, adhesive Velcro, or any tape, removing it from a BP is not good. I use pro hvac tape OUTSIDE but never inside, no adhesives that do not cure to a solid non sticky state. For that matter I generally don't like batteries inside either they sometimes corrode in damp environments spilling battery acid and acid gasses.

[kitedemon]

Accurites are not very accurate in my experience of the three I had the best was 2ºF high. I suggest comparing three or more thermometers in the same location (5+ is better) and any that read off of the majority toss out. Especially as the accurites have errors of 2ºC +/- there are far cheaper units with higher accuracy easily available. (+/-2ºF or 1ºC) Heck there is a small lab selling calibrated tracked thermometers for the same price as an accurite.

[futurebpowner]

The other temps and humidity seem to be correct, but I did get it used. The bulb was definitely hot enough to burn me when i tried moving it. Its on the far right side which i have designated as my cold side.

[mercerasian]

The other temps and humidity seem to be correct, but I did get it used. The bulb was definitely hot enough to burn me when i tried moving it. Its on the far right side which i have designated as my cold side.

If the right side is your cold side, then your lamp should be on the left. The lamp will warm the hot side first and then the heat will disperse to the cool side, warming it up to the 80-84 degree range while keeping the hot side closer to 90.

You should also either buy a name brand heat lamp from the pet store or do what I did and go to lowe's or home depot and buy a 8.5" clamp lamp fixture that has a metal "shade" around the socket instead of that socket you currently have. The one you currently have is probably losing alot of heat to the air around it because of that open air design on the fixture.

I just noticed you've been asking us about heating the tank past 78 or so but you're sitting at 90 degrees hot side according to your thermometer. If you're trying to raise the cool side temp, just move the lamp closer to the middle a bit but you're close at 78 for the cool side.

[futurebpowner]

I thought the UTH made your hot side hot? I was also told that the wire fixture was best for CHE because CHE are too hot for regular dome fixtures. And both the fixture and CHE are ZooMed. My temps increased to 80.4 overnight.

[kitedemon]

77 is fine on the cool side 90 is fine on the hot side if the thermometer is accurate you are likely ok. Yes the UTH will heat the surface and you can use a CHE to heat the cool side and ambient air temps.