That sounds ideal! Thanks for the info, I'll look into getting a RHP.Originally Posted by Coluber42
I have an 80-watt panel. What I meant by "fit any enclosure" was that you can use an RHP in any style of enclosure because it mounts to the ceiling on the inside, as opposed to things like lamps and UTH's which can get more complicated when you have to put the lamp on the inside with a guard, or the UTH has to heat through a thick wood bottom, etc. Not that any size will fit any size of enclosure! But you could screw it into the ceiling of any enclosure you ever get later (tank, tub, PVC, wood or melamine, etc) except for a lid-less rack.
In my 20-gal. tank, the 80-watt panel basically took up almost the entire ceiling, so I used it just for the ambient temperature with a UTH for the hot spot. More commonly, I think people use a panel that is smaller in relation to the size of the whole ceiling, and put it only on one side. That side becomes the warm side, and the spillover heat takes care of the cool side.
The 80-watt panel from Reptile Basics is about 22" x 12" or so. The entire surface of it gets warm, which heats everything it's pointed at. But no part of it ever gets hot enough to burn just from touching it or brushing against it, unlike a CHE or an incandescent bulb. It could cause a belly burn if it were on the floor and the snake sat on it, but it is on the ceiling and unless you have an anti-gravity snake, it can't sit on the ceiling.
Quick question, I'll have to get another thermostat for it right?
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