Setting up for BP - which heat bulb to use?

[MaggieMae]

Hello all. I'm setting up for a BP. I have researched and feel pretty confident in all but one area. For the ceramic heater, what type of bulb do I use? I'm reading to use infrared, use UV, use a night time bulb, and use something that emits no light at all. Which is best? What do you use and why?

[GoingPostal]

I use radiant heat panels and flexwatt under the cage so it doesn't dry out the enclosure or pose nearly the fire risk as a heat lamp. If a heat lamp is your only option I'd go with a ceramic heat emitter as low as wattage as you can get away with and controlled by a good thermostat.

[Lord Sorril]

Hello all. I'm setting up for a BP. I have researched and feel pretty confident in all but one area. For the ceramic heater, what type of bulb do I use? I'm reading to use infrared, use UV, use a night time bulb, and use something that emits no light at all. Which is best? What do you use and why?

Greetings! Glad you are doing your homework!

Depending on your enclosure there are many good choices. IMO: Your thermostat(s) regulating your heating elements will be the most important piece of equipment. A good proportional thermostat like a Herpstat or VE-200+ series would be ideal.

With a good thermostat: the brand of the heating element will make minimal difference unless you are referring to longevity or placement/mounting options...Of course-make sure to get a heat reflector that is rated for the CHE wattage range you choose. A CHE will produce no light and I personally consider it the best ambient heating option (shown below).



UV light--nothing wrong with having it, but, it is totally optional. None of my ball pythons receive UV, many generations going strong, no issues.

As for a night light: it is useful if you have a snake room with no windows and zero stray light (like a black hole-sensory dep.)--this situation would be unusual (even a single LED will throw enough light for nocturnally designed eyes). If the night light is for you to look at your pet, you could just turn on a dim lamp when you enter the room...much simpler.

[MaggieMae]

Does the VE series have a dimmer on it like the herpstat?

[EthanMG]

Does the VE series have a dimmer on it like the herpstat?

Have you considered using using a heat mat like previously mentioned before? They usually are a better option in general. I use one, but mine is not big enough to extend the gradient over to my cool side to get it to 77-80. To achieve this, I use CHE on my cool side turned low with a dimmer. Then on my hot side I use a heat mat with a jump start thermostat. The jump start therms are easy to use and are very cheap. They also have some cheaper.


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[MaggieMae]

We do have a heat mat on the warm side. But the cool side is still too cool so we were going to add a infrared, but now we're doing the ceramic emitter instead (no light) and I do have a dimmer that I will plug that into. I'm exchanging the infrared for the heat emitter tonight.
We have a thermostat on the heat mat, but I actually just ordered the VE300x2 as well....
I think I'm getting there... I'm so glad we started setting up way in advance!!

[EthanMG]

We do have a heat mat on the warm side. But the cool side is still too cool so we were going to add a infrared, but now we're doing the ceramic emitter instead (no light) and I do have a dimmer that I will plug that into. I'm exchanging the infrared for the heat emitter tonight.
We have a thermostat on the heat mat, but I actually just ordered the VE300x2 as well....
I think I'm getting there... I'm so glad we started setting up way in advance!!

Sounds good! Yeah, definitely good to start setting up early in advance to make sure everything works, goes together, and is dialed in. Definitely prevents a lot of stress. Is this your first ball python? I got my first a few weeks ago.


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[MaggieMae]

Yes. Thanks for the help!