New enclosure heat and light advice

[Freeflynick]

Hi! I am almost finished the new PVC build for my BP and would greatly appreciate some advice on where to install heating and lights. It's my first time using anything but a heating pad.
Enclosure is 52"x23"x23". You can see there is a large corner shelf, a thinner shelf running along the back and there will be some more climbing limbs. I'm thinking of a 75W halogen light and either DHP or CHP, both on the right side and a T5 UVB somewhere in the middle - does this sound about right?
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks
Nick

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[Malum Argenteum]

Are you providing UVB for the snake currently?

I'm a big fan of RHPs for heat in PVC enclosures. Halogens are for diurnal basking species, CHEs are complicated to ensure they're not a burn/fire hazard, and DHPs are too trendy for me (admittedly, I've not used one but I'm skeptical of anything Arcadia popularized).

[Freeflynick]

Thanks for the reply!
I hadn't looked at RHP's but they look like a really good, safe option. Any advice on thermostats? I see everyone likes the Herpstats but is there anything reliable in a cheaper price bracket?
I was planning on installing a UTH that I already have as well as T5 for UVB. Current setup only has UTH.
Nick

[jmcrook]

+1 on Herpstat. Vivarium Electronics is a good one too, but with less features than Herpstat. There are much more economical options that ~can be used, but the cost of a Herpstat is worth the reliability and peace of mind in my opinion. What thermostat are you using for your current setup with the UTH?

[Malum Argenteum]

I just picked up a Herpstat 6 (HS4s, my favorite model, are out of stock currently) to replace a failing VE thermostat. I already have about 5 or 6 other Herpstats, mostly HS4s. This is the second time I've replaced a bad VS thermostat (that's the brand I started my hobby with).

As mentioned, they (VEs) are short on features, some of those being safety features. Interestingly, the two channel model kills both channels when a fault is detected in one, which is a problem I encountered once. Herpstats also have a max power setting that's very useful, and the probe connection is more solid. Herpstats also have much better customer support and at least some potential issues are repairable.

[Lord Sorril]

Herpstats are considered the 'Gold Standard'. That said: I don't own any. I have ~16 VE-200's and 1 VE-300 and most of them have been operating for 7-8 years. My oldest VE-200 which is around 11+ years has an issue that it displays the heating element as 'active' constantly-when it is not. I can reboot the device and correct the issue for a few months before it happens again-temperature is always within range, just a minor issue. I get crazy power spikes and brownouts in my area and some of my VEs blow some internal fuses and deactivate through failure every few years, but, they are an easy fix to pry open the back fuse compartment with a flathead screwdriver and pop in a new one.

I am not sure if Herpstats are the same, but, my VE-200's throw off a good deal of heat-this seems rather odd to me for even low power regulation activities...

If you are controlling both a CHE and UTH then you need a thermostat with two separate zones. I cannot comment on the VE-300x2-as I have never owned one.

[Malum Argenteum]

I am not sure if Herpstats are the same, but, my VE-200's throw off a good deal of heat-this seems rather odd to me for even low power regulation activities...

I just temp gunned all mine, and I find no differences between the HS and VE units where they're in similar situations (each runs about 6F above ambient). I do have two HSs stacked, and in a cubby, and they're running warmer than the others -- this could be the cause of your higher temps?

[Lord Sorril]

I just temp gunned all mine, and I find no differences between the HS and VE units where they're in similar situations (each runs about 6F above ambient). I do have two HSs stacked, and in a cubby, and they're running warmer than the others -- this could be the cause of your higher temps?

Mine are in the open, some are stacked, and some are not, but, each one is testing about 100-105F on the right side of the unit with an ambient room temp of around 85F.

I made the mistake of putting one on top of one of my incubators one year and it was hot enough to eliminate the clutch closest-even through the insulation.