CHE wattage

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Sorry I keep jumping on here folks, some of her stuff is on January sale so trying to get as much input before placing all the orders😊question in regard to CHE, I believe we’ll be switching to just using those for her heat as opposed to a floodlight during the day, we currently already have a 150w and a 100w, we were going to be placing the 150w in her ‘warmer’ end and the 100w near the middle, im wondering if we need a potential 3rd bulb for her ‘cooler’ end, or would that defeat the purpose?😂just wouldn’t want it too cool obviously, so would we be better making that a 60 or another 100w? Idk if it’s overkill? Is that 150 also maybe better being a 100? I know people say about not necessarily needing a ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ end for red foots, but I’m conscious her owner is used to her having a gradient, that, and if we were keeping her temps constant without a drop, she’ll need a ‘cooler’ end no?
Her owner is still really nervous about not mimicking a slight night drop, which is then making me nervous too😂all the night&day thermostats I look at have mixed reviews, would it work to just use the current 600 one we have? if so, could he just turn that down ever so slightly each night if he wants ‘night’ temps? Hope that all makes sense and you can make head or tail of my little attempt at a diagram haha😂
feel free to chime in on the probe placement and uv too! Though no rush there, more trying to get advice on what watt CHE’s I should be considering

Wondering if it’s worth going with a similar heat set up to her current one as it works, hopefully it’d translate into the new, if that were the case, I’d be thinking bulb A and B both being 100 and putting the 60w floodlight near bulb A, creating that warmer end during the day, then when it shuts off, it’ll mimic that drop he wants? Think I’d just be a bit worried about the cool end getting too cool with nothing there, but maybe that middle 100 would take care of that no probs, idk, thoughts?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Also want to order her UV tonight, had nice folk here reassuring me this is the right one, seeing ‘dessert’ on there does make me a little nervous, if you can’t tell by my constant need to question multiple times along the way😂I just want to explain properly to her owner why it’s ok that it isn’t the forest one, some people else where have said they use the 6% so it does throw me a little, I’m so tempted to get the biggest one because I definitely want to make sure she sits infront of it enough in her new viv, so I keep thinking the longer the length the better, but again I’m being reassured the 39 will be just fine? I’m clearly over thinking everything constantly at this point lol, better to be overly sure though I guess🤣

 

[mojo_1]

Sorry I keep jumping on here folks, some of her stuff is on January sale so trying to get as much input before placing all the orders😊question in regard to CHE, I believe we’ll be switching to just using those for her heat as opposed to a floodlight during the day, we currently already have a 150w and a 100w, we were going to be placing the 150w in her ‘warmer’ end and the 100w near the middle, im wondering if we need a potential 3rd bulb for her ‘cooler’ end, or would that defeat the purpose?😂just wouldn’t want it too cool obviously, so would we be better making that a 60 or another 100w? Idk if it’s overkill? Is that 150 also maybe better being a 100? I know people say about not necessarily needing a ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ end for red foots, but I’m conscious her owner is used to her having a gradient, that, and if we were keeping her temps constant without a drop, she’ll need a ‘cooler’ end no?
Her owner is still really nervous about not mimicking a slight night drop, which is then making me nervous too😂all the night&day thermostats I look at have mixed reviews, would it work to just use the current 600 one we have? if so, could he just turn that down ever so slightly each night if he wants ‘night’ temps? Hope that all makes sense and you can make head or tail of my little attempt at a diagram haha😂
feel free to chime in on the probe placement and uv too! Though no rush there, more trying to get advice on what watt CHE’s I should be considering

Wondering if it’s worth going with a similar heat set up to her current one as it works, hopefully it’d translate into the new, if that were the case, I’d be thinking bulb A and B both being 100 and putting the 60w floodlight near bulb A, creating that warmer end during the day, then when it shuts off, it’ll mimic that drop he wants? Think I’d just be a bit worried about the cool end getting too cool with nothing there, but maybe that middle 100 would take care of that no probs, idk, thoughts?

According to a chart for the CHE a 100w theoretically is supposed to heat a 4x2x2 enclosure.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

According to a chart for the CHE a 100w theoretically is supposed to heat a 4x2x2 enclosure.

Her current 100w CHE on its own, heats her enclosure to 80 on her warm end at night and around 70 at her cool end(too cool that end I know😣I’m glad it won’t be much longer) then with her floodlight during the day her warm end is around 88, her cooler end more in the 75-77 range, the 150 was just throwing out too much heat in her current viv even with the thermostat, it was so odd, was in the 90’s hot end! So I do worry about that 150 being an issue in the upgrade but we have it now, be a shame if it went to waste😣current size is 4 by 2 btw

 

[mojo_1]

Her current 100w CHE on its own, heats her enclosure to 80 on her warm end at night and around 70 at her cool end(too cool that end I know😣I’m glad it won’t be much longer) then with her floodlight during the day her warm end is around 88, her cooler end more in the 75-77 range, the 150 was just throwing out too much heat in her current viv even with the thermostat, it was so odd, was in the 90’s hot end! So I do worry about that 150 being an issue in the upgrade but we have it now, be a shame if it went to waste😣current size is 4 by 2 btw

You could use it till it craps out the 150 don't last long.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

You could use it till it craps out the 150 don't last long.

Oh do the 150’s not actually last well? Why is that?😕

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Do people think bulb A&B being 100’s would be enough for her? And then a potential 60 in the cool end or? Also thoughts on the floodlight staying in the day to mimic a night drop?
Based on the theory a 100 heats a 4x2x2, perhaps bulb A being 150 and bulb B 100 in my suggested placement would be enough without a 3rd?

 

[mojo_1]

Do people think bulb A&B being 100’s would be enough for her? And then a potential 60 in the cool end or? Also thoughts on the floodlight staying in the day to mimic a night drop?
Based on the theory a 100 heats a 4x2x2, perhaps bulb A being 150 and bulb B 100 in my suggested placement would be enough without a 3rd?

I used an off brand 150 (not zoomed) in my enclosure and it only made it about 2 months. For a more even heat dispersion you might put the CHE's on either end and the light in the middle.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I used an off brand 150 (not zoomed) in my enclosure and it only made it about 2 months. For a more even heat dispersion you might put the CHE's on either end and the light in the middle.

Ah I see, we use pro rep here and generally speaking they last ages😊
I hear you on the heat distribution being even(that’d be my preference) but I’m also trying to create more of a gradient as her owner is worried about these night temps not dropping, gets me paranoid too😂so I’m really wanted to try and create a ‘cooler’ end, just not sure how to best to achieve that yet without risking it being too cool

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Ah I see, we use pro rep here and generally speaking they last ages😊
I hear you on the heat distribution being even(that’d be my preference) but I’m also trying to create more of a gradient as her owner is worried about these night temps not dropping, gets me paranoid too😂so I’m really wanted to try and create a ‘cooler’ end, just not sure how to best to achieve that yet without risking it being too cool

Certainly don’t want the 150 making it too hot again either lol🤣

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Is a 60w even worth considering? Like would that even make much difference? Am I better buying another 100 for now?

 

[mojo_1]

Is a 60w even worth considering? Like would that even make much difference? Am I better buying another 100 for now?

I've never used a 60w so I have no good answer there.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I've never used a 60w so I have no good answer there.

Fair enough, I appreciate all your input😊hopefully a few others will chime in soon for more insight on that 3rd bulb watt, not sure which to go for, guess it’s a gamble either way as we may have to play around with the bulb watts to get her right

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Daily temperature cycle in Amazon basin is between 78-79F and 84-86F (at least in today's forecast). It's easier to achieve without "night drops". Place "cold end" CHE on a separate thermostat of 80F and "hot end" CHEs on another thermostat set on 84F. To simplify things use 100W CHEs everywhere and let thermostats do the job. Even with simple on/off thermostats it should work.

Gather lights (ambient and UVB) on the "hot end".

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Daily temperature cycle in Amazon basin is between 78-79F and 84-86F (at least in today's forecast). It's easier to achieve without "night drops". Place "cold end" CHE on a separate thermostat of 80F and "hot end" CHEs on another thermostat set on 84F. To simplify things use 100W CHEs everywhere and let thermostats do the job. Even with simple on/off thermostats it should work.

Gather lights (ambient and UVB) on the "hot end".

Thank you for the input! What you’re saying makes sense, do you think there’s any way, even if just for now, we could get that 150 to work in the hot end? I hear what you’re saying about them all being 100 but I’m trying to hopefully keep cost down as much as I can for her owner, would seem a shame not to be able to use it, either way though I should suggest another 100 not a 60? 100 definitely won’t make the cool end too hot? Hopefully we’ll be able to have the 150 and 100 (bulb A&B) on the same thermostat set to around 84, then that 3rd on a separate thermostat for around 80. Only problem is I’m not sure the 100w thermostat her floodlight is currently on is appropriate for a ceramic, we were told in the shop the 100 thermostats are really more for heat mats and ceramics should be put on a 600, do you think I need suggest yet another 600 thermostat for just that one bulb? Would be another expensive but is there no way round that?😣also as long as we can provide her a safe cool end, it’ll definitely be safe keeping her temperatures constant? I have this fear if she keeps sleeping in the hot end in the 80’s, she’s not letting her body cool down for the night and it’ll hurt her, I’m probably taking some of her owners paranoia on but I can’t help it😣
I need to get a definite answer if he’s down to rely on just the ceramics for heat, want know if I should get leds for her daylight. If he wants to keep the floodlight I’m trying to wrap my head around how to suggest bulb placements in that regard to let the temp drop be safe😣

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Okay, if you have 150W at hand - just use it alone in the cold end. Thermostat won't let it to warm up too much. The shop is right - the thermostat wattage must be higher than summary wattage of all devices connected to it.

So you have two options:
1. Get a new 60/75W CHE for the cool end and use the old 100W thermostat with it.
2. Get a new on/off thermostat and use 150W CHE with it. This one works more than a year for me: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01DPE61HI/?tag=

And about "constant temperatures": let her decide )) Tortoises' ability to choose the spots for thermoregulation is polished by millions year of evolution. Unless you make a confusing environment (like a bright night light in a cold spot and a red light at day with UVB somewhere in-between), they can make the right choices when given the right set of options.

LEDs won't hurt as an additional light source. You need a 12 hours night/day cycle, no matter what's happening outside the window

With a floodlight just use the same two thermostats scheme. The floodlight can be run just on timer, I suppose. You need to be sure, that minimal temps don't get too low. A point against the floodlight is that in the summer you most likely will need just the light, but not heat.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Okay, if you have 150W at hand - just use it alone in the cold end. Thermostat won't let it to warm up too much. The shop is right - the thermostat wattage must be higher than summary wattage of all devices connected to it.

So you have two options:
1. Get a new 60/75W CHE for the cool end and use the old 100W thermostat with it.
2. Get a new on/off thermostat and use 150W CHE with it. This one works more than a year for me: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01DPE61HI/?tag=

And about "constant temperatures": let her decide )) Tortoises' ability to choose the spots for thermoregulation is polished by millions year of evolution. Unless you make a confusing environment (like a bright night light in a cold spot and a red light at day with UVB somewhere in-between), they can make the right choices when given the right set of options.

LEDs won't hurt as an additional light source. You need a 12 hours night/day cycle, no matter what's happening outside the window

With a floodlight just use the same two thermostats scheme. The floodlight can be run just on timer, I suppose. You need to be sure, that minimal temps don't get too low. A point against the floodlight is that in the summer you most likely will need just the light, but not heat.

I’m not sure the 150 would work for cool end because it was throwing out so much heat in her 4x2, even with the thermostat, I have no idea why we couldn’t get it to turn down, it was genuinely bizarre, but you wouldn’t recommend having the 150 and 100(bulb A&B) linked to the same 600 thermostat? You’re saying it would be better to have two 100’s linked to a 600? Theoretically based on what you’re saying, bulb A&B could be 100’s set to 84 on the 600w we have and then a separate 60/75w will work on the 100 in the cool end set to 80ish? Essentially we’re potentially needing another 100 instead of that 150 and another 60/75? It would be ideal right now if I could just get the 60/75 for him as we already have that 150 and a 100, but I guess there might be no avoiding scrapping that 150 for another 100?😕yeah surely if she were getting too warm in on spot at night they happily move even after falling asleep? Sorry if some of these questions are daft, I’m still learning something everyday here.
Yeah if we scrap the floodlight I’ll definitely get leds for him, and hopefully I can get my head round how we’d have that set up for her with the bulb placement😣The ceramics just seem more straightforward set up wise would you agree? Moving forward I’m still a bit hesitant on what watt bulb to suggest, didn’t think the 60/75 was worth recommending but you think it could work for that cool end on a 100 thermo? Guess I just need to weigh up if I also need to suggest another 100 to get rid of the 150 lol, I feel bad cause I got that when we were struggling with her temps, but it ended up not working in the size so I hoped we could put it aside for the upgrade😣

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

In fact, you can use any combination of CHE wattages. However, when thermostat will turn them on, one will be giving away 150 watt of heat and another - 100 watt of heat. Thus the space below them will heat at different rate and you'll have two spots with different surface temperatures. As you can't regulate the mounting height, you will have no control over these spots. This might require some mangling with probe placement but, I suppose, is completely manageable.

I would take a step-by-step approach here and don't buy a lot of stuff at once. An uniform setup with decoupled heating/lightning/UVB is just easier to tweak (from my humble experience).

After she goes to sleep, she won't be moving around in the dark. Mine prefers a safe place (a hide) for sleeping and out of several places chooses the one with the most stable temperature (shady in the afternoon, but warmed up at the sunrise).

 

[Maggie3fan]

Sorry I keep jumping on here folks, some of her stuff is on January sale so trying to get as much input before placing all the orders😊question in regard to CHE, I believe we’ll be switching to just using those for her heat as opposed to a floodlight during the day, we currently already have a 150w and a 100w, we were going to be placing the 150w in her ‘warmer’ end and the 100w near the middle, im wondering if we need a potential 3rd bulb for her ‘cooler’ end, or would that defeat the purpose?😂just wouldn’t want it too cool obviously, so would we be better making that a 60 or another 100w? Idk if it’s overkill? Is that 150 also maybe better being a 100? I know people say about not necessarily needing a ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ end for red foots, but I’m conscious her owner is used to her having a gradient, that, and if we were keeping her temps constant without a drop, she’ll need a ‘cooler’ end no?
Her owner is still really nervous about not mimicking a slight night drop, which is then making me nervous too😂all the night&day thermostats I look at have mixed reviews, would it work to just use the current 600 one we have? if so, could he just turn that down ever so slightly each night if he wants ‘night’ temps? Hope that all makes sense and you can make head or tail of my little attempt at a diagram haha😂
feel free to chime in on the probe placement and uv too! Though no rush there, more trying to get advice on what watt CHE’s I should be considering

Wondering if it’s worth going with a similar heat set up to her current one as it works, hopefully it’d translate into the new, if that were the case, I’d be thinking bulb A and B both being 100 and putting the 60w floodlight near bulb A, creating that warmer end during the day, then when it shuts off, it’ll mimic that drop he wants? Think I’d just be a bit worried about the cool end getting too cool with nothing there, but maybe that middle 100 would take care of that no probs, idk, thoughts?

My RF habitat is 6 feet long, has a che at one end, a blacklight bulb in the middle and a brooder heat panel at the cool end...

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

In fact, you can use any combination of CHE wattages. However, when thermostat will turn them on, one will be giving away 150 watt of heat and another - 100 watt of heat. Thus the space below them will heat at different rate and you'll have two spots with different surface temperatures. As you can't regulate the mounting height, you will have no control over these spots. This might require some mangling with probe placement but, I suppose, is completely manageable.

I would take a step-by-step approach here and don't buy a lot of stuff at once. An uniform setup with decoupled heating/lightning/UVB is just easier to tweak (from my humble experience).

After she goes to sleep, she won't be moving around in the dark. Mine prefers a safe place (a hide) for sleeping and out of several places chooses the one with the most stable temperature (shady in the afternoon, but warmed up at the sunrise).

Fair enough, shall I maybe just suggest we leave buying more bulbs for now? Least till the enclosure is built? We could always play around with the 150 and 100 to help gauge that potential 3rd bulb watt? And I’m sure if that 150 just isn’t doing what we need he’ll understand we’ll have to replace that with a 100, just hoping I can somehow avoid having him needing to buy another 600 thermostat😣
Squirt seems to crash out whenever she wants regardless of cover lol, my fear is her falling asleep under the 150 at night, she did it in her current enclosure, her shell was reading 95! I had to quickly move her and she was pissed! I Hated scaring her! If she’s a silly lil girl and falls asleep in her warm end each night, are we in trouble? Should I consider mimicking that temp drop like her owner wants at night? Still no clue how’d I’d do that with just the ceramics and no night and day thermo, I’m guessing I’d be turning the one that will be running two bulbs down slightly?