Creating ambient heat.

Raggedyman85

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So I'm in the final stages of completing my redfoot chamber. I'm struggling to maintain an ambient temp throughout. I'm using Arcadia deep heat projector but I think the enclosure is just a bit too long for the one lamp. Could I use 2 deep heat projectors one at each end from the same dimmer stat. I've read about people doing this across separate vivs but can't find anything on doing it within one enclosure. Was thinking of having the probe near the middle and obviously regular temperature checks daily.
 

Tom

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So I'm in the final stages of completing my redfoot chamber. I'm struggling to maintain an ambient temp throughout. I'm using Arcadia deep heat projector but I think the enclosure is just a bit too long for the one lamp. Could I use 2 deep heat projectors one at each end from the same dimmer stat. I've read about people doing this across separate vivs but can't find anything on doing it within one enclosure. Was thinking of having the probe near the middle and obviously regular temperature checks daily.
I have no first hand experience with these bulbs, but after reading the description, I would not use those over a tortoise. They appear to be a spot bulb and do exactly the opposite of what you want to do. They concentrate the IR-A into a smaller area. This will desiccate your tortoises shell and dry it out. What you want to do is spread the heat out over a greater area. This is best accomplish with a Radiant Heat Panel, or two, set on a thermostat.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. This might not be needed for a RF or other "forrest" dwelling species. Its debatable and I stay out of that debate due to lack of first hand experience. Personally, I wouldn't use a basking lamp with any tortoise species that doesn't "need" it. RFs don't need it.
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas, stars or leopards. RFs too.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.
 

Raggedyman85

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I have no first hand experience with these bulbs, but after reading the description, I would not use those over a tortoise. They appear to be a spot bulb and do exactly the opposite of what you want to do. They concentrate the IR-A into a smaller area. This will desiccate your tortoises shell and dry it out. What you want to do is spread the heat out over a greater area. This is best accomplish with a Radiant Heat Panel, or two, set on a thermostat.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. This might not be needed for a RF or other "forrest" dwelling species. Its debatable and I stay out of that debate due to lack of first hand experience. Personally, I wouldn't use a basking lamp with any tortoise species that doesn't "need" it. RFs don't need it.
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas, stars or leopards. RFs too.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.
The DHP is maintaining an ambient temp of 85° across a 3ft diameter no one spot is hotter than the other and humidity is staying very stable it's just the other end of the enclosure is dropping to low. It's controlled by a dimmer stat and gives off no light.
 

Yvonne G

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I have absolutely no experience with this type of heating. In fact, until you mentioned it, I had never heard of it. So I asked my friend Google to show me a picture:

heat-projector-clamp.jpg

Very interesting. Please keep us informed as to how well this works. Remember, you don't want something that is going to dry out your baby, but from your description in the last post, it sounds like it is heating up the enclosure, and not concentrating heat into one spot.
 

Raggedyman85

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I have absolutely no experience with this type of heating. In fact, until you mentioned it, I had never heard of it. So I asked my friend Google to show me a picture:

View attachment 273977

Very interesting. Please keep us informed as to how well this works. Remember, you don't want something that is going to dry out your baby, but from your description in the last post, it sounds like it is heating up the enclosure, and not concentrating heat into one spot.
The end that's heating up nicely feels lovely lol. It's warm and humid the cooler end is keeps dipping below 80° I was hoping to create a more steady ambient temp especially with young babies. Adults I wouldn't be so worried. I'll probably get another stat was just trying to avoid spending another £100 on one as I could buy another baby for the same cost Haha. I'm using the hygrotherm to control humidity with a fogger and it's working perfectly. Tbe very far end is dropping to between 74°/76° would you agree this is to low for babies.
 

Raggedyman85

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Meant to add the UV is being provided by the Arcadia pro t5 6% unit. Which I have to say is a lovely bit of kit.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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I agree wholly with Tom, radiant heat panels on thermostats, several can be put through one thermostat, but they should be the same wattage, up to the limit of the thermostat. so ten 40 watt RHP can be serviced by one 400 watt thermostat. I never max them out, but in theory this is how having more than one appliance on a thermostat is done.
 

Raggedyman85

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So after some minor adjustments I've now managed to get the cooler end to maintain a temp of 82°-83° & the warmer end is a constant temp of 87°. Hoping this will be enough but tell me if it's not. Humidity throughout the whole enclosure is 85-87 using a hygrotherm to maintain it automatically and right in the middle against a wall is a hide that's at 90-95% humidity and roughly 85° inside. Also would watering the substrate lightly once a week to simulate a rainfall and boost the humidity up into the 90s be worth doing . Wasn't sure if doing so would be enriching and simulate natural behaviours as I've read they become more active after rainfalls. TIA
 
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