Heat lamps vs CHE

[spacercaser]

I’d heard ceramic heat emitters are better than red heat bulbs, because they will notice the light at night (this was info about nocturnal geckos though). The sulcatas at my work have red bulbs that need replaced anyways, should I try to get them CHEs instead? And if so, why are CHEs better? (I’ll need to justify the change to my boss.)

If this info is already on here somewhere, sorry! I’ll take the post down when I get home and have time to read. Just happened to think of it and didn’t want to forget.

 

[Tom]

CHE's are superior for several reasons.

1. They rarely burn out or need replacing. I have one that has been in continuous use since 1991.
2. They give the animal a proper dark night.
3. They give out a different wavelength of radiant heat that does not desiccate the carapace as much as a standard colored incandescent.
4. You get more heat per watt since no electricity is "wasted" on generating light, which means they are more efficient to operate.

 

[spacercaser]

CHE's are superior for several reasons.

1. They rarely burn out or need replacing. I have one that has been in continuous use since 1991.
2. They give the animal a proper dark night.
3. They give out a different wavelength of radiant heat that does not desiccate the carapace as much as a standard colored incandescent.
4. You get more heat per watt since no electricity is "wasted" on generating light, which means they are more efficient to operate.

Thank you!

Do daytime basking bulbs desiccate their shells as well, or is that just the red ones? At home I’m currently using a neodymium one that provides UVA, but I have a CHE on hand that I can switch to.

 

[Tom]

Do daytime basking bulbs desiccate their shells as well, or is that just the red ones? At home I’m currently using a neodymium one that provides UVA, but I have a CHE on hand that I can switch to.

Yes they do, but until someone figures out a better way to do this species with out them, they are a necessary evil. I haven't done it, but apparently some species, like radiata, can be raised well with over all warm daytime temps without the need for a basking area. I tried to do that with sulcatas and it didn't work very well.

I reduce the desiccating effects of over head bulbs by having a high ambient day time temp in the low 90s, so they don't bask as much, by using lower wattage flood bulbs for basking, and by maintaining high humidity monsoon-like conditions in my closed chambers.