Red heat bulb or heat emitter??

[winston44]

I have a 100watt red light heat bulb( on a dimmer so it's not too hot I keep it at 85-90) it seems to dry out the substrate in my enclosure very fast, so would a ceramic heat emitter be better at heating and keeping the humidity?

 

[wellington]

Is this for night time? No lights should be on at night. CHE is better, no light. Cover part of the enclosure, 1/2 to 3/4 to help hold in heat and humidity.

 

[colatoise]

Is this for night time? No lights should be on at night. CHE is better, no light. Cover part of the enclosure, 1/2 to 3/4 to help hold in heat and humidity.

Agreed!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I say CHE on a thermostat. Maybe it won't come on during the daytime, but it will at night and it will provide you and your tortoise the consistent temps that are required. Using a dimmer just makes you a slave to adjustment and I'm lazy, I like things to be taken care of automatically.

 

[sibi]

If you were using a red light to heat the enclosure, what are you using to provide UVb? I recommend a mercury vapor bulb (mvb). The coil bulbs can cause blindness in baby torts. Also, the ceramic heat emitter (che) gives heat at night w/o light so that your baby can sleep warmly. You need them both. Keep us posted.

 

[Tom]

I say CHE on a thermostat. Maybe it won't come on during the daytime, but it will at night and it will provide you and your tortoise the consistent temps that are required. Using a dimmer just makes you a slave to adjustment and I'm lazy, I like things to be taken care of automatically.

My thoughts EXACTLY.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

My thoughts EXACTLY.

Lazy. Hip hip oh never mind.

 

[lisa127]

I use the black moon glo bulbs. I do not like the red lights.

 

[mainey34]

I like the CHE , no light involved just warmth.

 

[Yvonne G]

I use black lights for night time heat. I recently saw some 160 watt red brooder lights at Tractor supply and bought a couple. They keep the tortoise shed nice and toasty during the night, however, they put off a lot of light. Its almost like day time in there. Once they burn out, I'll replace them with the black lights. It was my experience that the CHE used more electricity than the black lights. That's why I switched. (I have lots and lots of fixtures and I was trying to find ways to conserve)

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

So the popular, though not necessarily true, idea was that the red lamps do not offer illumination that reptiles can see, but warmth.

It seems to me that some tortoises can 'see' the red light, and it is like some weird partial day time to them.

We used to use night lights at the reptile house at the zoo, it is not pitch black at night either. Light pollution aside, the night sky, overcast or clear is lighted to some extent, and not pitch black.

Anyone know of study that indicates the tortoises can 'see' the red or black lamps. I agree with emysemys, in that the bulbs give more heat for the watts than the CHE, which I am never sure are on or not, unless I put my hand hear them to feel the heat. The bulbs at least indicate their being on.

Will

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

My vote is also CHE on thermostat. It's what I use.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

My vote is also CHE on thermostat. It's what I use.

How do you know when it 'burns' out?

Will

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

My vote is also CHE on thermostat. It's what I use.

How do you know when it 'burns' out?

Will

I use wireless temperature and humidity sensor's in multiple area's of all outdoor and indoor enclosures. Not only do CHE's burn out but they put out significantly less heat after a certain amount of time.

 

[winston44]

If you were using a red light to heat the enclosure, what are you using to provide UVb? I recommend a mercury vapor bulb (mvb). The coil bulbs can cause blindness in baby torts. Also, the ceramic heat emitter (che) gives heat at night w/o light so that your baby can sleep warmly. You need them both. Keep us posted.

I live in Arizona so I pretty much use the sun but I have a uvb tube bulb when it's too cold to be out side

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I say CHE on a thermostat. Maybe it won't come on during the daytime, but it will at night and it will provide you and your tortoise the consistent temps that are required. Using a dimmer just makes you a slave to adjustment and I'm lazy, I like things to be taken care of automatically.

Could I use my dome lamp with the CHE or would I need to buy a cage lamp

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I use black lights for night time heat. I recently saw some 160 watt red brooder lights at Tractor supply and bought a couple. They keep the tortoise shed nice and toasty during the night, however, they put off a lot of light. Its almost like day time in there. Once they burn out, I'll replace them with the black lights. It was my experience that the CHE used more electricity than the black lights. That's why I switched. (I have lots and lots of fixtures and I was trying to find ways to conserve)

I want to conserve as well, but do the black light give off a lot of light

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I use the black moon glo bulbs. I do not like the red lights.

Is that just a black light bulb