Temperature CHE bulb

Naidene23

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Hi guys :)

Really struggling with something to do with my CHE bulb.

I'm using one for during the night in the bed area of my tortoise table as my tortoise is on antibiotics and I have been advised to up my night time temps to at least 25/26 degrees Celsius.

I have a thermostat and a thermometer to watch temps however, I turn the bulb on and set the probe at one end of the bed area and the bulb is at the other, underneath the bulb is reading 34 degrees Celsius but at the far end of the bed area it is reading 26 which is perfect but not so perfect if my tort decides to sleep directly under the bulb?? How can I get the temperature to be the same throughout the full bed area??

It is a large area to heat but the time one end reaches 26 degrees the other end is sky high and he will fry??

What do I do??
 

Naidene23

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Raising it isn't an option with how I have it set up.

Right now my tortoise is sleeping furthest away from the bulb in the corner. Under the bulb is 40 degrees C, and the corner Tito is sleeping in just now is only 22 degrees C.

Should I move the bulb to the side he normally sleeps at? And have the probe beside the bulb so that it turns off at a decent temperature?
 

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Tom

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I would leave it as is. Warmer temps help them fight infection and he can move to the area that suits him temperature wise.
 

Naidene23

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I would leave it as is. Warmer temps help them fight infection and he can move to the area that suits him temperature wise.

How about if I put the lamp to the other end where he normally sleeps? As the lamp struggled to get the far end of the cage any higher than 23 degrees C, so if I moved the bulb to the other end where he always sleeps and control the temperature with the probe so that under the lamp isn't too hot? Because last night under the lamp it was reading 40 degrees c but the end he was lying at was 23 degrees C.
 

Tom

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How about if I put the lamp to the other end where he normally sleeps? As the lamp struggled to get the far end of the cage any higher than 23 degrees C, so if I moved the bulb to the other end where he always sleeps and control the temperature with the probe so that under the lamp isn't too hot? Because last night under the lamp it was reading 40 degrees c but the end he was lying at was 23 degrees C.

The idea is to heat the whole area. If you move the bulb, he might just sleep on the other end. Sounds like you might need to run two CHEs, or get a radiant heat panel to heat a larger area.

Or use a closed chamber or large vivarium so that heating is much easier and much more efficient.

Is it possible to warm the whole house?
 

Naidene23

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The idea is to heat the whole area. If you move the bulb, he might just sleep on the other end. Sounds like you might need to run two CHEs, or get a radiant heat panel to heat a larger area.

Or use a closed chamber or large vivarium so that heating is much easier and much more efficient.

Is it possible to warm the whole house?
I've had tito for 3 years and he always sleeps in the one corner, never goes anywhere else to sleep :) I've tried heating the hole area and the end with the bulb always goes super hot before the end without the bulb if you know what I mean,

I can easily move the bulb to the corner which he sleeps, what would you recommend is the highest I can allow the temperature To go with him laying underneath it?

I've had the bulb running for 1 and a half hours to get an idea of the temperature I can set, and it is sitting at 27 degrees C under and around the bulb area, the bulb then clicks off & drops to about 22 degrees C before turning on again x
 

Markw84

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I've had tito for 3 years and he always sleeps in the one corner, never goes anywhere else to sleep :) I've tried heating the hole area and the end with the bulb always goes super hot before the end without the bulb if you know what I mean,

I can easily move the bulb to the corner which he sleeps, what would you recommend is the highest I can allow the temperature To go with him laying underneath it?

I've had the bulb running for 1 and a half hours to get an idea of the temperature I can set, and it is sitting at 27 degrees C under and around the bulb area, the bulb then clicks off & drops to about 22 degrees C before turning on again x
You're running into problems that open table type enclosures have. If you want a more even temperature throughout, you need a closed chamber, or multiple heat elements. If you want a more stable temperature without the heat swings, you must mount the thermostat probe close to the heat element. Many put the heat probe of the thermostat in the cool side of the enclosure, away from the heat source. That way we can be sure the coolest area does not drop below our set point. However, that means by the time the heat, when on, reaches the area of our probe, the area around the heat source is way hotter. So when the probe area heats enough to turn off the heat source, but the time the heat that has built up enough to heat the cool (probe) side dissipates, the hot side has cooled considerably. So you get wider swings in overall temperature. The room temperature, air conditioning, fans, etc. all have a lot of effect on how the heat is maintained in a table type enclosure.

So, that means if you go for stable and mount your probe right next to your heat source (CHE), you will need to set your thermostat to the high temperature you want to maintain, and then watch as see what that does to the cool side of the enclosure. But again, varying room temps, a fan on or off, etc. will change that cool side temp, even though the hot spot is staying right at 90-95F for example. For a Russian, that shouldn't be too much of an issue as moderate swings in cool side temps shouldn't be that detrimental. For young sulcatas, or leopards, or stars, that would be a big problem. That is why I believe tables will just not work for many types of species unless you use an entire, temperature controlled room for the enclosures.
 
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Naidene23

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You're running into problems that open table type enclosures have. If you want a more even temperature throughout, you need a closed chamber, or multiple heat elements. If you want a more stable temperature without the heat swings, you must mount the thermostat probe close to the heat element. Many put the heat probe of the thermostat in the cool side of the enclosure, away from the heat source. That way we can be sure the coolest area does not drop below our set point. However, that means by the time the heat, when on, reaches the area of our probe, the area around the heat source is way hotter. So when the probe area heats enough to turn off the heat source, but the time the heat that has built up enough to heat the cool (probe) side dissipates, the hot side has cooled considerably. So you get wider swings in overall temperature. The room temperature, air conditioning, fans, etc. all have a lot of effect on how the heat is maintained in a table type enclosure.

So, that means if you go for stable and mount your probe right next to your heat source (CHE), you will need to set your thermostat to the high temperature you want to maintain, and then watch as see what that does to the cool side of the enclosure. But again, varying room temps, a fan on or off, etc. will change that cool side temp, even though the hot spot is staying right at 90-95F for example. For a Russian, that shouldn't be too much of an issue as moderate swings in cool side temps shouldn't be that detrimental. For young sulcatas, or leopards, or stars, that would be a big problem. That is why I believe tables will just not work for many types of species unless you use an entire, temperature controlled room for the enclosures.

I just move the CHE to which ever corner tito decides to sleep in it's always one certain corner and another corner at times, I know that isn't ideal but it's only on a clamp so easily moved and he doesn't move from the corner once sleeping, I know this because I check on him during the night.

The temp was 26 degrees C then the bulb goes off & drops down to 22/23 degrees C then back up to 26 C is that okay??

I have the probe near the lamp on the substrate so it does not get any hotter than 26. Although when I woke up today tito had woken up and was sitting under the lamp this was at 6.45 before his day time bulb had even came on. Could the heat have woke him?

I have given up with trying to heat the full bed area will just concentrate on the certain corner tito is sleeping in nightly I know it's not ideal but the best I can do?
 

Markw84

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I just move the CHE to which ever corner tito decides to sleep in it's always one certain corner and another corner at times, I know that isn't ideal but it's only on a clamp so easily moved and he doesn't move from the corner once sleeping, I know this because I check on him during the night.

The temp was 26 degrees C then the bulb goes off & drops down to 22/23 degrees C then back up to 26 C is that okay??

I have the probe near the lamp on the substrate so it does not get any hotter than 26. Although when I woke up today tito had woken up and was sitting under the lamp this was at 6.45 before his day time bulb had even came on. Could the heat have woke him?

I have given up with trying to heat the full bed area will just concentrate on the certain corner tito is sleeping in nightly I know it's not ideal but the best I can do?
I have no direct experience with Russian tortoises, so am not an expert on them. I was mainly responding to your heating issue. From what you are describing, the heat sounds good for his sleeping spot. And the new warmth at his sleeping spot might have caused him to start his daily routine earlier and wanting to bask. That's a good thing! Just be sure now, you have a good basking heat that is correct, since your cool side is now under control. He does need a basking area of 35-39 directly under the basking light. The overall enclosure 25-30 range daytime, and nighttime drop to 22 sounds great to me.
 

Naidene23

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I have no direct experience with Russian tortoises, so am not an expert on them. I was mainly responding to your heating issue. From what you are describing, the heat sounds good for his sleeping spot. And the new warmth at his sleeping spot might have caused him to start his daily routine earlier and wanting to bask. That's a good thing! Just be sure now, you have a good basking heat that is correct, since your cool side is now under control. He does need a basking area of 35-39 directly under the basking light. The overall enclosure 25-30 range daytime, and nighttime drop to 22 sounds great to me.

Thank you for your reply :)

Under his basking bulb it is exactly 38 degrees C, 24 degrees at the coolest end of his tortoise table.

I suppose it is just trial and error with the CHE but I have managed to set it to 22 lowest and 26 highest for during the night which I hope helps tito :)
 

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