Heating?

[NikkiC223]

So, since I'm very new to the reptile world, I would like to attend a Repticon show and be able to learn more about my Leo and possibly purchase stuff for him? Does anyone on this forum work or attend Repticon, and is anyone going to be at the one in Orlando, FL on January 2nd and 3rd? I'm assuming they sell stuff for all kinds of reptiles so I would like to check it out. If anyone has any more info, please let me know on here or PM me. Thanks :main_thumbsup:

 

[alex1972nova]

Heating??

Hey guys, So im really confused about heating my 10 gallon for my juvenile..
I have a UTH plugged into a hydrofarm thermostat set at 94degrees under his hot hide where he lays.
I had a 60 watt CHE which was on the hot side. The air temperature only got to 79 degrees on the hot side. Measured by a digital thermometer.

I had many people tell me that its not hot enough, which is why he always hides in his hot hide.

So I switched to a 100 watt CHE and the temperature got up to 84 degrees (air)


Is a 100 watt too much still? With the 100 watt CHE he comes out of his hot hide more and sits on top of his hide which is closer to the 100 watt CHE..

So im confused, IS THE 100 watt CHE WAY TOO MUCH?? even though the air temperature is only 84 degrees?

He seems to come out more of his hot hide..

Should I switch back to the 60 watt??

I would like to stay with a CHE because it produces no light, only heat..

 

[alex1972nova]

Do i even need another heat source besides my UTH???

If so I would return the lamp fixture and CHE bulb..

The hot side surface temperature of the uth is 94-95 constant..SURFACE,,
AIR temperature on the hot side with the CHE is 84. without it the air temp will get to about 75.

DO I REALLY NEED THE CHE? TOO MUCH WATTAGE AND HEAT??


thanks guys!

 

[NikkiC223]

I'm still new here but I use an UTH and a CHE for my 20 gallon and I have air temps of about 86 with the floor temps being between 90 and 93. I actually tried removing my CHE to see if it would stay warm but the air temps got down to about 75 which is too cold. Maybe you have a faulty UTH or CHE? I've only had mine for about a week so its ok so far. I know they need more belly heat than the air being hot but you don't want the ambient air getting too low. I hope that kind of helps...like I said, I'm still new so my knowledge isn't as great as the others on here! They are a great help and will give you better advice than me

 

[Lindz0518]

Air temps are not as important as floor temps, as long as the air temp doesn't go below 70. I only use my UTH unless it is supposed to be super cold at night then I will use a black night neat bulb. You really need the gradient on the floor for thermoregulation, since they use belly heat.

 

[alex1972nova]

Thanks guys, merry christmas too you!!!!!!!!

Well my room temperature during the day is about 68 degrees.
Without my CHE the temp get about 75 degrees (air) with the UTH on.
With the 100 watt CHE it gets about 85 degreees. with the fixture RIGHT above the tank.

should i move down to a 75 watt CHE to be safe?

 

[alex1972nova]

I'm still new here but I use an UTH and a CHE for my 20 gallon and I have air temps of about 86 with the floor temps being between 90 and 93. I actually tried removing my CHE to see if it would stay warm but the air temps got down to about 75 which is too cold. Maybe you have a faulty UTH or CHE? I've only had mine for about a week so its ok so far. I know they need more belly heat than the air being hot but you don't want the ambient air getting too low. I hope that kind of helps...like I said, I'm still new so my knowledge isn't as great as the others on here! They are a great help and will give you better advice than me

What wattage is your CHE?? what is your room temperature??
my room temperature is usually 68 degrees, so with my 100 watt CHE on my 10 gallon it gets 85 degrees (air)

my uth keeps at 94 constant with my thermostat (hydrofarm)

 

[chandlermonster]

Repticon is a great reptile show. My personal favorite is Daytona and I think the show may have originated there. You will find the industry leaders there and can get some great information. Prices can be good but can also be sketchy so do your homework beforehand. There are many good vendors, but there are some unscrupulous vendors who sell mislabeled morphs too. I would recommend buying from a leopard gecko specialist. Look at the sponsors of this site and see if any are at Repticon Orlando!

I may be there myself, depending on whether or not I can get back from Key Largo by the 3rd. Maybe I will see you there

 

[ericssonfan81]

As others have already mentioned, belly heat is more important than ambient heat.
It's really important to measure the surface temps on your heatpad and keep them at 88-92F. Ambient air temps are okay in the 70's as the majority if not all the heat will be absorbed through the belly.
If you're having trouble achieving these temps on the SURFACE of your substrate, you can use the CHE to further heat up your substrate. I'd stay away from bulbs as the light tends to stress them out.

Plus I don't worry much about ambient temps being too low because I place a hide directly atop my heatpad and I find that the heat thats trapped inside the hide bumps the ambient air temps up a bit too. If gecko is too hot, he'll come outside. Too cold? He'll go inside the hide as long as the temps your provide it aren't in the extremes.

My surface temps get up to 88-92F with the UTH on it's own so I don't use any additional heating. My ambient temps during the day in winter time is about 75F

 

[NikkiC223]

What wattage is your CHE?? what is your room temperature??
my room temperature is usually 68 degrees, so with my 100 watt CHE on my 10 gallon it gets 85 degrees (air)

my uth keeps at 94 constant with my thermostat (hydrofarm)

The CHE I use is a 100w, and we keep our house at a constant 75 (sometimes it naturally gets cooler depending on the weather outside). I noticed though if I turned the CHE off, the floor temps drops a lot so I have to keep it on to make sure its warm enough.