Thermostats

[pono]

Does anyone use thermostats on here for heat bulbs? I've always used thermostats in the past. I think i might put a 20w hallogen bulb on a 45x45x60exo terra viv (place the bulb directly on the mesh on the top). Would i need a thermostat to get the temps in the right range at a basking spot on a piece of bamboo placed under the lamp? Would there be much of a risk in not putting the lamp on a thermostat (as 20w isn't a very powerful hallogen lamp)? Cheers,

Ed

 

[acpart]

It may be simpler to use a rheostat (sold as a lamp dimmer at home improvement stores for less than $15 in the US) instead of a thermostat. If you get a thermostat, you would need to get a proportional thermostat which is on the expensive side because a regular thermostat will just shut the light off every time the temp got too high and the light will probably be going on and off all the time. With the proportional thermostat, I imagine that the brightness of the light will keep changing. Normally rheostats aren't recommended for under tank heaters because the change in the ambient temp affects the ground temp and you have to keep adjusting the rheostat. In this case, however, where you're focusing an intense light/heat source on a fairly small area, I don't think ambient temps will have much effect on the basking temp. I use a rheostat with my 20W halogen in my 12x12x12 P. klemmeri tank and have not had to change the setting in a number of years.

Aliza

 

[cliff_f]

Use a smaller bulb that does not put out a lot of heat at first. Then as the day goes on the heat will build up. Then when the lights go out the heat will dissipate.

If you look at nature the heat is not instantly at its peak when the sun comes up. This method is easier for me then using all kinds of thermostats and rehostats.

 

[pono]

Cool, i think ill use a dimmer stat (the ones that dim the bulb automatically to get the basking spot to the desired temp) like i have used in the past, not one of the on/off stats which repeatedly turns the lamp on and off.

Ed

 

[Monique]

I have a 60x40x40 gecko enclosure similar to the exo terra ones. I have a 40 watt heat bulb in a spot lamp sitting on the top of the enclosure in one corner. I don't have a thermostat on it, and it heats to about 23-24 degrees during the day, and I have the bulb on a timer, so it comes on and off with the rising and setting of the sun. So they have room temp over night, which can cool a bit (maybe as low as 15 degrees), but it's more realistic, and they can warm up during the day.