Ceramic heat emitter questions?

[Zimmer]

I want to get a CHE for my little guy, I think ambient temps are a bit low for him. Ground temps are great and its nice and cozy in his warm hide but I think a bit too cool elsewhere..... Question 1: what wattage am I looking for? I don't want to roast him but it's an 18" tall glass aquarium (29 gallon) and I want it to heat all the way down... Question 2: Do I need a deeper dome fixture to "direct" the heat?..... And lastly Question 3: can I set the dome fixture with CHE directly on my screen lid or do I need a clamp or something to raise it up?
Thanks!!

 

[kholtme]

My tank is also 18 inches tall. I use a fulkers 10 inch dome. They have them at petco but not pet smart. I highly recommend a 10 inch dome, because it lets the heat spread over the entire warm side instead of being directed down to one area like a small dome would. If you get a 10 inch deep dome they are only 8.5 inches wide (I dont know why they arent actually 10 inches like the box says, but i found out the hard way and returned it. The one I bought and returned was All Things Living. While in the store the manager measured it to confirm what i was telling her. We then measured the fulkers 10 inch deep dome and it wasnt 10 inches either. The fulkers 10 inch regular dome is 10 inches. And is what i use now.)

For the actual CHE bulb i have a All Things Living 100 watt, and it seems to work great. If you purchase a CHE from a chain pet store, they usually will let you return it for a bigger watt CHE in a certain amount of time if the one you got wasnt heating enough. I dont have a dimmer or thermostat on my CHE, but if the 100 watt wasnt getting you the temps you wanted, you could get a 150 watt and put it on a lamp dimmer, or another thermostat to reduce the heat if needed. If i were you i would try the 100 watt first, since most stores let you upgrade if needed.

You can place the dome right on the metal screen lid of your tank, and it is what I do. When buying your dome and che, take them out of the box in the store and make sure the CHE bulb isnt longer than the dome. Some brand CHEs are longer than others, and could be longer than the dome causing the bulb to stick out of the dome, which you want to avoid if you are placing the dome onto the screen lid.

 

[CWilson13]

Sorry if I am hijacking your thread Zimmer, just didn't want to clutter things with essentially the same question.
My setup is in a 20g Long (Height is about 12.5in) Would the 100 watt be too much for that shallow of a tank? I do have a thermostat I can use, just wondering if the 60 watt would be better.

 

[Zimmer]

@ kholtme - thank you! Perfect response :biggrin: only concern now is this: my screen lid is not metal screen, its fabric or plastic or something like a screen door screen.... is it still going to be ok to set the CHE on top?

 

[kholtme]

That i do not know, Elizabeth has more experience with different brand ches, and she used one that was longer than her dome and melted the screen. Im not sure what the screen was made of, and mine is some sort of metal. Hopefully she will chime in and have the info you are looking for. But in my mind i think you would be safe as long as the bulb doesnt contact the non-metal screen. Since the air temp will be lower than the actual bulb temp at the screen it hopefully wont melt the screen. Unless the bulb is touching the screen, the air temp at the screen shoudnt be at the melting point of any type of screen you would have. If it wasnt, on a hot day people would come home to find their non-metal screen doors have melted haha. With my set up now i have about 2-3 inches between the che bulb and the screen lid, so if you have a similar set up i dont see it being a problem. But im no scientist, so lets see if any other members have a better, more definite answer to your question.

 

[kholtme]

Wilson, I dont remember what watt size most people use for a 12 inch tall enclosure. If you have an extra thermostat handy I would get the 100 watt and hook it up to the thermostat. Tape the thermostat probe on the warm side wall of the enclosure about 4 inches above the ground ( tape the wire so the probe isnt held tight against the glass) and set the thermostat to around 78 degrees (you can adjust accordingly once temps settle.) If you dont have an extra thermostat, you can get a lamp dimmer for around $10 bucks and it will do the job. Just check the air temp more often. A thermostat will be easier and more accurate at keeping the temps where you want them, but since the warm side air temps need to be between 75-85 (i like to aim for 78 ) we have more room for error, that is why a dimmer is fine for a CHE, but not as good for a UTH.

 

[CWilson13]

That is a great idea kholtme, thank you so much! Zimmer, sorry again for invading your thread!

 

[Zimmer]

kholtme - Yes, that makes sense, as long as the actual heating element isn't touching it shouldn't melt/burn. I think it might be fiberglass..... BUT I think I will just get a clamp-type fixture, JUST in case. Not only because of the heat question but I think the weight of the fixture will sag the screen as it's pretty flimsy stuff, and that would be ugly-ish and irritating to me. Also, my husband is "mr safety" and he says get a clamp. So. LOL. :coverlaugh:

CWilson13 no worries!!! :biggrin:

 

[kholtme]

The fulkers 10 inch dome does come with a clamp! So if you had some sort of pole, or a plant hanger so something to clamp it to it would work. Just put it right above the screen. We want to heat the cage, not your room haha. Just enough to clamp it up off the screen to prevent melting/sagging, but close as possible to make sure all the heat reaches air just above the ground.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I use the Fluker's 10 inch diameter (at the opening) clamp-lamps. Some of these even have inline dimmer switches. Those domes ARE deep enough for even the All Living Things 150 watt ceramic heat emitter. I highly recommend a second thermostat for it, especially if you end up with a 150 watt.

Click: Amazon.com : Zoo Med Deluxe Dimmable Clamp Lamp with 10-Inch Dome, Black : Pet Habitat Lights : Pet Supplies

Each situation is different. Start with a 100 watt CHE and go up or down depending.

That i do not know, Elizabeth has more experience with different brand ches, and she used one that was longer than her dome and melted the screen. Im not sure what the screen was made of, and mine is some sort of metal. Hopefully she will chime in and have the info you are looking for. But in my mind i think you would be safe as long as the bulb doesnt contact the non-metal screen. Since the air temp will be lower than the actual bulb temp at the screen it hopefully wont melt the screen. Unless the bulb is touching the screen, the air temp at the screen shoudnt be at the melting point of any type of screen you would have. If it wasnt, on a hot day people would come home to find their non-metal screen doors have melted haha. With my set up now i have about 2-3 inches between the che bulb and the screen lid, so if you have a similar set up i dont see it being a problem. But im no scientist, so lets see if any other members have a better, more definite answer to your question.

The screen is metal, but is coated with plastic. When I placed a longer CHE in the 10 inch diameter Fluker's dome, it touched the screen. Some of the screen started smoking. Glad that I was right there!!!

kholtme - Yes, that makes sense, as long as the actual heating element isn't touching it shouldn't melt/burn. I think it might be fiberglass..... BUT I think I will just get a clamp-type fixture, JUST in case. Not only because of the heat question but I think the weight of the fixture will sag the screen as it's pretty flimsy stuff, and that would be ugly-ish and irritating to me. Also, my husband is "mr safety" and he says get a clamp. So. LOL. :coverlaugh:

CWilson13 no worries!!! :biggrin:

You want the dome as close as possible to the screen without melting the screen, of course.

There are adjustable lamp stands you can buy. I actually have 4 of those stands I've never used.