Thanks for that Sdaji. So are the running costs of the CHE's more exxy? Because it seems that they're about the same price as globes. And ditto for the heat cords as opposed to the lamps, if you say they're cheaper - they are more expensive to buy though? (Just going off Ebay - Aus only - products). What is the effective difference between the heat cords & heat mats(which are a fair bit cheaper)?
The running costs (electricity) of CHE are about the same as spotlights. Heat cords (or mats) are much, much cheaper and more efficient with electricity. Purchase price of globes is far cheaper than CHE, unless you're buying expensive name brand specialty reptile ones (don't ask me why anyone would, the only reason it happens is clever marketting to the naive sector of the market). Heat cords are far more versatile than heat mats, although depending on how you set them up and what you're using them for, heat mats can be easier to set up (simply put a flat heat mat under an enclosure and bang, you're done). I love racks, and heat cords are incredibly efficient with them; one cord can heat up to several dozen tubs depending on the variables. Heat mats can't compete with that. For your situation, it sounds like you're just wanting to set up one bredli enclosure, so perhaps a heat mat would be easiest. Over the last 25 years I've experimented with more heating and wiring options and more enclosure types than I could list, and I've never accidentally started a fire, but perhaps jokes aside I have a basic level of common sense some people lack. I haven't played with heat mats for around 10 years so can't recommend any of the current brands/models. I have often used heat mats and cords with no airflow, often completely sealed up. Around 15 years ago I built elaborate enclosures with routed floors, heat cords put into the grooves, and glass siliconed in place over the top, totally sealed up. They worked beautifully but were a lot of work to build and quite heavy, and I'd go for easier options now. Still, no fires or dangerous heat build up. I've also used plenty of heat mats in between stacked enclosures, sandwiched between the wooden floor/top of the enclosures they're between. Again, after about 10-15 years with often heaps of them in use, no issues. Usually when I see cases of fires there's an obvious cause which makes me roll my eyes.
For me personally, setting up a bredli enclosure would either come down to an extremely simple setup of a tub in a rack with floor heat only, or (preferably, especially if I wanted it to look nicer, which I assume you do) something around 4' long, 2' high and 2' deep with around a 1' square area of floor heat at one end (a little larger won't hurt, but keep it to one end of the enclosure and no more than about a quarter or maybe third of the floor area), and a heat lamp (with visible light, just the regular type you'd find at a hardware store) positioned directly above the heated floor area. Put a perch of whatever type you like directly under the heat lamp and a hide below that over the heated floor area, and another hide at the cool end. You can add extra perches/climbing branches if you like. Only use the basking lamp during daylight hours (it simulates warm sunlight) and use the floor heat any time day or night you want them to have heat (when they want to be warm at night, the only option is a warm ground, there is no sun).
Bredli are actually pretty easy to keep in a way which will make them really happy and spend a lot of time perched in a place which makes them visible to you.
