HEATING - Ceramics vs. Heat lights

[Python_Princess87]

Hey Guys,

I'm in the process of buildind a nice big enclosure for my pythons however, i'm torn between using heat lamps (coloured bulbs) and ceramic heat emitters. Firstly i don't know a thing about the ceramic heat emitters and what is the difference between a white one as oppose to a black one?

Can anyone shed some light on the advantages and disadvantages?​

I really appreciate your help guys!!​

 

[Bigbird]

I am getting new enclosures for my beadies and am trying to make the same decision.

I have heard that coloured bulbs (what I currently use) disturb dragons' sleep, but I'm not sure if this is the same for pythons. I have also heard that ceramic heat emitters are better value for money in the long term as they don't fail like bulbs do so you are not changing them all the time. I'm not sure if there is anything different between a white ceramic heat emitter and a black one apart from that they are just a different colour. Ceramic heat emitters will reach a higher heat than bulbs and should be used with a dimming thermostat (this is what is recommended, but they can be used with an on /off thermostat too).

I would be interested to hear what others say about this too.

 

[planks]

i have 3 black ceramics in my beardie tank 2 at one end and one at the other they run day and night to put out a bit of heat while i have some heat globes hooked to the same timer that my uv light is on the only problem with ceramics is that you dont know if they are on i have had the tank for about a year and have never had to change them while im constantly changing the globes

 

[bjbk18]

Hey i have just built my enclosure and in my small enclosures i have used heat globes. But for my large enclosure i have used a ceramic heat emitter. Its a 250 w and it puts out alot of heat which is good for this large enclosure. The only prob is then there is no light so you have to put a fluro light in. The ceramic heat emiter is run off the thermostat aswell. I like the heat emitters i am not sure on how long it lasts as i have just got it but it seems to be working fine.

 

[Mangles]

I have used a white ceramic with a standard on/off thermostat for over 2 1/2 years with no problems at all. I have also used a black one, again with an on/off theromstat and this did not last a year. The problem is because they don't emit any light there is no obviouse difference when they blow, so you always have to keep an eye on your thermometer.

 

[m.punja]

ceremic heat emmiters apparently last up to 20 thousand hours or something. I'm changing all my stuff from globes to either emmiters or matts, just my preference. Since the ceremic needs time to heat up and cool down it is recomened to be used on a dimmer thermo/micro to get a better average temp. But if there is a cool end then it really shouldn't matter. I've got white and black emmiters, no difference. The only difference's are the watt's or shape. Some heat above and below and if you are using a bank enclosure will create a heated area in the above enclosure. My personal preference is the emmiters. Correct me if I've said anything wrong and hope I've helped.

cheers, Mark

 

[Python_Princess87]

Thanks!!

Thank you guys so much for your feed back!! ​

It seems like the ceramic heat emitters are the favourite choice and i guess since they can last over a year, produce more heat, are cost effective in the long run, that will be the choice for my new enclosure!! You guys have been sooooo helpful.

Cheers for that!!

 

[Bigbird]

Wattage of CHE

I am getting new enclosures for my beardies and will be changing from blue bulbs to ceramic heat emitters. Please could someone advise me what wattage of CHE I would need for a 4' x 2' x 2' enclosure and if anyone could recommend a good brand that would be great.

Also, is there any benefit to using reptile branded basking lamps (eg. exo terra) to using reflector globes that can be bought in the supermarket?

 

[Bigbird]

Anyone?

 

[bredli84]

im in the same boat at the moment Bigbird. i have built a couple of enclosures that are approx the same size as a 4X2X2, just a little higher and shorter. i put in a 100watt emitter, but this was not sufficient. so if anyone can answer your question i would be helped too.

 

[SlothHead]

With beardies, it is good to have a day basking light. So in the day i would be running a basking light, then at night run a heat emitter to keep night temps up a little say 25 in the warm end.

 

[grimbeny]

I wouldnt buy the exoterra globes, their no better than the reflector globes unless they r like special ones (ie mercury vapour or uv etc)

 

[Bigbird]

With beardies, it is good to have a day basking light. So in the day i would be running a basking light, then at night run a heat emitter to keep night temps up a little say 25 in the warm end.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm planning to do SlothHead, I guess I should have clarified that in the first place!

Bredli84 - was the 100w CHE enough to keep the warm end at 25?

Grimbeny - thanks for that. It's good to know and saves me about $10 per bulb!

 

[dazza74]

i have a 6 ft by 4 ft by 2 ft and use a 250 ceramic plus 2 40 watt party globes just perfect as for a 4by 2 by2 i used a 150 watt ceramic and 2 party globes hope this helps

 

[nickamon]

I use a ceramic heat emitter from Ultimate Reptile Suppliers, and it's working very well. URS gear is also good value for money. When my snake had a respiratory infection a couple of months ago, I bought a bigger ceramic at the local pet shop, and paid twice the price that I would've paid at URS, but I had a mega panic and wanted more heat right away. This pet shop only sells Exo-terra stuff, and I said to the manager, "oh by the way, you might want to look into stocking URS products." Oh well, now I have a spare ceramic.

I also use a heat mat to keep the floor of my tank hot spot nice and warm, to prevent respiratory infections. I'm a big fan of heaters that don't emit light, because you can use them around the clock.

Obligatory thermostat endorsement: don't forget to use a thermostat with all your heat sources. Depending on the make, you can attach an adapter or power board to your thermostat. That's handy if you use more than one heat source.

I use an Exo-terra compact fluorescent UV globe, but I'll get a compact fluro from URS next time. Exo-terra stuff seems to have a higher price tag, and I have no idea why. The timer that the UV light was plugged into broke, so I'm turning the light on and off manually at the moment.

 

[Reptilian]

Using like a 150w ceramic or light, even with a cage around it, wouldnt that still be able top burn your snake, just by being close to it if lying on a branch etc? or wouldnt it heat up the metal of the cage and burn them if they touched the metal???

Regards...
Ash...

 

[Reptilian]

anyone???

 

[bredli84]

Bigbird, the 100watt CHE was probably sufficient to heat to 25. my tank is a bit higher than a regular 4X2X2 so the heat wasn't making it to the ground. if i was u i would probably use a 150w CHE just to be sure. make sure you run it with a thermostat though.

soon the weather will be warm enough that it wont be much of an issue.

 

[Bigbird]

Bigbird, the 100watt CHE was probably sufficient to heat to 25. my tank is a bit higher than a regular 4X2X2 so the heat wasn't making it to the ground. if i was u i would probably use a 150w CHE just to be sure. make sure you run it with a thermostat though.

soon the weather will be warm enough that it wont be much of an issue.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that Bredli84 - very helpful! I can't wait for the warmer weather to kick in so I can let my two out a bit more often.

Thanks to everyone else for all your help too.

 

[nickamon]

Using like a 150w ceramic or light, even with a cage around it, wouldnt that still be able top burn your snake, just by being close to it if lying on a branch etc? or wouldnt it heat up the metal of the cage and burn them if they touched the metal???

Regards...
Ash...

My ceramic and UV light are mounted inside a pelmet that sits on top of the tank. The tank's top is a fine, escape-proof mesh. It does heat up a little bit, but not too much because the ceramic doesn't sit directly on the mesh, it sits above it. Also, my snake can't get to the mesh directly below the ceramic.