Is a 50w red nocturnal lamp enough to heat my viv, it's 20"x12"x12" W.D.H. I have it above the viv in a ZM twin dome, which is off centre and the temp sensor is in the middle approx 1-1 1/2" off the substrate. The temp has.not gone above 73 yet, which although is not directly under the hest, does seem to cool...
Hey, that 50 should be able do it. What is the temp under the lamp? A good way to help retain heat is put some aluminum foil over around half the top. And ya even though its the cool end that's a little cold. Or you will have to play with your placement of your domes till it gets abit warmer on that end. I would put the probe under the lamp though or if you want to know what the middle is all the time to get another thermometer so you have 2. You want to really watch how hot its getting in the warm end because you don't want to dry him out.
Cory, can I just double check - the stat should be approx 1" off the substrate under the light NOT the heat lamp correct? I have added foil to mesh lid and to a mesh vent on the side at the Red lamp end, but the temp wasn't improving much.
Ya it would be the probe you want a inch off the ground under the light, not the actual heat source. I take it your using a exoterra enclosure or something similar? if you want the end that was 73f to go up you would want to cover that end not the warm end. This way it will trap some of the heat in that end instead of just going up into the air and it should warm it up abit. The warm end with the red bulb should be able to get up to 80's.
What temps your house dan? I would try upping to the 60W round type bulb and get a temperature reading directly underneath the bulb, just slightly raise the probe above the substrate but try less than an inch. Once your warm end is where it needs to be at 26C-29C then move the probe to the cool end and make sure it's no cooler than 22C there. You won't need any more than 60W for a 10-gallon, that's for sure.
I'm getting a sore head so I've set the stat to 82 during the day 8am-8pm, then down to 75 at night 8pm-8am. So it's 8-30am here just now and the probe is approx 1" off the substrate under where the light is. The temp is 72, which is obviously way off the 82 I've set. It just does not want to rise for some reason. If I hold the sensor 1" approx under the mesh lid below the red light the temp rises quite quickly as you'd expect and the lamps dims at 82 as it's setup to do. I've put the sensor back to its original position and the temp is dropping back down.
My concern is that the daytime temp isn't getting high enough and that I may dry out the tank too much. I've got a stat on full output trying to heat upto a temp that it's never going to reach. It seems like the heat isn't reaching deep enough....
Strange, usually a 50w would at least get you in the lower preferred range. I do prefer the round bulbs to the spot bulbs and find they give you a wider area of heat. Is your room below 20C? You could get a higher wattage lamp or try a heat mat. The mat heats up to 100F and heats up part of the substrate but won't warm the air much, so you might need to use the red lamp as well but not directly above the mat until summer but the mat will definitely get your warm end temperature. Place the mat on polyeterene sheet then use rubber adhesive feet to raise the tank off it for airflow and prevent hot spots if the animal should burrow down onto it. Place the stat under the substrate right above the mat. I can send you a 60W bulb and a 7W heat mat I have spare and you could see what works best for you
I have been using a mat with stat but have switched to the red lamp - it's round by the way the lamp! with overhead twin fitting as it seems to be a more natural method of heating. The room is in the loft and is around 21 I think - I will double check tonight. Do you think a larger watt lamp will work?
60W zoomed red bulb should do it, I definitely wouldn't go higher. You can get inaccurate temp readings with bulbs as they'll warm the air but not much of a moist substrate, which is why heat mats are used as additional heaters. Dry substrates are easier to take readings since the heat does not escape by moisture. Each time you mist the tank, the cooler water puts the temperature of the substrate down but not necessarily the air. I get the suction cup of thermometer and put it right to the probe sensor so when you place it down it's slightly raised above substrate, try that and see if it works. It might take hours to get a good reading
I've ordered a 60, so I'll see how that goes.
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