wattage

[raviolli]

i know most of you probably have gone through several different wattages to get things right....maybe you can help me find the right one as quick as possible. im getting a ceramic heat emitter but dont know what wattage to start out with. i just had my thermostat arrive in the mail today. i have a 55 gallon tank, its 4' X 1' X about 20" (tall) and temporarily i had a normal 60W light bulb up top until i got my shipments in. ive got an under tank heater also, but as far as the 60W bulb goes (which i took from an old lamp), it seems to keep the warm side at just the right temp...about 85F after its on for a lil while. but since its just a normal light bulb, i turn it off at night and it cools down quite a bit (which is why im going with a ceramic emitter that i can use day or night). ill have the thermostat set up with both the UTH and the ceramic heat emitter, but im wondering if anyone knows what wattage would be close to what i need.

also wondering if sunlight through a window is enough for a day/night effect since im going to be using a heat emitter which gives off no light. its kinda hard to describe how much light actually gets into the room....its a small room...about 11.5' X 13' and only one 4'X4' window. light gets in, but im in FL so while its sunny every single day, its also very stormy every single day as well to the point where it looks dark as night outside because of rain clouds. haha, funny how the sunshine state can also be the lightning capital of the world. anyways, ill probably just have to rotate bulbs every day with my other light. (i have a black light for night, and a UV light, which i have from previous snakes who werent nocturnal)

[citysnakes]

unless you are ordering a thermostat with at least two seperate outputs, you wont be able to control both the UTH and the CHE with a single thermostat.

i would suggest using the thermostat for the UTH as the snake will be lying over top of it and start off with a 60 watt CHE to raise the ambient air temperature. if the 60 watt CHE is too weak then try a 100 watt.

daylight from a window may be enough for a nocturnal animal such as a ball python but never place your tank directly infront of the window as the sunlight will heat it up and cook your snake.

[raviolli]

thanks
yes, my thermostat has two serperate outputs. im not sure yet if im going to keep both monitored or not because unfortunately my thermometer gun i ordered is coming from hong kong so it wont be here for a few weeks and i dont really care for my other thermometer with the probe. ill pick up a CHE either today or tomorrow...thanks for the reply. i was thinking about starting off with a 60W too but decided to post this just in case someone already knew.

[citysnakes]

sounds good man. what type of thermostat are you using?

[raviolli]

its a ZooMed ReptiTemp 500R

[citysnakes]

ya sorry man i meant seperate outputs that can be controlled individually. the zoomed has dual outputs but only a single probe meaning that it can properly control two heating elements of the same type. it wont be able to successfully control the UTH and the CHE at one time.

[raviolli]

oh yeah...nope, doesnt have seperate probes. actually i thought of that right when it shipped. anyways, with the regular light bulb i have in there now (its a 60W bulb and its not plugged into the thermostat), i keep it on all day and turn it off at night and as far as air temps, it does the job. it stays between 80F-85F during the day when its on and when i turn it off at night its in the seventys. i think its usually 74F-76F when i wake up in the morning to turn it back on, but the UTH still keeps the hidebox on the hot end nice and warm. im just wondering, is there anything wrong with just using a regular light bulb (that i took from an ordinary lamp) as long as the temps are right?

[Tuteuk]

unless you are providing sunlight..I would suggest looking for a better bulb with the spectrum that animal needs...Other then that nice setup..:)

[citysnakes]

i personally would rather use a CHE or red bulb over a regular house light bulb. a night drop is not necessary and with those two heating elements you can leave them on overnight. also they are designed to be used for reptile enclosure heating so i would think that they are a little more, lets say, safe than a regular house bulb that is designed to light up an area.

[raviolli]

well sunlight really doesnt matter too much. just light to create a day/night scenario (since theyre nocturnal), but the sunlight does come in through the window during the day. i wasnt planning on keeping that bulb, its just that as far as air temps go, its perfect because i can leave it on all day and it stays between 80F and 85F. my UTH stays on all the time and is monitored by a thermostat, and at night, i use a black light just to be able to see. theres no heating element at night besides the UTH, but air temps are good at night too. i just need something to leave on all day...just like the bulb i have now. im debating between a CHE or one of those basking bulbs. but i need to find just the right wattage because i cant use the thermostat with it along with the UTH.