heating question. Ceramic bulbs vs UTH

[jossh27]

Originally Posted by millertime89

If you watch they get as low as $30 from time to time. When I first started using them they were about $26. :/

i'll keep a eye out

[pet_snake_78]

I think as long as the snakes can themoregulate they will be OK but I've heard ceramics will dry the cage out. Overhead heating seems like a major pain to me and fortunately I don't have any basking species to worry about. The hydrofarm's are OK but I much prefer Herpstats to them. It's a little more money but well worth it in my opinion and they are much more precise, have more features (night drop, ramp up, etc), and have more safety features (probe dislocation alarms, high/low warnings, safety relay). I had a oil radiant heater using only 600 watts fortunately hooked up to hydrofarm and it stuck in the on position. Fortunately I noticed it before I lost all of my animals. Now, I am backing up a new hydrofarm with a ranco so they'd both have to fail at the same time for me to have that issue again.

In the wild many snakes like to sit under flat racks, boards, and metals warmed by the sun, so the same thing could be done in a cage by putting a thin cover item underneath an overheard heating device, it just seems like more work and the snakes digest food just fine with UTH.

[Sophi]

Originally Posted by pet_snake_78

I think as long as the snakes can themoregulate they will be OK but I've heard ceramics will dry the cage out. Overhead heating seems like a major pain to me and fortunately I don't have any basking species to worry about. The hydrofarm's are OK but I much prefer Herpstats to them. It's a little more money but well worth it in my opinion and they are much more precise, have more features (night drop, ramp up, etc), and have more safety features (probe dislocation alarms, high/low warnings, safety relay). I had a oil radiant heater using only 600 watts fortunately hooked up to hydrofarm and it stuck in the on position. Fortunately I noticed it before I lost all of my animals. Now, I am backing up a new hydrofarm with a ranco so they'd both have to fail at the same time for me to have that issue again.

In the wild many snakes like to sit under flat racks, boards, and metals warmed by the sun, so the same thing could be done in a cage by putting a thin cover item underneath an overheard heating device, it just seems like more work and the snakes digest food just fine with UTH.

Thanks, this is a lot of very helpful info. I'm using ceramic heaters still until I get paid. I have two UTH heaters waiting for when I get a regulator since I'm too worried about over heating until then. I have two young snakes, a king snake who's age I'm unsure of but she is about 16 inches long and has just started eating prey larger than pinkies, and a five months old ball python. Both of them are in 20 long tanks with hides on both cool and hot ends and they are both eating and going to the bathroom fine and seem to be in good health. (Im treating my skink for mites at the moment so both snakes are under close observation while the skink is in quarantine but they are both very healthy.)

I will be able to pick up some thermostats mid week in a few days and hopefully can get rid of the dome lights. It's starting to warm up here in boston so hopefully both wanted nessesary until next winter.

[Sophi]

By ball python loves to sit on top of her hide house under the heat the lamp. She has two hides but doesn't seem to be a very shy snake. My king on the other hand is very shy.

[Albert Clark]

Che (ceramic heat emitter) is mainly to warm ambient temps and uth (under tank heater) is primarily used to give the animal a hot spot. Uth should always be regulated by a dimmer or a thermostat!