Heat lamps or heat pads

[Donnie]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Heat lamps need to be removed from snake husbandry for most species. It dries out an enclosure and the bulbs need frequent replacement. Radiant heat panels are the best heat source for snakes that like to perch.

It would be great if we had a selection of RHP's over here but they are almost non existent. I use a ceramic for all my carpets without any shedding issues and I never mist or do anything to increase the humidity. My only reason to get away from a CHE and go to a RHP would be so I don't have to look at a bulb and guard all the time

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Donnie

It would be great if we had a selection of RHP's over here but they are almost non existent. I use a ceramic for all my carpets without any shedding issues and I never mist or do anything to increase the humidity. My only reason to get away from a CHE and go to a RHP would be so I don't have to look at a bulb and guard all the time

Man I wish I had the pm, but a member here(I forgot) makes his own RHP's using common materials that work just as good.

[Donnie]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Man I wish I had the pm, but a member here(I forgot) makes his own RHP's using common materials that work just as good.

When I'm ready (and have the cash) to move mine into plastic vivs then I am going to do some serious research into getting hold of some. I know of a place in Germany that sells them but they are not cheap at all. It may even be cheaper shipping them over from the states.

[Terranaut]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Man I wish I had the pm, but a member here(I forgot) makes his own RHP's using common materials that work just as good.

Larry makes them.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Terranaut

Larry makes them.

Ah right it was him. Shouldn't have deleted the message, I was going to try to make one using his guideline.

[jarich]

Originally Posted by Terranaut

If you feel they need UV then add a UV tube light fixture lile for a beardie. Just keep light and heat seperate.

UVB tubes have very poor UVA production, you only get the good UVA production when you have a brighter burn, like with an MVB or HID bulb.

[Lankyrob]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Heat lamps need to be removed from snake husbandry for most species. It dries out an enclosure and the bulbs need frequent replacement. Radiant heat panels are the best heat source for snakes that like to perch.

What do you call frequent replacemennt? My CHE's have been running for almost four years without being replaced. Have also used them in high humidity vivs where i only needed to spray once or twice a week so drying out wasnt an issue.

(i will say that i originally had my high humidity snake in a viv that wasnt well sealed and needed spraying once a day but once it was in a "proper" viv there were no issues)

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

What do you call frequent replacemennt? My CHE's have been running for almost four years without being replaced. Have also used them in high humidity vivs where i only needed to spray once or twice a week so drying out wasnt an issue.

(i will say that i originally had my high humidity snake in a viv that wasnt well sealed and needed spraying once a day but once it was in a "proper" viv there were no issues)

Right I said that without putting che's into consideration.

But even if I had to choose between a CHE and a RHP I'd always choose an RHP for most snake species. They just don't get as hot and heat the enclosure equally well.(Since most snake species don't need hotspots over 90F)

[Terranaut]

I also think RHPs are the way to go.
Lower wattage.
Still safe to touch even when on full.
Easiest type of heat source to mount.
Should last the lifetime of the snake.
But cost a bit more initially.
Nothing wrong with CHEs that are shrouded but I do think once a person has used RHPs , they will not go back.
JMHO.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Terranaut

I also think RHPs are the way to go.
Lower wattage.
Still safe to touch even when on full.
Easiest type of heat source to mount.
Should last the lifetime of the snake.
But cost a bit more initially.
Nothing wrong with CHEs that are shrouded but I do think once a person has used RHPs , they will not go back.
JMHO.

100% agree. When there are so many pros than outweigh the cons there's no reason not to go this direction.

A lot of people at first think installing an rhp might be technical/difficult but it's really nothing more than two screws to hold it in place.

[Terranaut]

Also they are very light in most cases.

[knox]

Those of us who were into the hobby in the 70's and 80's know that over head heat lamps are perfectly fine for keeping North American Colubrids.

When I do use heat lamps, I have a piece of tile or flat rock under the lamp. The lamp not only provides heat from above, but just as the sun warms the earth, the tile or stone beneath the heat lamp warms for a nice belly heat.

I rarely have trouble with shedding when I use heat lamps for kings and corns. In fact, with desert species like Cal Kings or Desert Kings, or even Great Basin or Sonoran Gopher Snakes, Heat Lamps are ideal for pulling excess moisture from the air.

It's not hard to spray the enclosure once a day for adding humidity.

People have been saying, only recently, that heat lamps are horrible. That just isn't the case.

Heat Lamps have the advantage of controlling the heat in a safe way - different wattage bulbs. The only caveat I would add is do NOT use heat lamps if you have dogs or cats that could knock them off and onto carpet or other flammable materials.

30 years in the snake hobby and I still use heat lamps when I use glass enclosures (which are also perfectly fine for North American Colubrids). I use Flex Watt for Racks and Plastic Bin enclosures.

[EL Ziggy]

I'm considering switching from uth's to rhp's for my colubrids but was wondering how well the rhp would heat the inside of the warm hide. Right now I'm using the uth's for belly heat and a heat bulb a few hours a day for basking.

[Mikoh4792]

I agree, no one's knocking on heat lamps for all snake species. Just most, or those that require more than low-moderate humidity.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I'm considering switching from uth's to rhp's for my colubrids but was wondering how well the rhp would heat the inside of the warm hide.

How tall is the enclosure?