Ceramic Heat Emitter

Hello Everyone,

I have a question. The use of CHE's is recommended quite often and I myself have, but with concern in the back of my mind. I have been told by several people that they are too powerful for small enclosures and tend to overheat them and they end up using a blue daylight bulb. Personally I have never tried to use one in a small enclosure and so I would like some feedback if I will continue suggesting it. Has anyone been successful using them in a 20 gallon tank without overheating? If so what wattage is used?

Just to keep ambient temperatures, I assume is why you suggest it; I would feel anything larger than the 40 watt's would be over kill for this purpose. I agree that perhaps a blue bulb would be the best bet in that kind of situation.

Just a space heater raising the over all ambient's in the room itself is what I've seen the most suggested though.

Wattage: 60W
Gal Size: 10-20 Gal

Wattage: 100W
Gal Size: 30-40 Gal

Wattage: 150W
Gal Size: 50-100 Gal

http://www.infraredheaters.com/petwarm.html

Personally I wouldn't use one in a small enclosure as I do believe it would elevate temps to high for a leo's needs. It would ruine your humidity and also make for very hot dry air that is harder to breathe, kind of stifiling if you will. These animals come from the afghan desert, india, parts of asia where nights are cool and days usually don't get over 100 degrees. I included a link to a national weather service page (or something similar, I can't recall directly off hand where the facts are from but their there) that has the history of temperatures and the weather climates for the afghan region so that you can see for yourself just exactly what the humitity, rainfall, air temps etc are really like. For some reason people here desert and they think sahara... 110 degrees in the shade. Not true.

herp625 wrote:Hello Everyone,

I have a question. The use of CHE's is recommended quite often and I myself have, but with concern in the back of my mind. I have been told by several people that they are too powerful for small enclosures and tend to overheat them and they end up using a blue daylight bulb. Personally I have never tried to use one in a small enclosure and so I would like some feedback if I will continue suggesting it. Has anyone been successful using them in a 20 gallon tank without overheating? If so what wattage is used?

a daylight blue? or you mean nightblue? never heard of a blue daylight bulb

There are daylight blue bulbs, often called grow bulbs or plant bulbs, them there are standard blue bulbs that are just blue glass that only dull the light, them there are moonlight blue bulbs that actually provide heat value with out the problems that infrared bulbs can have on leos. Pretty sure he was talking about the moonlight bulbs.