>>low wattage CHE's are a good idea - they provide radiant heat and don't dry out the cage as much as incandescents, and would be much more effective than a UTH.



Obviously, the choice of heat source is always the choice of the owner, but in the name of science:



Sorry to go a bit off topic, but let's make sure we have the most accurate information: a ceramic heater will dry out the enclosure just as fast as any other heat source of the same heat output, ie, Wattage. Ceramic heaters just work only the infrared range and incandescent lightbulbs emit only 2-5% of their power (depending on type) as light, the rest is heat. But heat power, whatever wavelength you choose, is still power.



Something else to consider, a UTH will keep the heat currents moving upward mostly inside the enclosure, whereas a bulb has to direct heat downward and then heat is lost to the ambient air from the fixture. (Try touching the shroud on any lamp, if you like burned fingers.) So if you have a large room with just the geckos there, the heat is going to dissipate much faster from the bulb fixture and shroud because it has plenty of air for currents to form and lots of exposed air to shroud. A UTH should be completely glued to the bottom of the enclosure, then the heat has the choice of going to the air or into the glass/plastic/whatever... all of those things have a much lower resistance to heat movement than air. The UTH gives the heat an easier and more direct path to the enclosure.



Hopefully this makes sense, I've got a bad sinus infection and sometimes I think it is in my brain, but I did used to teach this stuff at the University, so ask me to restate anything that isn't clear.
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