Reptile & Amphibian Forums

could somone use a infered bulb as a night bulb?
i need to get sullivan a new one her old one blew.
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1 sulcata ( sullivan )
1 russian ( foxy )
3 cockerspaniels (wilbur, charlotte and torre )
1 betta ( frederica )

Why not use a ceramic emmitter?
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

i've heard that those can present a fire hazard as they get dangerously hot (more so than a bulb). i think only one brand of them (zoo-med? i forget) is even u.l. approved.

so, since i'm kind of paranoid, i use a separate heat bulb that runs 24 hours to keep him warm... for a 15-gallon aquarium, i've got one that's 75 watts and is kind of a deep purple color that doesn't show brightly at night. the small amount of light that it puts out doesn't seem to bother junior, since he'll sleep out in the open while it's running pretty often.

might think more long the lines of something stronger (like those ceramic deals) once i've upgraded his indoor living space, though that's down the road a bit as he's still quite small.

i've got the heat bulb in one of those cheap light fixtures you find in the automotive department of places like wal-mart. i just clamp it to the side of his tank and aim it down.

The ceramics go down to 30 watts. You can hang them so low that the torts (small ones) can snuggle up to just a few inches from the bulb, with zero chance of igniting the substrate, or injuring the critter--assuming you've previously hung the emitter and measured the temp at tortoise level. IME they're much more reliable than a bulb, lasting years if not knocked around. In addition you're paying only for heat, not for extraneous light. What's not to like?

The ceramic heat emitters are wonderful for night heat or
additional heat (I've still got my first one outside with
Teddy now). If they are used with a dome that has a ceramic
element fixture then they are fine. It's those cheap domes
you get at Wal-mart that are intended for use for a 1/2 hr
while Billy Bob is fixing the car, and not for continuous
use as a reptile heater that's the danger. I would not depend
on a clamp to hold my lightbulbs without a screen underneath,
they can and do fall and a serious burn to your animal could
result. I wouldn't use one of those moonlights at all, torts
should be allowed to sleep in darkness. Just because he will
go to sleep doesn't mean it doesn't bother him. Heck they'll
sleep even if somebody has the full lights on 24/7. I think
a fair day/night cycle should be provided.

Niki & Teddy
NC Fire Inspector
NC Building Inspector
Certified Firefighter

Ceramic heat emitters not only are available in lower wattages, they can be used with thermostats and/or dimmers--obviously, you could use a dimmer with a bulb, but not a thermostat, unless you want a light going on and off all the time, lol. CHE are meant to be used in a ceramic-socket fixture, so they really need to be in something designed for reptile lighting/heating.

I use a flood light on a dimmer to provide extra heat (over what the 60w MV bulb puts out), but that's only because I already had the bulb; once it burns out, I'll probably go to a CHE. From what I've heard, they last forever.
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

sounds like they're a good idea after all; i didn't know much about them and was kind of paranoid about potential fire hazards and such. once the current heat bulb dies, i'll definitely look into getting a lower-wattage ceramic heat emitter (with proper fixture, of course!).

The plastic one's will sometime melt with just a 100w light bulb in them, let alone a heat bulb or ceramic emitter
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Adam
http://anraviary.cjb.net
0.0 African Sidenecked, 0.0 Northern Diamondback Terrapin, 0.1 Redfoot, 0.1 Sulcatta, 1.0 Western Hognose, 1.0 Crested Gecko, 0.1 Mali Uromastyx