My Ceramic Heat Emitter Set Up - Ball Python Terrarium UPDATE: see pinned comment
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- See pinned comment for important update! Here's how I use my 100 watt CHE in my ball/royal python's terrarium, and why I prefer this method over heat lamps and heat mats, especially for wood (OSB) terrariums. The heat emitter is controlled by a Microclimate Evo Lite digital thermostat (set to pulse regulation), but as mentioned you can also use a standard dimming or pulse proportional thermostat.
I barely have time for anything these days but I needed a bit of procrastination or else I would go completely insane which is why I made this video!
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Music used: Sunny Days by Anno Domini Beats - Навчання та стиль
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
I switched from a ceramic heat emitter to a deep heat projector, which I explain in this video:
ua-cam.com/video/p0sUmrYhdjs/v-deo.html
Basically, as I have been doing some more research into heating for reptiles, I came to the conclusion that ceramic heat emitters are NOT an optimal heat source. They are probably better than heat mats, but if you have the opportunity to upgrade your snake's heating, I would suggest switching to incandescent heat lamps, as these mimic the heat from natural sunlight more closely than other heat sources, especially when combined with a UVB light (I use the Arcadia 6% UVB tube for my python).
The CHE only provides one kind of heat (infrared-C), which does not penetrate/warm the animal's tissues the way heat from the sun does. Therefore, I am planning to swap my CHE out for a deep-heat projector, which can be installed in a similar way but provides heat of different wavelengths (infrared-A and -B) that allows for better warming. At some point in the future I will try to install a heat lamp, as they are even better than heat projectors... However, this is more complicated as the lamp will have to sit on top of the terrarium, which will involve making a hole in the wood over which to place the dome of the lamp. As I have 0 DIY skills this will probably not end well.
do you like the dramatic thumbnail? I'm quite proud of it tbh
Great Vid!💞 Thanks Kathy...PS- And I love your Profile Picture! lol 👍😉🇨🇦
how do you connect it to a thermostat?
They are actually known for drying out the terrariums even more than other heat sources. Also they only give of IR-C which is the worst kind of heat.
I currently only use those aswell but gonna try to change it out.
Loved your terrarium though it's obvious you care! 🥰
What did you use to waterproof the osb??
Hi, thanks for the feeback! Now that I've done more research on heating and wavelengths, I agree that the CHE is not the best heating option, so I'll add a disclaimer to my video. For now, I will try to swap the CHE out for a deep heat projector so the snake can get IRA and IRB. At some point I'll see if I can install a heat lamp, but this will be more complicated as it will probably involve making a hole in the wood to place the dome on top of the terrarium.
To waterproof the OSB I used a water-based sealant. I applied around 3 layers to the base and the lower parts of the terrarium sides. I then sealed the gaps with silicone. In case you are interested, I documented the process in the OSB assembly video I'm trying to upload over the next few days.
Regarding the drying out of the terrarium, to me it seemed like the lamp was stronger than the CHE (I use a lamp for my corn snake). I also found a video where people compared humiditiy loss through different heat sources in a controlled environment and the lamp was slightly more drying than the CHE. But that's a sample size of two, so it may very well be inaccurate...
@@CatharticOutlet Haha yes, I know the struggles.. I'm currently researching like a maniac and planning on building 2 new terrariums soon 😅 I also live in Sweden, most of the stuff you guys have (like sealants, ways to waterproof etc) isn't over here or is called something else so the struggle is huge!
Yes, I'd love to see the building-video! :D
Regarding drying out, I haven't done any tests and haven't really looked it up honestly, I just noticed mine (yes, I use them aswell) seemed to create a desert and saw several different youtubers(tho we both know how "good" they can be..) mention the CHE drying out so I just went with it.
I may ofc be wrong on that regard and in that case I apologize!
@@DarkWidget good luck with your terrariums! I live in France so I understand the struggle. Although there are reptile keepers here it is hard to find the equipment for the kind of set-up I want, especially for a bigger terrarium... The sealant I used was by the brand Ripolin (you can find it by searching "Revêtement invisible anti-infiltration intérieur extérieur multi-supports Ripolin 0,75L" - maybe the brand also exists in Sweden ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). Based on my research it is reptile safe, but definitely double check!
@@CatharticOutlet Oooh, I just assume everyone is American 😅😂
Thank you very much, I'll look it up!
🤘🍻🤘
How does the CHE bulb heat penatrate through the plastic hide? I've the same hide as you and I've a CHE arriving Saturday. But I can't understand how the heat penatrates through the hide? Thank you.
The infra red waves emitted by the heater can travel though the plastic. Of course, it is a bit hotter on top of the hide, around 35 degrees celsius on the surface, but enough heat reaches inside for it to be around 30 degrees in the hide. However, I would recommend sending the ceramic heat emitter back and replacing it with a deep heat projector, as the heat a DHP gives off is better for reptile health and well-being, and the set up is pretty much identical, so you don't have to rearrange anything to swap them out (I made a whole video about it if you're interested)
I can’t get my ceramic heat bulb to work with the habistat pulse thermostat.it flashes a few times then stops I turn dial up and it flashes then stops.in the meantime the bulb don’t get hot!
maybe there is something wrong with the bulb? does it heat up when plugged in a power source with no thermostat? (be careful when testing this as it can get dangerously hot really quick)
Also, this video is a bit outdated and I recommend switching from a ceramic heat emitter to a deep heat projector or heat lamp if you can, as these are the better heat sources!
Does the surface of the hide ever get too hot?
In my set up the surface of the hide was generally around 35 degrees celsius (which is basically the maximum basking spot temperature for ball pythons), and the small area right under the ceramic heat emitter could get up to around 40. The snake would occasionally sit on the hide's surface to bask, but only for short amounts of time (10 minutes or so). It seems snakes are quite good at finding a spot with the right temperature for them, so I wasn't worried about her sitting out there for too long and overheating. Also just FYI, I no longer use a ceramic heat emitter, but a deep heat projector - same set up, similar temperature gradients, but a much better heat source.
What thermostat do you use for your deep heat projector they are all so expensive
I got the micro climate evo lite when it was on sale on some website (I think it was swell reptiles) for around 70 pounds- right now they are selling it for 79 pounds (they don't ship outside of the UK though so I had to get someone there to buy it for me). I would wait for a sale or buy one second hand if you want to save money. I was also shocked at how expensive dimming thermostats were...
Are you worried abt them touching it? I have a tall tank and if I put the ceramic heater on top, the middle of the tank stays cold.
Yes, I would always put some kind of protection around the ceramic heat emitter - the surface can get extremely hot and the animal could sustain serious burns if it comes into contact with it, so it should be avoided at all costs. Also, I don’t recommend using a CHE anymore, it’s not a good heat source for reptiles - instead I’d use a deep heat projector or a heat lamp!
@@CatharticOutlet okay, tysm for replying
What is the exact name for the digit thermostat
It's the Microclimate Evo Lite. (Microclimate is the brand name and they also make other types of digital thermostats)
Thank you so much. I’m about to get my first ball Python and I want her to be as happy and as comfortable as she can :)
@@garrettangelici1622 that's a good mentality! hope everything goes well, they are amazing pets :)
Hey, just stumbled onto your video. Ceramic heat emitters aren't too bad at all and great for night time heat. They do have advantages for the keeper, however, I will always provide a lamp for my animals also during the day because of the benefits for the animal in terms of visible light spectrum, UVA, the type of infrared energy given off etc. It looks like you're already using a fluorescent tube so a spot lamp in combination gets fairly close to the sun's spectrum. I will admit it is a bit more fiddly having separate day and night heat sources but no one way of doing things is perfect. I recently watched a video which confirmed my suspicions - ua-cam.com/video/EhbDx11OMfM/v-deo.html - if you're interested. It's long so I watched it in bits. In any case it's nice to see someone providing a nice spacious enclosure for a ball python. You obviously care about your snake.
Hi, thanks for your informative comment! Looking back, I should have put more research into this video. Now that I have, I wish I would have emphasized that the ceramic heat emitter is not the best heating option (although I still find it better than a heat mat). I actually tested installing a heat lamp in place of the CHE in the early stages, but I wasn't able to get a good gradient (too close & hot), so I kept the CHE. I assumed that the UVA, UVB and visible light coming from the tube + the heat from the CHE were sufficiently naturalistic, but now that I know more about infrared waves I no longer hold this opinion. For now, I will swap the CHE out with a deep heat projector so the snake can get IR-A and IR-B. At some point in the future I will see if I can install a heat lamp, but to do that I think I will need to cut a hole into the terrarium so I can place the dome on top of it, which is a bit more of a complicated undertaking. PS: thanks for the video recommendation! I love the Animals at Home podcast, and now I wish I would have listened to that specific episode before deciding how to set up my heating >_
Jesus Loves all of you guys