What is a CHE?

Stig060

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The CHE will be above the reach of the tortoise, same as any other overhead heat source, so you will not need a guard like the ones you may see on brooder lamps.

Brooder lamps were designed to keep baby chicks and adult chickens warm. In that situation, the guard on the lamp fixture may keep the birds from bumping into the CHE or accidentally getting burned.

Hi is this CHE ok? I can select it without the guard as well

IMG_8718.jpg
 

Pastel Tortie

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Hi is this CHE ok? I can select it without the guard as well

View attachment 259468
Interesting. It's the first time I've seen a CHE fixture/guard like that. I'm thinking that's overkill for a tortoise, unless there's something about your setup that makes it necessary. If there's a risk of small children being around, the enclosed cage could protect little fingers from getting burned.
 

Stig060

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Interesting. It's the first time I've seen a CHE fixture/guard like that. I'm thinking that's overkill for a tortoise, unless there's something about your setup that makes it necessary. If there's a risk of small children being around, the enclosed cage could protect little fingers from getting burned.

Is that particular CHE adequate? (With or without guard)
 

Pastel Tortie

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The 100W CHE should be fine. Remember the thermostat to control it (by automatically turning it on/off based in the current temperature in the enclosure).

Check the basking light fixture you already have and see if it's labeled for use with a CHE, and if so, whether it's labeled for 100W CHE. If it can accept a 100W CHE, you only need to buy the CHE (bulb) itself.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Hello,

Is the CHE a good enough heat source for hatchlings?
Absolutely. I have one in every single hatchling enclosure. I've placed them near their humid hides and use them during the night so the hides stay warm and humid all night. My hatchlings like to sleep in their humid hides. The hides are near the basking spot and stay warm from that source during the day.
 

Jessica03

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Great, thank you!! Just wanted to make sure for hatchlings. Better safe than sorry!
 

Pastel Tortie

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Great, thank you!! Just wanted to make sure for hatchlings. Better safe than sorry!
Make sure the CHE is controlled by a thermostat, and that the temperature probe is either fairly close to where the turtles are, or do some temperature readings and take that (temperature difference) into account when you set the thermostat.

You want to make sure they're warm enough, but overheating can kill a small turtle very quickly.
 

Jessica03

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Is the CHE only to be used at night? And then a fluorescent in the morning?
 

Pastel Tortie

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Is the CHE only to be used at night? And then a fluorescent in the morning?
That's where the thermostat comes in. If the temperature is warm enough without needing help from the CHE, the thermostat keeps the CHE off. If the temperature is NOT warm enough, even with another light turned on (a light NOT controlled by the thermostat) during the daytime or whatever, the thermostat will keep the CHE turned on until it reaches the target temperature.
 

Cherryman304

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Does the CHE replace a basking light, or will they need both. One for night and one for day?
what type of Tortoise do you have? My Redfoot doesnt require a basking spot. He does however have a T5 UVB strip light. So on my set up my light doesn't produce any amount of heat source. Only my CHE which runs 24/7 mind you I'm also regulating temp with a thermostat since I'm closed off. If I were not to have a thermostat and ran my setup the temps would just rise and rise unregulated.
 

Jessica03

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what type of Tortoise do you have? My Redfoot doesnt require a basking spot. He does however have a T5 UVB strip light. So on my set up my light doesn't produce any amount of heat source. Only my CHE which runs 24/7 mind you I'm also regulating temp with a thermostat since I'm closed off. If I were not to have a thermostat and ran my setup the temps would just rise and rise unregulated.

I’m getting a Hermanns hatchling.
 

Cherryman304

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I
I’m getting a Hermanns hatchling.
If it were me try to get someone to chime in on humidity requirements because humidity is important for some tortoise hatchlings. Open air boxes are very hard "impossible"to keep high humidity but if it were me I would run a Fluorescent UVB strip light over the length of the enclosure and a 100w basking light on the end without the hide. Night time chills could be regulated with a heating pad under the tank unless your doing a wooden box. In that case you could just run 100w CHE at night in place of the basking light.
 

Jessica03

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I

If it were me try to get someone to chime in on humidity requirements because humidity is important for some tortoise hatchlings. Open air boxes are very hard "impossible"to keep high humidity but if it were me I would run a Fluorescent UVB strip light over the length of the enclosure and a 100w basking light on the end without the hide. Night time chills could be regulated with a heating pad under the tank unless your doing a wooden box. In that case you could just run 100w CHE at night in place of the basking light.

Yes, we’re making the hatchling a closed chamber enclosure.
 

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