CHE recommendations

[Gr00t]

My flat gets really cold at night. Groot has a heat mat behind a glass panel in his built-in hide but it emits very little heat (the seller assured me this was correct because at first I thought it was broken). I also use a plug-in oil radiator beside his table overnight but I am constantly concerned that he might be too cold. I plan on getting a proper digital thermometer for him because I don't trust that sticker we have on the inside of his enclosure. I'm just a bit strapped for cash. It's -2C outside tonight.

I've been looking at CHEs on Amazon but a lot of the reviews talk about fire hazards and bad wiring. Does anyone have any recommendations for brands they've found to be reliable?

 

[Lyn W]

Sounds like your tort needs the extra heat.
What species is he?
I bought mine at The Range, with a thermostat to stop it getting too hot in the tank and cooking your tort.
I think they were both Komodo and cost me about £50 for both but that was 7 years ago. It sounds a lot but it will be cheaper than running the oil radiator - and safer with the thermostat.
They have lasted well and I think che's tend to have long lives.
I also have a Microclimate double thermostat (online) which can be set for 2 different heat sources and that's been good too
The che will need a ceramic fitting rather than plastic but I think most are ceramic now anyway.
You're right about the dial type thermometers - they aren't very accurate, so a digital thermometer/hygrometer will be better. A digital temp gun is also great for spot checking areas around the enclosure at tort level too.

 

[wellington]

Pictures of both tort and enclosure would help us help you to get the right heating.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The biggest risks of fire from a CHE would be from the fixture not being secured and falling into the enclosure and igniting the substrate.
The other is if you use a fixture that is not rated for AT LEAST the wattage of the CHE. Higher is better. And it must be a high heat handling fixture. Such as a ceramic one. Using the wrong fixture can overheat the fixture. Melt it. Short it out. Etc.
I've also read many posts with members that own tortoises and cats. Cats seem to love to hop on top of tortoise enclosures and sometimes they can knock hot lights and heaters down into the enclosures.
All in all a CHE is a great heat source. They are economical. They are long lasting and they are reliable

 

[Gr00t]

Thank you for your replies everyone. Groot is a one-year-old baby Hermann's. Sorry, it's not the best picture of the enclosure but it's one of those standard wooden tortoise tables like this: http://www.reptilecentre.com/images/reptile/tortoise-table-stand-v1.jpg



He (or she) has got his lamp clipped on the end furthest from the built-in hide (we call it his bedroom). He likes to bury himself in the substrate which is this stuff: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07L41XDZC/?tag=

I put some generic soil in underneath a couple of times which he seemed to love. The second time I did it, it started growing this white cobweb-looking mould under his bowls which could have been mycelium.



And we started noticing dozens of tiny flies all over our living room, mostly concentrated in his enclosure. We think they could have been fungus gnats. I removed the soil and the problem is slowly subsiding. I suspect something to do with the humidity?



I've ordered a digital hygrometer so that I can address the issues with more accurate data.

I suspect the substrate we currently use would be pretty flammable in the event of catastrophic failure, but I am looking into different things for him to try out and see what he likes best. The soil was great but obviously there were issues with that! Maybe something drier for the future.

Thank you for your feedback. Any further advice or ideas are appreciated. One specific question though - where in the enclosure would be the best place for a CHE? I am familiar with the idea of a warm end and a cooler end. Would it make sense to have the CHE close to his lamp (to switch on when the lamp switches off)? Or should I have it closer to his bedroom (he doesn't always sleep in there) to heat as much of the table as possible?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Those "clamp on" lamps fail eventually because of one reason or another.
My suggestion is to also secure the clamp with a screw, a heavy zip tie or something else as an insurance policy against falling.

 

[Tom]

Thank you for your replies everyone. Groot is a one-year-old baby Hermann's. Sorry, it's not the best picture of the enclosure but it's one of those standard wooden tortoise tables like this: http://www.reptilecentre.com/images/reptile/tortoise-table-stand-v1.jpg

View attachment 337003

He (or she) has got his lamp clipped on the end furthest from the built-in hide (we call it his bedroom). He likes to bury himself in the substrate which is this stuff: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07L41XDZC/?tag=

I put some generic soil in underneath a couple of times which he seemed to love. The second time I did it, it started growing this white cobweb-looking mould under his bowls which could have been mycelium.

View attachment 337004

And we started noticing dozens of tiny flies all over our living room, mostly concentrated in his enclosure. We think they could have been fungus gnats. I removed the soil and the problem is slowly subsiding. I suspect something to do with the humidity?

View attachment 337005

I've ordered a digital hygrometer so that I can address the issues with more accurate data.

I suspect the substrate we currently use would be pretty flammable in the event of catastrophic failure, but I am looking into different things for him to try out and see what he likes best. The soil was great but obviously there were issues with that! Maybe something drier for the future.

Thank you for your feedback. Any further advice or ideas are appreciated. One specific question though - where in the enclosure would be the best place for a CHE? I am familiar with the idea of a warm end and a cooler end. Would it make sense to have the CHE close to his lamp (to switch on when the lamp switches off)? Or should I have it closer to his bedroom (he doesn't always sleep in there) to heat as much of the table as possible?

You'd have a much easier time maintaining the correct temps and humidity in a large vivarium. Large tables are fine for adults, but babies do better in more controlled conditions. A closed chamber will also let you heat it much more effectively and efficiently.

You are using the wrong substrate. That is why you got visible mold under the bowl. That hay is molding anywhere it is wet, and hay shouldn't be used for substrate.

This will help you and your tortoise a lot:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

ZooMed CHEs have been reliable in my experience.

 

[Gr00t]

You'd have a much easier time maintaining the correct temps and humidity in a large vivarium. Large tables are fine for adults, but babies do better in more controlled conditions. A closed chamber will also let you heat it much more effectively and efficiently.

You are using the wrong substrate. That is why you got visible mold under the bowl. That hay is molding anywhere it is wet, and hay shouldn't be used for substrate.

This will help you and your tortoise a lot:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

ZooMed CHEs have been reliable in my experience.

Thank you for the link. I have read through carefully and will make some changes to the substrate. And thank you for the recommendation, I will do some research

 

[Cpassmore]

I can tell you from experience every che I ordered off Amazon cracked literally as soon as it heated up. I would suggest buying a quality, brand name one. I've had no problems with any other ones.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My ZOOMED CHE are still the original units. And they are many years old

A GREAT bang for the buck!