RHP & Maintaining Proper Temps

[KT1]

Hi, I am in need of some advice!
I have a 7 month-old leopard tortoise who is currently living in a feeder tank (approx 5’x3’x18” tall), which is on a table and covered with a mini greenhouse.
I am using orchid bark as the substrate.
I recently purchased an 80 W RHP to replace am the CHE. I attached the RHP to a board and laid it across the top of the tank.
What I am finding is that the RHP alone is not enough to heat the tank, which, call me naïve but I thought it would?!
I am now trying different CHE wattage s to try and get the correct temperatures. I currently have the RHP on the right side of the tank, ACHE in the middle, just to the left of the RHP, and a T5UVB on the left side, which is supposed to be the cooler side.
Here’s what I am seeing and why I need more help:
1. If I put a 1 W CHE in, the temp on the right goes up to about 98°, but the temp on the left is at about 86°.
2. If I add an incandescent 65 W basking bulb in place of the CHE, the temp is in the low 80s.
3. If I use a 50 W CHE, The temp in the entire enclosure is only around 84°.

thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!
Katie

oh, and this is not his lifelong encclosure. I i’m hoping I can get it to work correctly for about another year. Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

RHPs don't heat the air, they heat the object/animal in front of it.

 

[TeamZissou]

Sounds like you're right about there. The care sheet says minimum of 80F drifting up to 90s F during the day.

Looks like you have a thermostat; isn't that the probe hanging on the left of the last picture? Can't you run a higher wattage CHE and change the thermostat setting and or position of the sensor?

Are you shooting for different temps?

Heating And Lighting:
I use a 45-65 watt incandescent flood bulb on a 12 hour timer and adjust the height of the fixture to get a basking area of around 95-100 directly under the bulb. In some closed chambers I go with lower wattage bulbs. This depends on many factors and no one can tell you exactly what wattage you will need in your enclosure. Let your thermometer be your guide. I use a ceramic heating element or a radiant heat panel set to 80 degrees on a reptile thermostat to maintain my ambient temperature in the enclosure. The basking lamp should raise the day time ambient temperature into the high 80s or low 90s. Ambient should be no lower than 80, but drifting up to 90 during the heat of the day is good. The thermostat will keep your CHE or RHP off during these times, but ready to click on after the basking lamp clicks off and the ambient temperature starts to drop at night. I use LED bulbs when I want to brighten up the whole enclosure and I run these on the same timer as the basking bulb. There are other ways to do some of this, but trial and error have shown time and time again, that the above is what works the best. Don't use "spot" bulbs, reptile specialty bulbs, halogen bulbs, any cfl, or mercury vapor bulbs. You want a plain old, regular incandescent flood bulb from the hardware store. I buy them in six or twelve packs, so I always have extras on hand. They always go out at the most inopportune times.

 

[Tom]

Hi, I am in need of some advice!
I have a 7 month-old leopard tortoise who is currently living in a feeder tank (approx 5’x3’x18” tall), which is on a table and covered with a mini greenhouse.
I am using orchid bark as the substrate.
I recently purchased an 80 W RHP to replace am the CHE. I attached the RHP to a board and laid it across the top of the tank.
What I am finding is that the RHP alone is not enough to heat the tank, which, call me naïve but I thought it would?!
I am now trying different CHE wattage s to try and get the correct temperatures. I currently have the RHP on the right side of the tank, ACHE in the middle, just to the left of the RHP, and a T5UVB on the left side, which is supposed to be the cooler side.
Here’s what I am seeing and why I need more help:
1. If I put a 1 W CHE in, the temp on the right goes up to about 98°, but the temp on the left is at about 86°.
2. If I add an incandescent 65 W basking bulb in place of the CHE, the temp is in the low 80s.
3. If I use a 50 W CHE, The temp in the entire enclosure is only around 84°.

thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!
Katie

oh, and this is not his lifelong encclosure. I i’m hoping I can get it to work correctly for about another year. Thanks!View attachment 316975


View attachment 316978View attachment 316979

RHPs don't work in open topped enclosures. They just don't generate enough heat. Your enclosure is in the green house, but I don't think that helps a whole lot with heat because of the thin membrane and large surface area of it. I'm sure it holds in humidity, but not so great for heat retention. I've never housed a tortoise that way, so I don't have any personal experience to draw from. I see these greenhouses recommended here, and I've not interfered with it because it seems like its better than nothing, and a solution people seem willing to go for when they won't go for getting a closed chamber enclosure, which is what I recommend.

You need the basking bulb. They've got to have a warm lit area where they can get well above ambient temp. Sounds like the RHP alone isn't going to get it done, so it looks like you need to run the RHP and the CHE together along with the UV and basking bulb.

In the picture, I can see things under the greenhouse tent. Is the bottom raised off the ground and open?

 

[KT1]

Hi and thanks to all of you for responding.
To answer your questions--yes, I can definitely use a higher wattage CHE to amp up the temp.
My question to this is: b/c I have the RHP taking up space on the right side, my CHE needs to be to the left of the RHP, so the temp on the left side (which I am trying to keep cooler) gets up there (above 85F). Is this a problem?

When I add the incandescent (in the center area also) this will also reaise the temp on the left up.
Problem?

I have the tub on a 19" table w/ a piece of plywood on the top of the table so I am able to tuck the greenhouse plastic under its frame.
It's definitely keeping the humidity in.
It also seemed to keep the temp up when I used the higher watt CHE.

Would it be beneficial to put the RHP on its side & spread out the CHE and basking bulb?
Would it be better for now to remove the RHP and use only CHE's and basking light?

I keep getting closer and closer to getting that closed chamber enclosure, but in the meantime (esp since Mark W has a waitlist of at least 3 mo!)

Thanks