Arcadia deep heat projectors

[dharvey4651]

Has anyone had any experience with Arcadia deep heat projectors?

https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/arcadia-deep-heat-projector.html

I've read that they're phenomenal at helping provide your dragon with appropriate amounts of Infrared A & B but also provide heat as well.

I guess my question is this. How would one utilize this in their beardie Habitat?

Is it a nighttime only thing?
Could you use it in addition to a basking bulb to create extra heat?

Could I use several of them to provide a nice temperature gradient throughout the tank with dimming thermostats without disrupting his basking spot or UVB light?

I guess most importantly, are they safe?



Here in the very not too distant future I will be ordering my 120 gallon Zen enclosure and I want to be sure that I have appropriate heat and lighting for my beardie to be able to be comfortable in his new home.

I already have the 22" Reptisun T5 HO UVB 10.0 bulb in reflective 24" fixture. It will be put inside my new Zen Habitat.

I also have a 150 watt Flukers basking spotlight and a 150 watt black ceramic heat emitter. Both are in a dual fixture. I have all lights on timers as well.

I know this isn't going to be adequate for the newer larger tank which is why I've started exploring other heating options.



I am wanting to get Charlie the Exo Terra® Intense Basking Spot Light to replace his Flukers basking bulb.

I've been considering swapping his Reptisun UVB 10.0 T5 for an Arcadia UVB 14.0 T5 bulb once my current bulb "expires". Possibly upgrading to the 36" instead of the 24".

I also want to get rid of the dual light fixture and get several with dimmer switches for accurate temperature control and replacing my stick on thermometers with digital probe thermometers as well.

 

[dharvey4651]

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to make sure everything is perfect but not over do it.

Perfect temperature and perfect lighting in a perfect sized enclosure for a long and healthy life.

 

[CooperDragon]

I have two of the MegaRay version of these. I like them much more than ceramic heat emitters because they provide plenty of heat overnight while not getting nearly so hot to the touch (Burn risk, melted carpet if dropped, etc). I have one of them over my enclosure connected to a thermostat. It kicks on if the temps in the enclosure drop below 65 and turns back off once the temp at the probe hits 73. This is on the "cool side" of the enclosure so overnight the warm and cool sides kind of flip to an extent. I also use one over my roach colony to keep their housing (cardboard tubes) warm since they are in the cellar.

If the enclosure temps stay above 65 or so overnight, then you may not really need one. Mine kicks in much more often during the winter when I let the house get cold. You may find one useful during the cooler seasons. It really depends on the temps inside your enclosure.

 

[dharvey4651]

If the enclosure temps stay above 65 or so overnight, then you may not really need one. Mine kicks in much more often during the winter when I let the house get cold. You may find one useful during the cooler seasons. It really depends on the temps inside your enclosure.

My enclosure doesn't really seem to drop below 70 degrees at night on the cool side. The warm side stays around 90 degrees at night since there is a ceramic heat emitter above the warm side.

Charlie likes to sleep in his cave at night and the temps in the cave seem to hang around 80 degrees with only the ceramic heater turned on.

This is all with current weather conditions. In 2-3 months that will change.

My current 40 gallon tank is not my concern. It seems to stay more or less where I need it to but winters in Kansas tend to get VERY cold... can get as cold as -10°F and it is difficult to keep my home warm. This will be especially true with the larger Zen tank I will be getting.

This is why I'm interested in the Arcadia deep heat projectors.

If I can get 2 of them, in addition to my basking and UVB lamps, all in Flukers or Zoo Med dimmer housings, it should be possible to keep his temp gradient nice and smooth and hopefully consistent throughout his entire larger tank without the need for a thermostat which I've found can be costly.

I plan on replacing my stick-on thermometers with the digital probe type, drilling small holes in the tank and then using non-toxic silicone adhesive to glue the probes down and seal the holes.

And be adjustable so I can ramp up the heat during winter when needed and dial it back during summer when not needed.

Again this is theoretical. I haven't bought anything yet. Just looking to provide the best future lighting and heating for my Charlie so he can live a long healthy life.

 

[Claudiusx]

Hi there,

Well the first thing you need to do before making any changes or even think about making any changes is throw out the stick on thermometers now. You need to be using a reliable source to measure your temps, it's extremely important.

What size is your tank? That seems like an awful lot of power to heat a tank. I use a 40w bulb for my 4x2x2s, but of course they are insulated better than an open top glass tank.

In regards to the deep heat projectors. I would either use them, or a CHE. You can use it as a basking bulb if you want, but as it produces no heat, you will want to have it side by side with another bulb that produces light but not necessarily heat.

And to create a proper gradient, you don't need multiple bulbs. 1 basking bulb on the hot end is typically enough to create a nice temp gradient all the way over to the cool side.

I would just stick with what you have personally.

Remember, your zen enclosure will insulate better than your current tank too. It's just one of those things you have to play with.

I see your response to Cooper now, I still really don't think you'll need multiples of the CHE/arcadia bulb. 1 of either should do fine. But like I said, you'll just have to see when the time comes.

-Brandon

 

[dharvey4651]

Hi there,

Well the first thing you need to do before making any changes or even think about making any changes is throw out the stick on thermometers now. You need to be using a reliable source to measure your temps, it's extremely important.

Money has been kind of tight lately but I am starting a new job in a few weeks that should change that. I will be buying more accurate digital probe thermometers as soon as I can.

What size is your tank? That seems like an awful lot of power to heat a tank. I use a 40w bulb for my 4x2x2s, but of course they are insulated better than an open top glass tank.

I currently have a 40 gallon starter tank that was purchased from Petsmart. It is a glass tank and it does have an open screen top. All of my lighting and heating is currently on top of said screen.

In regards to the deep heat projectors. I would either use them, or a CHE. You can use it as a basking bulb if you want, but as it produces no heat, you will want to have it side by side with another bulb that produces light but not necessarily heat.tank.

I am planning to replace the ceramic heat emitter with the deep heat projectors if I find the projectors are what will work best for my new tank.

And to create a proper gradient, you don't need multiple bulbs. 1 basking bulb on the hot end is typically enough to create a nice temp gradient all the way over to the cool side.

I don't have much if a gradient at the moment. My basking spot, about 6" below the Flukers 150W is typically about 100°F and my cold side is usually about 70-75°F, 6" from the floor through out the day when the basking lamp is on.

I would just stick with what you have personally.

Remember, your zen enclosure will insulate better than your current tank too. It's just one of those things you have to play with.

I see your response to Cooper now, I still really don't think you'll need multiples of the CHE/arcadia bulb. 1 of either should do fine. But like I said, you'll just have to see when the time comes.

-Brandon

I will be waiting to see what this new tank is like before overdoing it. I guess what I was thinking of doing might be overkill.

My ultimate plan was to use the Exo Terra 150 basking bulb on my hot side above my basking decor and then space out 2 more projectors, dimming them progressively to get the temp gradient perfect.

This is the configuration I'm planning to purchase for the tank.