Do You need a thermostat for CHE?

[NovaBeardie]

Hello all! I am a new beardie owner, and I was wondering. It gets in the 60's in my house at night. So I am getting a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). Do I need a thermostat? I have heard they get really hot and can cook your beardie! Any help would be appreciated thank you!!

 

[CooperDragon]

How far away is your CHE? They do get very hot to the touch (I've been burned slightly several times and melted a rug with one) so they should be well out of reach. A low wattage is usually plenty to bump the temps up into the low 70s overnight. I prefer using a MegaRay heat projector since they don't get quite so hot to the touch but to answer your question, yes you can use a thermostat but it's not necessary if the bulb is out of reach. A dimming/pulse thermostat is good for these so you can set it and forget it to an extent.

 

[NovaBeardie]

How far away is your CHE? They do get very hot to the touch (I've been burned slightly several times and melted a rug with one) so they should be well out of reach. A low wattage is usually plenty to bump the temps up into the low 70s overnight. I prefer using a MegaRay heat projector since they don't get quite so hot to the touch but to answer your question, yes you can use a thermostat but it's not necessary if the bulb is out of reach. A dimming/pulse thermostat is good for these so you can set it and forget it to an extent.

I put my CHE in the in the middle of the cage above the screen top. I like the idea of the CHE but thermostats get pretty pricey. What wattage would you recommend for a 50-gallon tank to keep the temp in the 70s?

 

[CooperDragon]

I use a 60w heat projector for my tank which is about the same size. It doesn't run at full blast all the time since it's on a thermostat though. They do get pricey and aren't necessary but a nice luxury. A 50w or 100w CHE will probably be enough. You could set that on a lamp dimmer to cut some power or you could set it on an adjustable lamp stand so you can raise/lower it to keep the temps in the right range. 60s overnight isn't harmful so you won't need too much of a boost.

 

[NovaBeardie]

I use a 60w heat projector for my tank which is about the same size. It doesn't run at full blast all the time since it's on a thermostat though. They do get pricey and aren't necessary but a nice luxury. A 50w or 100w CHE will probably be enough. You could set that on a lamp dimmer to cut some power or you could set it on an adjustable lamp stand so you can raise/lower it to keep the temps in the right range. 60s overnight isn't harmful so you won't need too much of a boost.

Okay Thanks for the info! I don't want it too hot and I don't like the idea of a dimmer or a lamp stand for aesthetics. I might get a 50 or 60w just because you said 60's overnight isn't harmful. Does that sound right to you?

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah that should do the trick.