Heating with halogen

[jwideman]

Okay, I can get the temps in a 20g (I know, I know) to 95 with a 60w incandescent. I want to try a halogen spot to get it to 100 - would 50w be overdoing it?

 

[carlisv]

Other folks may have a different opinion on this, but I've never found a halogen bulb that got the temps where I want them. I get different halogens, the temps goes too far up or too far down, the viv gets too dark, and I end up going back to an incandescent. I feel like the clear (some packages say "daylight") incandescent bulbs give off better light if you can find a balance between the height of the basking bulb and the temp you're trying to reach.

 

[jwideman]

The appeal of halogen over incandescent is the much longer burn life, but you make a great point. Thanks.

 

[FishboneNC]

I have a 65W halogen in a 40 gallon breeder, taller tank than yours, directly over his basking rock and it barely gets to 100.
Right next to the halo I have a Zilla 150W blue daylight bulb, I tried running both to boost the temps.

I tried putting the Zilla 150W incandescent over the rock and it stays at 101.
My electric bill has gone up since I got him just over a month ago, I may buy a 75W halo and try eliminating the incandescent. (I also run heating pads for the roaches, something else I didn't have a month ago)

Another thing to consider, the halo's have different area of coverage, spots, wide angle etc

 

[jwideman]

I have a 65W halogen in a 40 gallon breeder, taller tank than yours, directly over his basking rock and it barely gets to 100.
Right next to the halo I have a Zilla 150W blue daylight bulb, I tried running both to boost the temps.

I tried putting the Zilla 150W incandescent over the rock and it stays at 101.
My electric bill has gone up since I got him just over a month ago, I may buy a 75W halo and try eliminating the incandescent. (I also run heating pads for the roaches, something else I didn't have a month ago)

Another thing to consider, the halo's have different area of coverage, spots, wide angle etc

Yeah, it's looking like an incandescent spot will do the job better. I'm going to cover the side of the tank with newspaper and see if that helps.

 

[jwideman]

The newspaper on the one side got the tank to 100. I'll consider this a success, though a spot would help with the gradient.