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Post by muddydragon on Feb 1, 2010 12:24:23 GMT
So i've been thining about the painfully cold temperatures this winter (if you are a snail!) Even with the heatmats on 24/7 it's getting too cold for my liking in the tanks without completely covering them in insulation so i can no-longer see them!
I've got a plan but i'ld love your guys opinions on it:
The plan is to set up an anglepoise lamp or equivalent poseable holding structure over the tanks (or aimed at one side) adapted to hold red basking lamp bulbs. since the bulbs will not physically be in the tanks the snails wont be able to touch the bulb and burn themselves (i also dont have to worry about making great big holes in the tank lids, trying to find some sort of guard that doesnt get too hot itself whilst keeping snails out and affixing that etc etc etc.) and this set up can easily be removed in summer.
being red should mean light from it will not disturb them. it also will help heat my room a little more YAY!
I could then link up the thermostats with the bulbs instead of the mats (since in this weather the mats are on all the time anyway!)
any opinions? anyone else done something like this?
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Post by crossless on Feb 1, 2010 14:22:45 GMT
You can adjust temperature really easily with light bulb dimmers. Infrared bulbs are better for use 24/7 so don't need to buy own lamp for day bulbs and other for night time bulbs. Infrared light is that kind of which animals can't see.
I have heating lamps for day time, but lams don't warm really well because lid don't let much heat in. I have plexiglas with few holes as tank lid. I'm so sad that I didn't get better tank yet so it would be easier to keep warm.
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Post by feebix on Feb 1, 2010 15:27:39 GMT
As long as you control the temperature and it doesn`t get any hotter than it should be, and there aren`t any hot spots, I can`t really see a problem. I might ever consider something like that myself if it actually works through glass.......
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Post by muddydragon on Feb 1, 2010 15:44:16 GMT
I currently have on/off thermostats i know using them with bulbs massively shortens the life of the bulb (hence why not recommended) but i'm going to use what i have, then if it works splash out on some dimming stats. a bulb is a lot cheaper than a dimming stat! the sides are glass and one lid is perspex the other is polycarbonate, so i shall have to choose where is best to aim it, time to gather more info  . I'll try it and let you guys know how it goes thanks for the input ;D |
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Post by infiltraitor on Feb 1, 2010 18:42:54 GMT
I had an Exo-Terra canopy balanced on top of our old snail tank, with a 15W night-glo lamp in it one end.
I'd estimate the lamp was about an inch above the polycarbonate tank lid and created a nice warm spot inside the tank, it didn't last long, so I opted for a 25W replacement resulting in a warm patch akin to that of the heatmat on the side glass.
I reckon anything else (the one up from that is 40W lamp) would have made it a bit too much of a hot spot.
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Post by crossless on Feb 1, 2010 19:07:29 GMT
i have read that those moonlight bulbs are more suitable for reptiles that needs cooler night time temperatures so I think not so ideal for snails that should need balanced heat 24/7.
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Post by infiltraitor on Feb 1, 2010 22:17:47 GMT
It's just used to keep the temps up whilst the weather is colder.
It has very little visible light (just a purple glow) and therefore allows them a nighttime period of nocturnal activity with good temps and low light levels.
I've modded the Exo-Terra canopy so it has two circuits; the night-glo at one end and a Repti-Glo 2.0 at the other end for periods of low level UVB from time to time.
The heatmat has a thermostat controlling it, and as neither lamp is powerful enough to heat the tank by itself they get a pretty stable tank temperature.
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Post by crossless on Feb 3, 2010 19:25:18 GMT
Hmmh.. I thought that at least next autumn or this winter depend when I get bigger tank I thought I could try ceramic heater it's lamp shape and it's almost like that infrared heat lamp, but the light is invisible and it has really many watts on it so it could be nice in really big tank. |
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Post by muddydragon on May 3, 2010 16:20:12 GMT
ahha i knew this thread was somewhere!
the update, i tried this out, first angling the bulb to the side of the tank, a bit of a hot spot but not too hot, unfortunatly it cracked the glass... so bad idea! however i then tried it ontop of the tank - the lid is a sheet of polycarbonate, it's brilliant doesn't even make the plastic feel warm, but warms up things inside the tank, the ontop of the lid plan has been working well.
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Post by vandamay on May 4, 2010 7:41:59 GMT
I too was very worried about this years very low temps, i was reading through an found a thread, that goose had commented on, she got the idea from arno site, the plant pot with the bulb inside! it seems to be doing really well, nor sure about deep winter but time will tell, they are at a comfy 23 at one end and a 20 at the other, it is a 4ft tank! seems good at the moment |
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Post by muddydragon on May 4, 2010 12:32:18 GMT
i read about that somewhere, i keep thinking about trying it out in one of the other tanks sometime. but its summer now and the fulis seem perfectly happy with just a heat mat (but i have emergency spare bulbs and posable lamps, just incase.)
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flutterby
Juvenile
aren't i cute, nomming ur cucumber XD
Posts: 51
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Post by flutterby on Jul 29, 2010 21:53:31 GMT
anyone else tried that bulb in a plant pot heating idea? I'm about to face my 1st winter with my snails and was thinking of trying it. or has anyone else thought of a better idea? Im going to have a search myself so will post any ideas I get, but the light bulb in a plant pot idea does seem very cleaver!
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Post by AlienSnail on Jul 29, 2010 22:58:12 GMT
anyone else tried that bulb in a plant pot heating idea? I'm about to face my 1st winter with my snails and was thinking of trying it. or has anyone else thought of a better idea? Im going to have a search myself so will post any ideas I get, but the light bulb in a plant pot idea does seem very cleaver! It is an intrigueing idea. However I would have to be cautious of moisture getting into the wiring. I personally would feel safer going with a heatmat. I use heatmats with success.  |
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Post by crossless on Jul 30, 2010 13:09:29 GMT
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flutterby
Juvenile
aren't i cute, nomming ur cucumber XD
Posts: 51
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Post by flutterby on Jul 30, 2010 14:10:39 GMT
Apparently foid on the terrarium lid helps stop the heating of the lid. Im just thinking of trying it because i have a plastic home for my snails and heatmats don't work overly well through plastic and mines quite thick plastic. Anyone else got any ideas about what stuff i could actually in the home to warm it?
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