Incandesent lights

[Jmenprkr]

Can i use an incandescent light to heat my neps? I dont wont to get it too hot! What should i do to keep it around 76 all day? Do fish tank heaters work or what about a hot rock usally used for herps? HELP

 

[brisco225]

I use fish tank heaters. They work just fine for my setup.

 

[Capslock]

It doesn't really matter what you use, so long as the temperature is about right. You should have a thermometer to verify it, and go ahead and experiment. Fish tank heaters are good because they aren't as volatile as incandescent lights, where a couple of inches can make a huge difference. I'd be careful with the hot rock around water, but that could work too. Watch out for your humidity as well, however, as heat can dry it out.

Capslock

 

[PlantAKiss]

I use heat lamps bulbs (you can buy them in a hardware store) but you need to be careful with those as they are made to produce HEAT and they DO! But as long as its adjusted far enough away as to not to fry something, they work well.

Suzanne

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

A bit late but I let my ballasts from the 4 ft light fixture heat my enclosure. A small fish heater is in there too but it mostly evaporates water form humidity, but it does produce a small amount of heat. I think i am averaging around 75-80F in the day.

 

[FlytrapGurl]

Ok... I'm lost in the Forest of Confusion... how in the world can you heat a greenhouse with a fishtank heater, which needs to be submerged in water

Greetings,
a lost and confused FTG

 

[Teraphage]

I was just about to ask the same question FTG...I guess great minds do think alike. I suppose you could use one of the fully submersible heaters if you keep a layer of water at the bottom; that could help to moderate the temperature. What about those heaters people use under seedling trays...I believe they're submersible.

 

[Teraphage]

Thinking back, my friend made a coldbox outside that had a bin underneath the floor fashioned to allow composting. The floor of the coldbox was metal to transfer heat and keep noxious gasses away from the plants. The composting produced so much heat that his plants flourished even though they stayed outside during the winter in New York. I think you should get fancy and fashion a combination composting/Nepenthes growing chamber flytrapgirl. Maybe you could even still patent it.

 

[FlytrapGurl]

Aw I wish I could

But my mind isn't quite brilliant enough to accomplish such a thing

Thanks for clearing that up... a little...

FTG