terrarium heater

[musamusa1975]

Does anyone have experience using this Smart Pet Heater to heat a LL terrarium/100 gallon fish tank? (I've used a submersible, good heat, but it makes it too humid, and I loose a lot of heat when i vent the humidity. I've used a heat mat but it doesn't get warm enough.)

I bought this one on Amazon (large version). About 6 inches away it registers at 75 degrees. The site seems to show it should get to 85. I moved the internal sensor higher up per the instructions to make it warmer. Doesn't really do much. I emailed the company, but thought I'd check here as well.)

thx

Michael

 

[bluemax]

What I see is basically a screw-in heating element in a cage. I use the same type of element, minus the cage since there are no animals involved. In addition, I have added a computer fan to blow on it and circulate the warm air. Perhaps you just need a higher wattage unit? I use a 100 watt heater for my 30 gal. terrarium along with a thermostat unit and it does the job nicely without driving the humidity levels off the charts.

 

[adnedarn]

I was wondering if in this case the cage is made to work with the heating element by absorbing the heat (since infared heats things not air directly), in which case just a fan added should help disperse the heat off of that and into the air/terrarium. And not a protective cage.

 

[musamusa1975]

Thanks. I have two computer fans facing different directions right above it. I checked a moment ago and the temp in the tank went up to 79, which I guess isn't too bad. The package says it is 100W. (Not sure if the cage also serves a more scientific function, but the packaging and website suggest that it's there to protect animals that might get too close to the bulb.)

 

[adnedarn]

This is a 100w ceramic heater


These temps are what would be expected directly under the heater at that distance. Maybe Mark has a suggestion on how to use such a heater to heat a tank, but I think I'd be trying to heat something under the heater and then blowing onto that to take the heat off and into the tank. The image should give a realistic expectation of what it can do though.

 

[bluemax]

For my set-up in the 30 gallon tank the 100 watt heater is about what I need. This makes me think that you might need more than one of them for your 100 gallon tank. I also feel that blowing the fan directly onto the heater makes a big difference in moving the heat around so the internal temperature is even. I've tried heat mats and aquarium heaters and the 100 watt ceramic heater provides the best results I've had for my Petiolaris sundew tank.

 

[musamusa1975]

thanks mark and andrew. helpful info. the temperature seems to have stabilized at around 75 degrees. I'm going to order a second ceramic heater to see if it will bump the heat up a few degrees. I hate taking up space for that though.

 

[bluemax]

Please let us know how the works out. You've got me curious.

 

[musamusa1975]

Installed the second 100W heater. Temps now steady at around 85. Humidity at 80 percent.