CHE's not effective for "hot spots"

[clone]

They're only good for background air temp during winter times. I was using a che for my hot spot on my previous wood cage with a screen top. All it got me was high electric bills. My boa wasn't growing at its normal pace and defecation was every 3 months. Being only a juvenile,I knew something was wrong. Even the temp was 92 one inch above the floor and it still didn't do any good.
Now I have a plastic cage with heat mats underneath and it works great. Any comments?

[SaKSTa]

Re: CHE's not effective for "hot spots"

I use a reptile spotlight for the heat during the day and my CHE at night the keep the snake warm. I have never used heat maps.

[Red]

Re: CHE's not effective for "hot spots"

It is kinda funny that you said that not good for hot spots… That is just about the only thing they are good for… I bet you just had it too far from the substrate… They would just like a beam on a light… the farther it is from the ground the wider and less efective it is.. Also you where loosing all of the heat that you should have been keeping in the cage with the screen top… What you needed to do was use a uth with a che and then you would have had a good hot spot… some times you have to, in fact most of the time you have to put the che in the cage… with a lil cage around it to make it safe…(Plastic cages work great…)
The fact is that che where meant to give you a hot spot way over the temp you are trying to get (Ie 100 and above) Large lizards are what they are made for… But they work for snakes when utilized properly… But I have to agree I don’t like to use them ether..
Have a good one..
Eric aka…Red