CHE wattage for cage - recommendations required please!

[kiania]

I have referenced the how to heat your cage thread to others many a time, but I have my own question regarding heating...is there any recommended websites for knowing what wattage of CHE to get? My cage is larger than most over here (UK) so I'm finding it hard to reference how forcefully I'll need to be pumping heat. Any recommendations on websites to look at, or even suggestions on what to get, would be greatfully recieved. I've included a cage plan with measurements and structural items, and a photo (pre-perspexing and lining) to get a feel for the lack of containment of heat.


(hope this is understandable to people other than myself - and yes, none of the walls in my flat are at 90 degrees, odd angles abound here


I assume I will need at least a 100 watts, but I'm not sure if it is recommended to go for 150 watts, two 100 watts, or two 150 watts. Thank you for any suggestions in advance

[LizardGirl]

I think you'd be safe with two 100w CHEs, one in the top right corner and one in the lower left. I've never used a 150w before but if you used just one, the heat would be too concentrated in one spot, and two 150's would be overkill. 100, even sometimes 60s, will provide plenty of heat.

[kiania]

Two 100 watts it is, thank you. Just didn't have the faintest clue what would be remotely 'sensible' as a starting off suggestion. Can always adjust afterwards if it doesn't work (perhaps one 60 watt near the heat mat end?) - but just having an experienced person suggest something that they think is sensible, means that I don't accidentally cook the poor hog, or underestimate too much! Having never used CHEs before, it is a little daunting to work out how much energy they give off, and how widely they spread it - especially when the internet fails me

So thank you very much, your advice is much appreciated!

[CanadienHedgie]

You'll need to use a thermostat, to control the temperature so it doesn't get to hot.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2752604

My cage is 3 feet long x 2 feet wide x 1 foot tall with lofts. And I need to use one 200W, plus two 100W's. The bigger the dome, the more the heat will be spread, so I use 10inch domes.

[kiania]

Thermostats go without saying, these are the ones I've got (for the CHE, different for the heat mat):
http://www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/habi ... ostat.html

Just had no idea about wattage - and now you've given me conflicting advance Need a third person waying in to give it a tie as to whether it is two 200W, or two 100W!

[LizardGirl]

Well, how cold is the room with no heat for the hedgie? That'd be the deciding factor - if it's say, 65 or colder, you want more, but otherwise the 100 should be fine.

[Lilysmommy]

Keep in mind that if you get the CHE's from a store, you should be able to return them if you keep the receipt. So you could always start with one wattage, see how they do with the cage (keeping in mind if it'll be harder to heat the cage in the winter), then see if you need to go to the next wattage up or down.

[kiania]

1:40am at the moment (so night time), and it is showing 24 degrees C (75.2 F), which is without heaters during the day or night (max has been 30 C/86 F). During the winter (which is for when the CHE is going to be useful), it gets a lot colder, according to my min/max since february, my minimum was 16.7 degrees C (62.06 F), when we also had the heaters going (we're on storage heaters which turn themselves off at night, or at least turn themselves on and off on their own independant theories, we have no control over when they come on or off, just how much heat they pump out - truly helpful!!!).

Not sure where I'd get a CHE in a physical shop. We have the UK equavalent of a Petsmart over the road from us, but they only do fish, dogs, cats and small mammals, no reptile or amphibian equipment at all! Otherwise I'd ask them for advice as well.

Trying to get the CHE set up during the summer so I have a few weeks period to test and check it over (during autumn) and adjust before it gets to winter and temperatures plummet, so if I do need to change wattage, it won't be an urgent panic

(also, thanks again - even just the knowledge that I should probably be having two bulbs and wide lamps is a good start from where I was (ie nothing at all!)).