Heat Transfers & Temperature Control in the Vivarium: Do You Need A Thermostat for a Heat Lamp?

[@JTBReptiles]

This video is a culmination of what I have learned about reptile heating and lighting over the past twelve months. This time last year, I freely admit that, whilst I was just as curious about it all as I am today, I knew very little indeed about the topic. I hope to be able to say the same in September of 2021, as then I will know I’ve not started slacking! I give special thanks to Roman Muryn and Frances Baines at the start of this video because they have been heavily involved with it prior to production, but I would like to add here that, really, a great deal of what I put in the heating and lighting videos is the product of their teachings: I owe them big time for this! I must hasten to add that Sarina Wunderlich, amongst others, has taught me a lot about this, too. Hopefully my shoddy animations can help to make the subject real and accessible for a wider audience, so that more people can wake up to what “heating and lighting” really means.

[@starbyray7828]

Hi JTB, that was a very interesting and educational 20 mins that has me reevaluating my heating and lighting in a completely different "light" (pardon the pun). Most interesting indeed. I thought I had it set up to the best of the info currently available BUT now taking into account the information I just absorbeded I need to make some additional tweaks to incorporate the new knowledge. Keep up the good work. Stay safe and well.

[@armoredreptiles]

This may have already been said, but have you tried using the Solar Meter 10.0? That one is rated for up to 1100nm wavelengths with a peak sensitivity of 940nm. Might be a useful meter for measuring IR-A.

[@BuffNerdInCa]

Time to do up a virtual terrarium simulation which people can play with to learn and try things out.

[@AlexsAgamids]

Commenting because I am sitting here watching this video for the fourth time. This is SERIOUSLY one of the greatest heating videos well... ever! You’re able to make “big terms” easy to understand. I know it has helped me greatly.

[@JTBReptiles]

Thank you very much! I am quite happy with the experiments and theory shown in this video, but I hadn’t quite made the full jump from thinking that temperatures are the all-important factor to realising that it’s radiation which matters first and foremost. I have now. That means a different practical conclusion to the one made in this video. I have been working on another video (the first in a series) to talk about this for the past two months already - hopefully it will be worth the wait!

[@shadowcat228]

I love your videos! While I do watch several popular reptile youtubers their husbandry practices are sub par at best. So few people keep reptiles the way they should be kept, especially here in the usa. I love that you keep yours with such high standards and that you aren't content with one way just because "its worked fine for 20 years" etc. Husbandry is always advancing and keepers need to advance with it. Also, your videos are very informative and explain things so well. Your channel is the best reptile related channel on youtube in my opinion. 👍

[@JTBReptiles]

Thank you very much!

[@myzoo2856]

Your videos just get better and better I could literally binge watch every single one of your videos and not get bored

[@JTBReptiles]

I’m glad that you think so! 😁

[@myzoo2856]

@@JTBReptiles it is ture

[@plantingwithnat]

You are a very brilliant young lad. I truly did enjoy the video.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Finally found some time to watch this one! Great video, Joe. I’m working on something right now and this will help... I think I’m still going to use a dimming stat though. We’ll talk 😎

[@JTBReptiles]

Thanks! One thing I am still to talk about is safety mechanisms, and I think that basic on/off thermostats will come into it (in precisely the same way as you use one with your carpet python, no less!). Indeed, we shall talk!

[@shankly1985]

And this is why I subbed to this channel amazing content like this. Well done and thank you.

[@keziah001]

Wow perfect timing I was just about to research this topic!

[@VincentStevenStudio]

I have a dimming thermostat because here in Florida the weather is bipolar. There are hot summers that would overheat the enclosure if the bulb was at full blast and then there are days where it's just not so hot and the bulb needs more power. Then theres the winter months where one day a cold front comes and can drop the temperatures and the very next day is a hot summer day lol. That's Florida. The thermostat automates the dimming for me so I dont have to be constantly manually checking the temp and dimming. Mine also has a day night cycle so not only does it work as a thermostat but also as a timer mimicking sunrise and sunset.

[@Scales13]

Loved this video. Very scientific great explanations.

[@stephenyum]

This is so cool, well done fella

[@dajoke24]

I am a bit confused. I personally wouldn't trust a dimmer alone. And isn't the dimmer lowering the amount of ir-a and ir-b the same as a dimming thermostat would? So why are you against a dimming thermostat exactly? For my leopard gecko, I am planning on buying a dimming thermostat(they are expensive af), and switching to a halogen. As I needed a uvb replacement bulb. I would like to not have to spend $120-$200 on a thermostat but if it provides the best for my leo then I will. But just stumbled upon your newest vids. I usually watch you as a more reliable source of info for reptile care than most. A quick reply is appreciated as the online store i'm buying from always go out of stock quick.

[@joesheehan__]

A very interesting watch again! I've spoken with Fran and Roman on the subject and they're incredibly knowledgeable too. In regards to finding a solution, have you considered not just putting your thermometer probe in the metal tube in the clay, but also the probe for a dimming thermostat? I know you said dimmer stats aren't the answer but I can't help but feel a setup like that may regulate itself to a decent enough standard without too much hassle if the bulb is at a tolerant distance from the basking zone. Great video! 👍

[@JTBReptiles]

Thanks! I am still set against temperature as being a means for lamp control. We are, however, getting to a solution - maybe a couple of months off. Shh, I’ll talk about it when it’s ready 😉

[@louisehorsfall9400]

@@JTBReptiles is it available yet? This was the part of the puzzle I was looking for but we already spent on a dimmer-stat and my workplace won't want to change. Like many hobbists who cant keep throwing out equipment, figuring out a compromise would be good. Then we can move onto a better solution when next changing equipment. The more I learn, the more I keep going back to square 1 like a snakes and ladders game.

[@louisehorsfall9400]

It is an excellent video though. Yours take several re-watches with a notepad!

[@scottswift8153]

A digital thermoter and light that has a dimmer is the ticket. I have this kind of set up and it is the best. Its basically having a thermostat for your terrarium.

[@joshdakota01]

Molecules bumping together reminds me of the electron bump theory in trade school 😆

[@deushache]

Do you use the fans to push air in or out or in one part and out another. Also how are you controlling them?

[@JTBReptiles]

I use the fans to pull air out. They are just on all the time - the ambient temp in the garage fluctuates throughout the year more or less in line with what I want for the species I keep (which is why I chose to keep them), so there is no threat of going too cold. You could use one of those stats which turns the item on when a setpoint temperature is reached (the reverse of a normal thermostat) if you wanted.

[@WhoTheHellIsHarvy]

I feel like people shouldn't be allowed to post comments unless the entire video has been watched XD

[@JTBReptiles]

Too true 😆

[@raven5144]

What brand of Led lights do you use for your white and warm light in your enclosures?

[@JTBReptiles]

The big “cool white” ones are Jungle Dawn LED Bars; the “warm whites” are Energizer ones. For now, at least.

[@raven5144]

@@JTBReptiles Thank you for your reply and your amazing and informational videos

[@jackthorning8766]

I'm getting a bearded dragon I live Australia what should I get a kit or build my owb

[@jackthorning8766]

Own

[@JTBReptiles]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYvTmqppd8iLgbc

[@myzoo2856]

I have a question so I have given my leopard gecko the proper heat bother you baby but he still doesn’t come out to Basco maybe bask maybe once a week if I’m lucky he just stays under his heart hide on the hot side of his team is this normal is this just because of the stress of moving from like a different heat source or what and also is a 40 gallon a good size I’m upgrading my leopard gecko to a 40 gallon

[@JTBReptiles]

It can take a while (I’m talking months!) for them to settle into an enclosure sufficiently for them to be confident enough to open bask. Just be patient 🙂 Yes, I think 40g is a decent size.

[@myzoo2856]

@@JTBReptiles ok thanks somuch

[@smol4071]

Ahhh I'm trying to understand So the temperatures between summer and winter here in Sweden where I live is quite drastic (as you can imagine) by connecting the heat source to a dimming outlet wouldn't you need to constantly tweak it to keep the temp steady? And if that's the computer fans job what are they connected to and wouldn't you need to tweak them instead then? So either way you end up tweaking both of them a lot?? Im sorry if I misunderstood 😅

[@JTBReptiles]

This video was the beginning of something bigger. It talks in detail about measuring temperatures and that stuff still stands, as does the stuff about dimming affecting the output of lamps. But in practicality, I think I was barking up the wrong tree with this one. Yes, the concept is viable, and it could work well if done properly, but it’s damn well more difficult for people to understand than knowing the intensity from a direct measurement. The good news is that we are very close to having intensity measurements for wavelengths other than those in the UVB range. We will do the hard work, putting the concepts of this video into a format that anybody can follow. Keep thinking about it and stay tuned - it will all come clear shortly!

[@PardoNdSchuman]

Hey brother great video as always. I am a bit confused about the use if the fans. So, You’re using them to remove the heat from the lamps to remove the heat from the lamps, so it doesn’t raise the air temperature, but so the infrared heats the objects, like rocks and the floor. Am I getting that correct?

[@PardoNdSchuman]

And, you talk about a balance of radiation and visible light, using one lamp. Isn’t it almost impossible for us to even provide the amount of visible like the sun would give? I see John Courtney smith also saying we’re not even close to providing it, in terms of lumens. I think he uses a different term other than “lumens”

[@JTBReptiles]

What we want to do is get a section of the vivarium - the basking zone - like a shaft of sunlight, with IRB, IRA, visible light, UVA, and UVB all in the same intensities as we would expect to find the reptile within the enclosure typically basking in in the wild. (You might need to read that sentence a couple of times!) This is completely and utterly a different matter to controlling temperatures - think, you can climb a mountain and be cold, yet still get sunburnt, and you can be stifling hot in the shade of a jungle. Where radiation and temperatures clash is that radiation, in being absorbed by things, warms them up. In our vivaria, having a basking zone where the composition of radiation is indeed like that of sunlight (particularly for diurnal baskers from near tropical climes) is likely to make them overheat (we aren’t nearly so concerned about temperatures as reptile keepers have been in the past, but that doesn’t mean overheating and chilling aren’t still dangers!). We therefore need a way of preventing overheating, and this is where the fans come in. (In the opposite sense, we might also use heat mats and ceramic heat emitters to boost temperatures where required, but this is almost certainly not going to be necessary in most cases where proper lighting is employed.) In terms of achieving sunlight-like visible light intensities (ie lux), we CAN do it, and the technology has been available to us for some years now! We cannot achieve these intensities over the whole area of the vivarium, granted, but we don’t actually want to light the whole vivarium like this - it’d be far too oppressive for the inhabitants. The localised high lux we are after is very much doable using metal halides and E27 LEDs, both of which are readily available, but massively underused in the hobby. I am planning a video on this to come out in the next month or so, so stay tuned!

[@scalesliders2627]

Please upload more :D

[@krobzik]

2 questions if you will - first, as a new reptile keeper with little experience, how would I determine the surface temperature the animal would "like"? Are there some resources I can check on this? And second, do I understand it correctly that due to spectrum shift one would want to use the lamp with the lowest wattage (that still does the job) so it is dimmed as little as possible?

[@deushache]

I've been reading through the Reptile Lighting FB group. Are you familiar with the White Light for Reptiles that Dr. Sarina Wunderlich has done? If I understand the document it seems like Metal Halide lamps produce the most sun like spectrum. Would these be ok to use to heat an enclosure the same way you suggest here? It's for a Python regius in a 4x2x2 enclosure.

[@JTBReptiles]

Yes, at the time she shared that document I spent a good long time questioning it - if you have a look at the original post (type “Sarina Wunderlich” into the search bar at the top of the group, and Sarina’s posts should show up), you will find that we ended up having quite an extensive conversation! I am not completely convinced by the argument. There is too much we do not know to be certain about any of what is proposed, although it is a very good idea, I should say! There are several problems with using metal halides alone. Firstly, they can be used to produce sunlight-like visible light intensities: midday sun, that is. That’s fine for daytime baskers, sure, but oppressive for those species which only venture out at dawn and dusk. Secondly, the offer very little near infrared, and this is absolutely essential to basking. Thirdly, they do not emit UVB reliably for very long, so you would end up replacing quite an expensive lamp on a regular basis just to maintain the desired UVi. No, these lamps have a real place in the lighting systems used for diurnal basking species, but they are not suitable for crepuscular species in enclosures of the sizes we tend to use in the reptile hobby. I have just set up a metal halide on my latest enclosure and will have videos about these lamps coming out in the new year - stay tuned!

[@monsterkajiu1912]

Hey uh how often do you feed your leopard geckos joe?

[@JTBReptiles]

About weekly as a routine feeding for adults.

[@monsterkajiu1912]

@@JTBReptiles so every week?

[@JTBReptiles]

Yes, a bit less if I’m wanting them to lose weight (as I am with my male) or more if I want them to gain it (for winter). I play it by ear, really - just do what seems to keep them looking trim.

[@ReptilesandResearch]

brilliant

[@MrJkfixe]

Did you really tried to fit an entire master's degree in heat transfer in a video? (minus the math part) You are crazy dude kkkk,

[@JTBReptiles]

🤣

[@MuffinSeeker]

I just spent £80 on a digital dimming stat with timers and now you're telling me it's useless??? 😭I can't get my head around this vid at all. I think I'm just gonna wait until I upgrade because I think my enclosure is too small for effective heating anyways...

[@monsterkajiu1912]

Long story short YES!!!

[@JTBReptiles]

Not exactly!

[@monsterkajiu1912]

@@JTBReptiles wait what?

[@JTBReptiles]

Watch the video 😉

[@monsterkajiu1912]

ohhhhh i still don't get it.

[@JTBReptiles]

I thought you were saying “long story short, yes you do need a thermostat”, or am I wrong?

[@QWERTYOP80]

Hell to the yes. Next question...

[@JTBReptiles]

Not necessarily... watch the video 😉

[@G.r.e.g.g.l.e.s]

Noob: Just use a heat mat. Well-Researched: Use overhead radiant heating. Based: Use heat mat. Also halogen.