MantisMan Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Hi, I have a 60 watt infrared bulb I use to heat my roachies with, and I was just wondering, is it safe to have it on 24/7??? Thanx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandias Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 ya should be fine to use as long as it doen't melt the bin there in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantisMan Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 It's as hot as it can get and things look fine As a precaution I am investing in a heat tape system but for now I guess it's infrared time!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Clausen Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I run a few infrared lamps on some tanks. I've currently got one atop my B. dubia tank. It doesn't work as well as the heat pad "stickers" for several reasons. The main reason is that the bulb screws into a hood/fixture and this rests on top of a large, metal screened lid. This requires me to need to wet down the tank more often than if I were a different lid/heating combination. I almost have to wet it down twice each day. It helps in these situations to have a substrate and some "hides" for the roaches to take cover beneath. It also dries the food out if the roaches don't eat it quickly enough. Keeps mite populations down though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantisMan Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 I'm actually more concerned abt it being a fire hazard Anyways, the heat pads I have don't work, they barely get warm even after hours of being plugged in I'm saving up for heat tape however Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodesorel Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 As long as it's not too close to the plastic it should be fine. I've been running infrared bulbs on my hermit crab tanks for well over two years and have never had a fire or other problem with them. I normally set the lamps on top of a metal screen lid that was lined with plastic freezer bags underneath to hold in humidity and as long as the bulb isn't super hot there was never any melting. If you're spraying water be cautious as any droplets that hit a hot bulb will cause it to explode, but that can be prevented by moving the light or unplugging it and letting it cool down first. I've also found that plug-in lamp dimmers from the hardware store run about $11 and are perfect for controlling temperatures so that it doesn't get too hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantisMan Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 I mist around the lamp without a problem I did learn the hard way when I lifted up a lamp, sprayed into the cage then put the lamp back down The bulb exploded and caught fire but noting too serious, just extensive clean up afterwards lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.