Heat lamps

[myzticalboi]

Does anybody use HEAT LAMPS 24/7 to keep a contant temp in their room or on a certain species of mantis? I keep a heat lamp 24/7 on my B. Mendicas, they are doing great with a 40 watt bulb, but I dont know about the electricity bill!

 

[myles]

Does anybody use HEAT LAMPS 24/7 to keep a contant temp in their room or on a certain species of mantis? I keep a heat lamp 24/7 on my B. Mendicas, they are doing great with a 40 watt bulb, but I dont know about the electricity bill!

a drop in temp is beneficial to nearly every mantis species

 

[Ghostie]

You can also use the coil type compact fluorescent bulbs to cost less money.

I give my Gongys 12 on 12 off. Also if I place my shields ,limbatas ,ghosts and orchid enclosures just right they also benefit from the same bulbs the gongys are on.

 

[myzticalboi]

You can also use the coil type compact fluorescent bulbs to cost less money.

I give my Gongys 12 on 12 off. Also if I place my shields ,limbatas ,ghosts and orchid enclosures just right they also benefit from the same bulbs the gongys are on.

How many watts are you using to have efficient heat?

 

[Ghostie]

How many watts are you using to have efficient heat?

One 26w compact fluorescent bulb (100w equivalent incandescent) per square foot.

Leaves an area about 90*-95* in one side of the square foot on a warm day. 80*-85* on a cool day.

If I put the bulbs right on the cages like how I made the new aluminum screen cage, it can be hotter.

You can choose "color temperature" rating to change the color of lighting to simulate seasons as with plants.

This outputs different types of wavelengths too. I'm learning a lot about this from the chameleons and my carnivorous plants lately.

For a 40 watt inc. bulb you might try a 13w compact fluorescent. (CF)

It should say wattage and equivalent on the packages. You may have to place the bulb closer though as heat output probably isnt the same as one of those red heat lamps or similar.

 

[Rick]

Nope. I sometimes will use one for certain species in the winter. The vast majority of mantids do fine at typical room temps.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I do not find much if any heat coming from the new bulbs!

 

[Ghostie]

They definitely put off a good chunk of heat for their wattage. Just depends on how close you place them.

(169.9 degrees shown here)

That's what is nice about them, the heat degrades rapidly as you back off the bulb. It leaves the animals a gradient of temp to chose from without cooking the whole cage.

My ghost enclosure has "live plants" so must have a light for it. I also like to give my plants and mantids a very prominent night and day time. My apartment is sort of dark and cold being a downstairs one bedroom unit facing away from the sun. Without the lights they would just receive ambient light through my blinds and be a bit on the chilly side. I don't like to open my blinds much for privacy reasons in the apartments.

 

[Ghostie]

Ah yes,

The little Limbatas like the lights a lot too because they were wild caught and came from the sun lit bushes.

I was about to let them go again but my sister just found a male now for the females so we will actually have a shot at reproducing many more of them!

Time to get back to making some larger cages.