Arcadia D3 Bulb - low heat

[houseofcutler]

Another question about this bulb - thought id start a new thread for a new title.

I am using the 100W version of the D 3 Basking bulb the level of light is great but the heat it puts out is a lot less than the 100W Komodo basking bulb I was using before. So much so that I have the Arcadia bulb 10cm lower than I had the Komodo one.

The problem is that I have the Arcadia bulb at the minimum hight (about 31cm above the tortoise) and it is barely achieving the desired 32 c

My house isn't excessively cold, yesterday evening the ambient temp was 20 c but the temp under the lamp was only showing 32 with the thermometer on the ground under the lamp, If i raise the thermometer off the ground a couple of centimetres it was only reading 28 c
This morning the temp in my house was only 18 c and the basking spot temp is only 29 c - obviously not hot enough

Is the lower heat output an expected feature of these bulbs or just a problem with the one I have bought? I think I need to send it back but the question is do I get another one or switch for something else?

Thanks

[TillyTortoise]

The Arcadia D3's do seem to have a lower heat output compared to other bulbs.. Saying this I have both the 100w and 160w and can get temps over 35c, though I do keep my room temperature fairly warm at around 23 - 25c. You could add another heat source to raise the temps like a Ceramic heat emitter.

[nooddle]

Yeah the Aracadia MVBs do not achieve as good a temperature as the others. I have a ceramic heat emitter which I got for using at night in the winter but am now having to use all day as the I cannot get the desired basking spot temp without it. And I have the 160w bulb.

[houseofcutler]

Thanks for the response guys. Another heat source is yet another increase in my electricity usage. If that's what I need to do then this may be a good time to consider whether I should change to a regular heat source and one of the new arcadia T5s From the look s of it though after buying the controller, reflector and tubes that's quite a lot of money initially.

Decisions, decisions...

[nooddle]

Yeah I have been wondering about that too. But then I thought about how they will be outside most of the spring/summer now. Might think about it when it starts getting colder again as I do have the CHE for now.

[wigwamman]

i have been using the mega rays for a few years now and always have had to use another bulb on a stat to get the required temp,i have also covered my tables with bubble wrap to keep the heat in and the bills down,doesn't look fantastic but its in the spare room and does the job.
put my gang out in the garden for a few hours today while it was sunny + warm,this also saves a little lekky!

[Ozric Jonathan]

Adding a small halogen can be easy and cheap. It provides a local heat boost and can be placed near the arcadia. A halogen such as 50 watt makes a real difference and the electricity use is tiny. With the lower wattage halogens you might not even need a ceramic holder though I use them anyway. You can use a cheap ceramic holder that costs £3.

[Alan1]

I know it would be more expense but depending on whether you plan having an outdoor enclosure or not, it may be worth getting a 160w and keeping the 100w as a bulb for the summer. It also depends on the size of the tort's indoor enclosure. Even in summer the torts can be indoors quite a lot, mine were indoors most of last summer as it was so cold and wet

[Ozric Jonathan]

I agree with Alan here. The 'footprint' of the 100 watt arcadia combined is really quite small in my opinion.

[Watermelon]

I had the megaray 100w, in summer it was great i would get temps up to 40c sometimes but in winter i struggled to get to 32c. In winter my room varies from 18 - 21c. So i got the 160w arcadia and my average day temp is 36/37 and that is with the the lamp 14 inches away with a reflector. Sometimes the temps are higher. When i had the megaray i would blast the roon with my 3000w elec heater several times a day to boost the room temps.