# Need help with heating/lighting my Hedgehog. New Owner:)



## buckleythehedgehog (Dec 10, 2010)

I need help with his heating/lighting. Right now i have a Fluker's 5.5" Clamp-Lamp with a 50w infared heat glo bulb. Is my lamp big enough? Should i switch to a different bulb thats not infared? Should i have two lamps; one for day, one for night? HELP PLEASE
Also where do you buy the cubes for the Cubes and Coroplast cages?


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Welcome to HHC 

Infared bulbs are no good, as hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures who enjoy dim lighting, some require complete and utter darkness, so any kind of heating lamp that gives off light isn't really good for them, you can use it during the day, but I would opt to purchase a new setup for him. Its somewhat costly up front but it'll keep your hedgehog nice and warm, and they need to be kept between 73'F and 78'F temperature, inside their cage. Its best to buy a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer so you can monitor what the temperature is inside his enclosure and not generally what the entire room feels like.

Everyone here who doesn't heat the entire room or house uses a setup called a Ceramic Heat Emitter, its a heat bulb device that gives off no light, just heat. Its three parts.

1. A Ceramic Heat Emitter Bulb (CHE), 100 watt.

2. A 8 or 10 inch heat lamp with ceramic socket (5.5 is probably too small and it'll heat up something wicked).

3. A thermostat to regulate temperature, there are several used, a Zoo Med Repti-Temp 500R or a CA RF 1000. Both cost about the same, the Repti-Temp is found in more places than others, the only difference is the CA RF 1000 has actual temperature numbers on the dial, where as the Repti-Temp 500R just has a color bar and no numbers.

Depending on how big the cage is, you may need two lamps, I'd start off with one, if you need a second lamp all you need is the lamp and che bulb, as the thermostats can control two devices. This is also why you need the indoor/outdoor digital thermometer, so you can monitor how hot the lamp makes the cage, just so you don't end up roasting the guy.

You're also going to want to have a regular lamp to regulate his internal clock, you can use the 5.5" Fluker for this, just put a regular house bulb in it and have it on for at least 12 hours during the daytime. If a hedgehog senses 'short' days due to lack of light, they can also attempt hibernation. You can use just the room lights, but most opt to setup a personal light on the cage, usually connected into a cheap timer, so the light turns on and off at the same time each day.

As for the cubes for a C&C, I"m not sure, if you're Canadian I know they're sold at Canadian Tire, otherwise I'm not quite sure what stores hold them, someone else can tell you.

Hope that helps


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## buckleythehedgehog (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!
For right now i am keeping him in one of those big storage tubs until i can find the C&C cages so right now he has a lamp set up right next to him for the day but i am literally about to run to the pet store to get a bigger lamp and look again at their bulbs for a CHE! You wouldn't happen to know if they sell those thermostats at like wal mart would you?


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

The pet store would be the only place to look, I'm assuming all Super Walmarts carry the same supplies in their pet section, and their pet section is really really poor unless you have a dog or a cat. I don't think they even carry heat bulbs or lamps, at least the few around my region.

The pet store is going to be iffy too, I think many people end up ordering them online, even big chain pet stores like PetCo and such sometimes don't have them in stock. If you do find one, make sure its a thermostat and not a rheostat. A rheostat is kind of the same idea except its just a dimmer switch. The CHE will always be on, so if the room gets warmer, so will the cage. The thermostat will turn the CHE on and off as needed, if the room get warmer than the set temperature, then it just stays off.

The thermostat is very important though, especially with a bin. The CHEs are more or less designed for reptiles in mind, so one without any kind of control on it will heat the bin up really hot. Hopefully you'll find a thermostat.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

Strikes me that with a heat lamp, you're getting both heat and light. Your hedgie will need it to be dark at night, but still stay warm. What you'll want to find instead are CHE's - ceramic heat emitters. I use both 100w and 150w CHE's and the larger lamps - I think they're 10". The larger lamp part helps distribute the heat a bit better. You'll also need to plug it into a thermostat so hedgie stays at just the right temperature.

A set-up like:
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Zoo-Med-Bro ... ategory=22
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-B ... ategory=13
http://www.bigappleherp.com/BAH-1000-Thermostat
will work well. I'm steering you to this particular company (Big Apple) because they have some really nice videos that explain how the pieces work together. I've purchased from there and other places... go with wherever can get you what you need the fastest and at the best price.

You'll want to double check that both the lamp and the thermostat (note, NOT "rheostat) can handle the amount of watts you intend to use.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

There's also the Zilla thermostat, you can find it at Amazon. The Zilla has the numbers to adjust the temperature, making it very easy to use. I just bought another one on Amazon last week and I think I paid $29 for it.


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

I got my thermostat through Big Apple and it's been great so far.


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## buckleythehedgehog (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks! I went to the pet store and bought a 10" clamp lamp and 100w CHE bulb. I also found the C&C cages at bed bath and beyond! Next all i need is the thermostat! So during the day when i turn the lamp on does the CHE still need to be on?


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Its best to leave the CHE on 24/7 so the cage remains the same temperature all the time, but you need the thermostat first, otherwise uncontrolled it'll heat up the cage/bin too much and cook the hedgehog. You might be able to wrangle it to work right, but you'll need to keep a very close eye on the temperature inside the enclosure.


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## buckleythehedgehog (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks! I went to the pet store and bought a 10" clamp lamp and 100w CHE bulb. I also found the C&C cages at bed bath and beyond! Next all i need is the thermostat! So during the day when i turn the lamp on does the CHE still need to be on? & what thermostat do you use?


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## buckleythehedgehog (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks i really appreciate it!


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

I really don't think it's safe to leave a CHE on without a thermostat unless you're sitting beside your cage 24/7. The bulb can get pretty hot. Also the thermostat will turn the CHE off when the desired temperature is reached, which means savings in your pocket.


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## Hedgiepets (Aug 21, 2008)

Administrator note: There were 2 threads posted by the same person. I merged all the posts.


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## buckleythehedgehog (Dec 10, 2010)

oh i posted the same thing twice lol. Going to get the Zilla Thermostat now I dont want to pay 40+ bucks for but i dont want to have to wait for it to get here either if i bought if online. I jus want to make sure Buckley is all set up and stable though. The one i am getting is 1000w they are all out of the 500w but does it really matter besides $????


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

If you mean the thermostat is a '1000 watt', you're fine. It just means the device can handle controlling 1000 watts worth of equipment.


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## buckleythehedgehog (Dec 10, 2010)

yes & thanks again


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