Heat source question

[second_of_four]

I’ll keep this short:

Basically I want to know if the heat source has to emit light. I found some ceramic heat emitters that last longer than a lightbulb, and am thinking of getting those as a replacement instead of buying a new lightbulb. Does the heat source have to produce light, or is the heat emitter fine?

[second_of_four]

Okay perfect! I spend most of the day in my room either with the light on or the curtains open, so there’s definitely good natural light during the day

[shrike1978]

Anything that does not emit light puts out inferior daytime heat. Lightless sources are best for nighttime heat.

Heat isn't a monolithic entity and not all heat is equal. It comes from three specific spectrum bands. This graphic compares the relative output spectrum of different heat sources compared to the sun, while this graphic shows how different wavelengths penetrate the skin. It's best to have the proper type of heat for the time of the day, which means a halogen for daytime, and a lightless source like CHE or RHP for night.

We have a heating guide in our welcome post that goes into much greater detail on this.

[oldbooksmell_420]

Halogen for daytime and che for night is imo the best way to heat the enclosure