KotaBeardie":drs2qc9m said:
I am using a 100 watt halogen bulb that looks like a regular household bulb, but I don't think it is heating Kota's basking spot enough. I have a 40gl breeder tank. This is an excellent question, and I was just about to ask it myself
So confused on what to use...
What bulb in particular? What is the room temperature in which the enclosure is in? Is there a draft going past the enclosure? Where do you live? Is it hot or cold? Is the enclosure near a window? So on and so on...
It is so hard for us to determine which lights for people to use as there are so many variables that play important factors. For Kota if the room is cooler then the bulb may not keep up, I would add a second dome fixture and a lower wattage bulb, do not up the wattage of the 100 watt as the lumen output will also increase and you don't want it too bright. I have my dragons all in one room, the room is typically at 80 degrees F, I have never needed anything over a 75 watt bulb to keep the basking areas in check. If the door to their room is open and the A/C is on then I have a secondary bulb to help keep the temperatures consistent, if they start to tweak I will flip on a fan near the A/C vent. I have tried and tried, failed and tried again to achieve what I have accomplished to this point, their temperatures are good but, I am still progressing also at this point. I feel that the temperatures via lighting are a consent learning curve that I plan not to perfect anytime soon.
Contributing factors for people to consider...
Enclosure size
Enclosure type
Distance of the bulb from basking
Substrate
Proximity to a window
Proximity to a door
Proximity near a bathroom
Human traffic through or near the enclosure
Draft
Enclosure placed on 1st, 2nd floors or basement
Room temperature/humidity
Outside weather/temperature
Enclosure placement to AC, heat vent
Extra fans or ceiling fan
I am sure there are more but, these are what I cam up with from memory on the spot. All in all choose a bulb that is bright but not too bright. I would suggest up to 950 lumen, anything past may be too bright. Also factor in the wattage to lumen, I have tried a 57 watt clear bulb that has a 810 lumen output. The bulb is clear and produces sufficient heat for the most part. The higher wattage will produce typically more heat but is also dependent of the glass, coated heavily? lightly? clear?
What I would suggest to the OP is to come up with a chart, add columns for contributing factors, test and mark the results. This will help you best choose your bulbs for the current time of year. :wink: