coil bulbs safe for heating?

[SkyfangRauss]

so I've been looking around for a 5000k+ bulb, and the only ones I can find are all those coil energy saver things

are these good as a heat/light source? note im not talking about coil UVB's, only the coil bulbs to be used for heating or lighting

 

[Mistyck]

No, they don't put off enough heat to be used as a basking bulb.

You need to go to the dollar store and find regular incandescent bulbs, play around with the wattage, to get to the temps that you need.

 

[SkyfangRauss]

I have checked the dollar store, and walmart, and home depot, and lowes

ALL of the incandescent bulbs aren't even in the 3000k range.

 

[Mistyck]

Why do you need one that's in the 3000K? Just use a regular incandescent bulb. I use a 75 watt incandescent bulb and it heats my dragon's tank to the desired temp with no problem.

 

[Mistyck]

Are you wanting to use this for light or for heat? If you use a regular incandescent bulb you get both light and heat, and then you wouldn't have to worry about other light. A UVB bulb should be in your tank as well, and that should be a ReptiSun 10.0 Fluorescent tube bulb.

 

[SkyfangRauss]

its for light and heat, and I am using a reptisun 10.0 tube.

I want at least a 5000k light because several articles on this site says that's the best color temperature for them

 

[Mistyck]

I've never worried about that. I've just used different wattages for what I need during different times of the year. Incandescent bulbs do exactly what you're looking to do, for WAY cheaper.

If you're so inclined, then go to home-depot and get flood bulb. They might have the 3000k one you're looking for. But it's practically the same thing as an incandescent bulb.

 

[Taterbug]

You might have luck looking for a halogen bulb, rather than an regular incandescent. In that case you'll want a wide flood light (spot lights and small floods are too narrow a beam) to avoid hotspots and burns.

 

[jarich]

I would agree with getting the halogen flood light for a basking lamp. Incandescents waste a lot of energy and give off much less heat. If you really want a good quality light as well as heat, then look into something like the Iwasaki Eye Colour Arc metal halide or the Exo Terra SunRay metal halide

 

[diamc]

SkyfangRauss, what size is the tank that you're trying to find a better basking bulb for?

 

[SkyfangRauss]

a standard 10 gallon tank.

 

[diamc]

If it's only a 10 gallon tank, a halogen flood light would be too hot as it's very hard to regulate a good basking & cool side temp in such a small tank. I think your only option right now would be a regular incandescent bulb (standard household bulb) of about a 60 watt but you would have to make sure you're using either a temp gun or digital probe thermometer for accurate readings.

 

[SkyfangRauss]

I have an ir temp gun.

the problem with 'regular household buld' is that I found literally dozens of kinds of 'standard household bulbs'

most were soft white, which I know not to use. a lot had neodymium coating which I also know not to use. the rest either had clear glass, or a white coating that wasn't 'soft white'

which ones do I use?

 

[diamc]

Good that you're using a temp gun, make sure you hold it 2" from the area you're checking.

You're right, you should stay away from the neodymium coating and you do want a bright white bulb. Before I started using the MVB's, I was using Repti Basking bulbs (without the coating) but they are more expensive than some other bulbs.

If you have a larger tank, like a 40 breeder, that would broaden your basking light options a lot. Any idea when you will be switching to a larger tank?

 

[SkyfangRauss]

I have a 36x18x18 tank with slate tile installed on the floor.

just need to wait until payday so I can get some furniture for it.

planning on using an MVB In that tank, although I might need a separate low wattage basking bulb if the mvb doesn't heat things up enough