Lighting for Exo-Terra

[Ladyhawk42]

1. UVB

The mesh on the top of my Exo-Terra 36" X 18" X 18" is very fine, which would block a lot of light. With that in mind, would you help me set up a good lighting scheme?

For Grover's 20 gallon long, I mounted an 18" cabinet light inside the terrarium. With the new Exo-Terra, this would be harder to do with the fine mesh and would possibly melt the plastic support beams that reinforce the lid. Also, the half-inch-in-depth support beams would make it extremely difficult (perhaps impossible?) to mount a fixture.

It looks like I'll be doing everything on the outside of the terrarium unless I want to buy a couple of 12-inch fixures and bulbs. Not sure I want to do that.

Here's what Big Apple Pet Supply said:

Hello,

With the Exo Terra 36" tanks you must be careful with heating and lighting that it does not melt the plastic braces on the screen.

We recommend the following:

Zoo Med 5 1/2" brooder fixture with a Zoo Med 100watt ceramic emitter controlled on a theremostat (this fixture will fit into one sction of the screen top)

For lighting we recommend the Zoo Med Mini Deep Dome with the Zoo Med 100 watt PowerSun Mercury Vapor bulb. This can be placed in the section of screen in front of the ceramic emitter.

Will the Power Sun mercury vapor bulb give Grover enough UVB through the fine mesh? I noticed it was on the naughty list for photo- kerato-conjunctivitis. I already had a Zoo Med compact bulb that started affecting Grover, so I'd rather not go through that again.

I was thinking of getting a dual fixture and mounting it inside the cage. I'm not sure the plastic supports will let me. Maybe long screws would help? Anyway, I'd go with one 18" Reptisun 10.0 and another normal fluorescent light for lighting up the whole cage.

What do you think? Has anyone else tried mounting a fixture internally on one of these cages?

 

[NikTait]

My Arcadia tube hangs internally in the cage, just supported by the wires from its fitting - no sort of attachment. Then my basking bulb sits on top of the mesh. Not sure if that helps you out at all!



I know you have to be careful of the plastic melting, but we have never had any trouble. Alternatively, you can just find a dome small enough to sit within the mesh, and then there's no risk of melting.

Hope you manage to sort it! Grover will be a lucky beardie!