How bright (not hot!) should the basking bulb be?

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LeoA

Member
Hi all,

I have a question I couldn't see the answer to on the forum.

Given a proper setup otherwise (UV, etc), and two bulbs producing equal heat at the basking spot, does the brightness of the bulb matter? I ask since I can use either a typical reptile basking bulb, or a halogen spot bulb. The halogen spot bulb produces much more focused heat per watt, so it doesn't shine as 'bright' as the reptile bulb while maintaining the correct temperature.

If I use the halogen spot bulb, due to how focused the heat is it is, it only needs maybe 1/5 as much power as the reptile bulb to heat the same spot. Due to this it's nowhere near as bright (barely visible when used with the dimmer).

Does the brightness of the basking bulb matter then, all other things equal?
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hi there,

The brightness does matter to a degree, but not so much.
However in your case, if one bulb is barely visible it's probably not the best choice.

Even though the uvb light is pretty bright, you dont want a dim basking spot as the bright light at the basking spot also helps restrict the pupils to protect the eyes from UV.

I'd go with the brighter of the two.

-Brandon
 

LeoA

Member
Original Poster
Thank you for the advice. Sounds like the brighter one would be preferred if not just to more mimic the natural basking environment (under the sun, so would be v. bright)
 

Draven88

Hatchling Member
In this case I think Brandon was spot on. You do want at least enough light that they naturally protect their eyes from the UVB that they need exposure to.

I just want to note for anyone reading that *in the right circumstances* where a halogen provides the right heat without being dimmed (has a height that works at full power), you can use them and simply make sure it is a bright area.

For example I use halogen bulbs (not dimmed as they are quite high above), but to accompany them my UVB fixture also has bright natural light LEDs in it that ensure the basking area is very well lit with natural light stimulating the pupils to restrict protecting the eyes.

Every setup will be slightly different and may work best with different lighting combinations.
 
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