4x2x2 Lighting Questions

[beardielovers]

I am pretty sure I will be using an Exo-Terra SolarGlo MVB. It seems to be the only MVB in our area other than the PowerSun which I've heard have a bad reputation of burning out early. I will probably order a MegaRay as our replacement, I'm just too impatient to wait. I'm not entirely sure what wattage I would need so I am planning on the 125W (they don't have a 100W like every other company) so I can make sure I'm 12" away from the beardie. Now...my questions. For anyone using MVB lighting in their 4x2x2 vivs, do you supplement the viv with additional white light on the cool side? This would be just to make it brighter not for heat. Also, I know it's different with every setup, but what wattage are you using for your enclosure? From what I've read, I am thinking I will need to supplement with a second bulb to get basking temps high enough. I will obviously test and make sure everything is 100% before bringing home the beardie. Anyone willing to share any of their lighting/heating setups you have in these enclosures (I built a crossfire enclosure) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Epic]

i would HIGHLY recommend a fluorescent tube. you can get a kitchen one, it will be cooler. i have a 48x16x16, and that's what i use. it works great. get a fixture that's 48" long, and that's stainless steel. i found mine at wal mart for $12, and it's a double. singles are around $8. the fixture was classified as, "shop light".

 

[airplanetim]

For my 4x2x2 enclosure, since I upgraded from a smaller tank and ended up re-using a lot of the original set-up, but needed to add some extra, this is my complete lighting scheme. Bear in mind that my home-built enclosure looks a lot like a big fish tank with all of the access from hinged mesh doors at the top... I should get around to showing pictures at some point... anyway:

UV is 2 15" Reptisun 10's placed end to end for full length coverage.
Basking is a 100W MVB supplemented by a 95W spotlight.
In addition to this, for extra light and heat, I have a 60W bulb above the mesh on each end of the cage. Also, I have a ceramic heat emmiter roughly in the center of the top of the cage attached to a thermostat to control night-time temps.

This all might sound a bit excessive, but we tend to let our house get fairly chilly in the winter, and it keeps my highs and lows just about right.