Need answer fast!

[DylanFreeman]

Hello all.
I just got home from work to find that my beardies basking light was burnt out in less than a month and rushed to the store to get another. I ended up buying the 100 watt basking bulbs (pack of two) for my beardie by zoomed. Is this ok? Should i return them and buy a different brand? Im not sure! Help!

 

[DylanFreeman]

Also is it true i can use a regular incadescent bulb??

 

[CooperDragon]

The zoomed bulbs work well. Just be sure the new bulbs are getting the tank temps in the correct range. Otherwise you may need to adjust the height of the light or basking area or adjust the wattage. You can also use halogen flood lights if you want.

 

[DylanFreeman]

If i go with the halogens, can i use a 75watt bulb in a 100 watt fixture?

 

[CooperDragon]

You may need to play around with the wattages a bit in order to get the right temps. I use 90w halogen PAR38 bulbs and that works for my setup but may not work for yours (I use zoomed 150w as well). You may want to get a lamp dimmer too so you can try and fine tune the output from the bulb as needed. You can give the 75w a shot and see how it does, but it comes down mainly to temperature and having a nice wide beam of bright white light over the basking area.

 

[DylanFreeman]

I already have a dimmer hooked up to my light so that isnt a problem. Im torn on whether to go ahead and use these 100 way zoo meds and see how they do or just go ahead and take them back and get a halogen. Thoughts?

 

[CooperDragon]

You'll probably be OK either way. I use both. I have a 150w repti basking spot lamp in the tank and I have 90w halogen floods in my portable basking lamp and on hand for spare. The glass is a bit more durable so I like to use them for the portable and moving them around. I usually get a few months of use out of either one.

 

[DylanFreeman]

Sounds good. Everything i have read has pretty much said try to buy the brand that sucks the least. So frustrating. When buying halogen, is there anything i need to avoid or know specifically?

 

[CooperDragon]

The brand, type, and size of UVB bulb is the more sensitive choice. The basking light is mainly to provide bright white light and heat so as long as your bulb is bright and is providing correct temps it should be fine. I've found PAR38 halogens to have a nice wide beam. The downside is that the lens can create small hot spots so that's something to look out for. The BR40 bulbs are a bit more even with their output and are a bit more similar to the zoomed bulbs. I've found it easier to go with a high wattage and cut power down or raise it up higher using an adjustable stand than using a lower wattage and putting it closer. Having the bulb further away provides a wider beam for basking which I like.

 

[DylanFreeman]

I know this might be a tough question to answer but hopefully you can! I have a 40 gal breeder and the light is roughly a foot away from the basking spot. Would you suggest a 65 watt halogen? 75? 55? Lol sorry i just want to do this right the first time so i dont have to return things. Because if i have to dim it then the bright light will be dimmed too and that wouldnt be so great

 

[CooperDragon]

If it's 36x18x18 then it's the same as mine. I use a 150w zoomed sitting at 19'' up from the floor (adjustable based on season and daily measurements) or a 90w GE halogen 1790 lumen flood light at the same distance. I just change the height of the bulb to get the temp to about 105 at the basking site which is about 12'' down from the bulb.

Basking light is on the left and the wintertime night CHE is on the right (up 25'' from the floor).