catUK":on8rpwwh said:Hi and welcome.
No your right, these lights are not very good. You will need a bight white basking bulb- a regular household bulb sometimes works just as well. The reptisun 10 UVB tube is the best and you can order it online- i think in USA (im guessing thats where your from) you can get good prices at petmountain.com. Temps can drop to 65 at night without a problem. If you find you need additional heat at night you can use a ceramic heat bulb linked to a thermostat- it only gives off heat, not light. I'd also advise to get a decent thermometer to measure temps to make sure its 110 at basking spot, 90-100 hot and and 75-85 cool end. The digital thermometers with probe or a temp gun are best- the stick on thermometers are not accurate. Hope this helps a bit
Ted":2yezt36n said:
Hi Cat!
The fact that you responded is a huge help and very much appreciated.
A couple of follow-up questions, please:
1. If I use a regular household bulb, what wattage is recommended?
It depends on the size of the viv. I have a 4foot viv and use a 100w basking bulb which gives good temps. However, sometimes its a case of playing around with different wattages until you find the one that gives good temps. if you have a small viv try a 50-60w, if your viv is larger try 75 / 100w
2. I've seen ceramic heating bulbs! How difficult is it to link to a thermostat? Would I find a thermostat in a pet store such as Petco? Would I have that IN addition to the basking light? Would I have that on at night since the light may mess up Sam's sleeping pattern?
I'm not sure which thermostats are available in us. i use the habistat controller, all you do is plug the plug from the Ceramic bulb into the thermostat and select desired temp. You may not need it if temps don't fall below 65 at night. You wont need it during the day. i use mine in the winter set to 70 in case temps go low- the ceramic bulb doesn't give out any light, just heat so it wont affect sleep. UVb and basking lights should be left on 12-14 hours and turned off at night
3. With regards to the Reptisun 10 UVB, what fixture do I need? Do I use a fixture such as the kind they have on fish aquariums? Or is there a special one?
yeah you can use that and make sure theres no plastic or glass screen (sometimes there is but it can be removed). I use a fixtre that just fits on the end of the uvb (arcadia ultra seal controller) and hang it from hooks like so:and here's my set up- the basking bulb on the right, UVB almost the length of the viv and yellow ceramic heat emitter off centre, only used at night:
Thanks again for your help!I'm very grateful.
Ted
catUK":25oqgjbx said:Thanks. The compact / coil bulb UVBs are not good at all. I really wouldn't worry about the CHE just yet...you probably wont need it. I live in the UK and my house never gets that hot...about 74F maximum and drops at night- this keeps night temps at about 72. It may be something to save up for in the winter months. The UVB will be fine set up on screen...just make sure your beardie can get withing 6 inches of it in basking area...thats why i have mine dropped down nearer my beardie. Realsied i put the wrong 2nd photo on in last post so you couldn't see my light set up properly- here is the one i meant to put for an idea
Jess4921":1qcjtnp2 said:Try a 65 or 75 watt, 150 watts would be too much. The highest wattage I ever needed was 65.
And you can use the Zilla fixture for your ReptiSun. I GTG now, but I'll answer your other questions when I get back.
Ted":17kt141w said:150 watts would be too much? But the CHE I bought was 150!
Even at that, the temperature near Sam's basking area is only 90 degrees.Wouldn't 75 watts be cooler and so the temperature wouldn't be 100 degrees (like it should be?) Am I not understanding?
Or do I leave the CHE on IN addition to the light but then at night, turn the light off. If that's the case, then, won't the temperature drop considerably?
*sigh* I wonder if I'll EVER get this.
I do appreciate your patience, though. Thanks very much![/color]
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