# Overwhelmed with lighting



## kayesdawn (Dec 22, 2020)

I’m getting ready to build my tegu enclosure and wow I started pricing the lights can anyone please help me out what do I actually need and what works best that doesn’t cost so much I want to have live plants inside and I’m doing a common 8x4x4 enclosure with sliding front door help please!!!!! lol


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## Josh (Dec 23, 2020)

Live plants are gonna require some expensive lighting! I'd go with fake plants. Easier to clean. Less maintenance. Then you can focus on the tegus needs instead of worrying about plants.


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## kayesdawn (Dec 23, 2020)

Josh said:


> Live plants are gonna require some expensive lighting! I'd go with fake plants. Easier to clean. Less maintenance. Then you can focus on the tegus needs instead of worrying about plants.


Good to know ty any recommendations on what lights I’ll need


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## Josh (Dec 23, 2020)

Yes I think we discussed in your other thread. Uvb lighting and a couple heat sources are recommended


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## kayesdawn (Dec 23, 2020)

Josh said:


> Yes I think we discussed in your other thread. Uvb lighting and a couple heat sources are recommended


I done some checking and some say I can use plain flood lights and regular flourecent lights but I wasn’t sure and no one really says how many watts they need to be lol


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## Josh (Dec 23, 2020)

You can use plain flood lights for heat but not uvb. Wattage depends heavily on your layout. Best to get a thermometer and experiment with the bulbs you intend on using.


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## kayesdawn (Dec 23, 2020)

Josh said:


> You can use plain flood lights for heat but not uvb. Wattage depends heavily on your layout. Best to get a thermometer and experiment with the bulbs you intend on using.


Ok that makes sense ty


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## Josh (Dec 23, 2020)

Remember that a wooden and glass box can be quite good at insulating


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## kayesdawn (Dec 23, 2020)

Josh said:


> Remember that a wooden and glass box can be quite good at insulating


Do you think a 72Lx36Wx32H will be big enough 


Josh said:


> Remember that a wooden and glass box can be quite good at insulating





Josh said:


> Remember that a wooden and glass box can be quite good at insulating


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## kayesdawn (Dec 23, 2020)

Do you think a 72x36x32 will be big enough


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## Dude Bro Man 433 (Dec 30, 2020)

kayesdawn said:


> I’m getting ready to build my tegu enclosure and wow I started pricing the lights can anyone please help me out what do I actually need and what works best that doesn’t cost so much I want to have live plants inside and I’m doing a common 8x4x4 enclosure with sliding front door help please!!!!! lol


Get the Arcadia dragon lights on Amazon and it’ll tell you a cheap fixture to get, make sure there with in 18 inches from ground and running horizontally I also have a 125 watt uvb heat source


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## kayesdawn (Dec 30, 2020)

Dude Bro Man 433 said:


> Get the Arcadia dragon lights on Amazon and it’ll tell you a cheap fixture to get, make sure there with in 18 inches from ground and running horizontally I also have a 125 watt uvb heat source


Ty


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## Glostik Willy (Dec 30, 2020)

kayesdawn said:


> I’m getting ready to build my tegu enclosure and wow I started pricing the lights can anyone please help me out what do I actually need and what works best that doesn’t cost so much I want to have live plants inside and I’m doing a common 8x4x4 enclosure with sliding front door help please!!!!! lol





kayesdawn said:


> I’m getting ready to build my tegu enclosure and wow I started pricing the lights can anyone please help me out what do I actually need and what works best that doesn’t cost so much I want to have live plants inside and I’m doing a common 8x4x4 enclosure with sliding front door help please!!!!! lol


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## Glostik Willy (Dec 30, 2020)

This 1st fixture you get on Amazon the basking area is 6 inches high with a 125 watt mercury vapor it gets about 110 degrees. The other 2 fixtures are like 5 dollars at Lowe's or home depot tgthey have exo terra 5.0 in them. All for under $80 them tube light are to costly to replaces every 6 months because after 6 months there worthless my cage is 6ft by 2ft by 2ft


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## Glostik Willy (Dec 30, 2020)

Josh said:


> Live plants are gonna require some expensive lighting! I'd go with fake plants. Easier to clean. Less maintenance. Then you can focus on the tegus needs instead of worrying about plants.


And they will destroy them plant's fast


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## Glostik Willy (Dec 30, 2020)

kayesdawn said:


> I’m getting ready to build my tegu enclosure and wow I started pricing the lights can anyone please help me out what do I actually need and what works best that doesn’t cost so much I want to have live plants inside and I’m doing a common 8x4x4 enclosure with sliding front door help please!!!!! lol


You cage is taller then mine so you will need to figure out the height of your fixtures.


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## Dude Bro Man 433 (Dec 30, 2020)

kayesdawn said:


> Do you think a 72x36x32 will be big enough


Maybe for a blue but the bigger the better they really use the space


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## Glostik Willy (Dec 30, 2020)

Plenty


Glostik Willy said:


> You cage is taller then mine so you will need to figure out the height of your fixtures.


 Bug enough as long as you interact with it


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## Catnlion (Dec 30, 2020)

Go to the garden center at Walmart and tell them you need a grow light. Just a couple bucks.


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## Dylan koch (Dec 30, 2020)

I used megaray 160w bulbs they are good for uvb and heat work amazing! I had tried live plants with a long uvb type light through enclosure n took them out because my tegus would always destroy the plants so fake are way to go.. n before it got colder in az I take my tegus out daily once or twice minimum in yard for enrichment and exercise to wonder yard and dig and get natural sunlight


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## Dylan koch (Dec 30, 2020)

my 2 blues have gone down for brumation/hibernation but reds haven't and recently also got forgers for all 4 of my genus enclosures


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## Debita (Dec 31, 2020)

I think plants are doable, but not for the young and restless. Once tegus are adults, and past the puberty year (so, 2-3 yrs old), they calm down and are not as destructive. Grow lights are not expensive. Nursery people use them all the time for the same thing you're trying to do for your plants. You just have to remember that plants don't last, need lots of care, and replacement.


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