# Lighting Suggestions



## Bedlam (Jul 2, 2011)

I'm receiving a 2011 hatchling extreme giant in the coming weeks from Bobby Hill and was wondering if anyone had any consumer products I could perhaps purchase online or find at the store that you recommend? I saw this at my local store... http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Basking-Reptile-Fluorescent/dp/B00361HC9C ... and found it on amazon for about $10 cheaper. Suitable?


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## montana (Jul 2, 2011)

Bedlam said:


> I'm receiving a 2011 hatchling extreme giant in the coming weeks from Bobby Hill and was wondering if anyone had any consumer products I could perhaps purchase online or find at the store that you recommend? I saw this at my local store... http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Basking-Reptile-Fluorescent/dp/B00361HC9C ... and found it on amazon for about $10 cheaper. Suitable?



Bad bad bad !!!!

You don`t want those little tube bulbs ..

At best they are hard on your reptiles eyes ...


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## james.w (Jul 2, 2011)

Get a MVB mercury vapor bulb, they provide heat and UVB.


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## reptastic (Jul 2, 2011)

The mmost cost effective bulbs are the MVB, they produce heat as well as uvb and they last longer, you can choose from megaray, powersun and solarglo, there may be others but these are the popular ones, i use the solarglo and it works great


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## Bedlam (Jul 2, 2011)

Wow, I'm very glad I asked. Thank you everyone. 

'Reptastic,' are you referring to the Exo-Terra Solar-Glo? (Product link below)

http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Glo-Intensity-Self-Ballasted-Mercury-125-Watt/dp/B00101JIFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309641857&sr=8-1


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## james.w (Jul 2, 2011)

Yes that is the bulb, not sure where you are located, but Petsmart has them for $30 I believe.


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## Bedlam (Jul 2, 2011)

Thank you 'James.W.' There is no chain pet stores in my town, only 2 locally owned ones. So just for clarification because I hate to be presumptuous but by purchasing this bulb I get both the basking and UVB in one and it'll be suitable as my only light/heat source for my enclosure while he is a juvenile?


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## james.w (Jul 2, 2011)

yes, it should be fine depending on the size of the enclosure and ambient room temps.


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## Bedlam (Jul 2, 2011)

james.w said:


> yes, it should be fine depending on the size of the enclosure and ambient room temps.



Well, at 1st I intend on keeping the fella in a 150 gallon tank until he grows into his Custom Enclosure. The tank is 6ft long, 1ft 6inches wide and 2ft deep. I was gonna section off the tank and allow more and more space as he gradually gets bigger. Any comment on how much space I should allow him to start with?


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## james.w (Jul 2, 2011)

Give him all of the tank. How do you intend on keeping heat and humidity in the tank? You may want to add another light to the opposite end of the basking spot just for light, unless the room he will be in is well lit.


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## Bedlam (Jul 2, 2011)

james.w said:


> Give him all of the tank. How do you intend on keeping heat and humidity in the tank? You may want to add another light to the opposite end of the basking spot just for light, unless the room he will be in is well lit.



Well I planned on giving him a spray every once in awhile to bump humidity. I live in the Florida keys so It's not much of a concern for me, the humidity usually never gets below 70. But I plan on investing on a Humidity/Temp. reader just to be sure.

I'm a bit of a weirdo so no, my house is usually quite dark. For the 2nd light, does it require anything special, or just an old fashioned light bulb? Let's say I felt creative and wanted to get a blue light/green light/purple light for aesthetic reasons, any harm done?


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## james.w (Jul 2, 2011)

Well since you are in the keys, humidity should be fine. I would just use a basic household light bulb.


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## montana (Jul 2, 2011)

I`ve heard bad things about colored bulbs couldn`t tell you if it was true or not ...

For extra light without extra heat I use a fancy but relativity cheep florescent screw in .

Tho you should stay away from the small tube bulbs this one has a glass bulb over it and it looks like a Mercury vapor bulb it gives off a nice mellow light but increases the light in the enclosure dramatically..It only uses 16 watts ...


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## Bedlam (Jul 3, 2011)

OK thanks guys, how about night time? Turn them both off?


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## rrcoolj (Jul 3, 2011)

Yea just let all the lights go off. They shouldn't need any heat at night.


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 3, 2011)

I use a powersun although Iam looking into amega ray they seem to have less problems getting them to people laely. I also use 45 halogen inddo/outdoor flood lights in all my large reptile enclosures


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## Bedlam (Jul 3, 2011)

Well I think I'm going to purchase the Solar-Glo. The 160 Watt is cheaper than the 125. I'm sure as long as the temperature is appropriate it should be fine but I still like to ask. So, any harm in getting the 160 to save myself a pretty penny? I'm not 'cheaping out,' I just don't want to spend money on something that I could've gotten for cheaper and worked just as fine.


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## james.w (Jul 3, 2011)

It is alot harder to lower the temp if it is too high, but another bulb can be added if you need it higher. I would go with the 125 for a 40 gallon.


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## Bedlam (Jul 3, 2011)

james.w said:


> It is alot harder to lower the temp if it is too high, but another bulb can be added if you need it higher. I would go with the 125 for a 40 gallon.



He is going in a 150 gallon. 6ft long, 1ft 6inches wide and 2 feet deep.


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## james.w (Jul 3, 2011)

oh nevermind than, a 160W should be ok.


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 4, 2011)

ust make ure you research the threads on the mercury vapor bulbs. Thre are people who post readings they get from a solar meter (?). Apparently all uvb bulbs are not equal there are some threads on the solar glo.


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