# Lighting vs. Cage height? Help!!



## larissalurid (Mar 18, 2012)

I'm building a cage for my tegu that is 7ft long and 3ft wide. I am wondering what height would be best though, taking into consideration that there will be a few inches of substrate on the bottom, making the lizard closer to the top, as well as how I was planning on getting a 100w powersun uva/uvb bulb for the main heat source. I don't want the main basking areas temperature to be too hot or cold, so I was wondering what height would be best? 2.5 feet or 3 feet is what I was thinking. Suggestions?


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## james.w (Mar 18, 2012)

I would go with 3', mine is about 39" and I built up a basking spot so the temp was correct.


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## larissalurid (Mar 18, 2012)

Crap, I just realized that the door to the room is only 2 feet 3 inches wide... :/


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## james.w (Mar 18, 2012)

larissalurid said:


> Crap, I just realized that the door to the room is only 2 feet 3 inches wide... :/



Build it in 2 sections (top and Bottom), use weatherstip between the 2 sections and something to screw the sections together.







You can see where the blue section meets the wood section. Those brackets hold it together and there is 1" wide weather strip in between.


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## Bntegus (Mar 18, 2012)

looks like 2 feet tall is what it is going to be that should be good for the lighting you want to use. it is hard for someone to give you all the right info because we don't no how cold it is also what your vents are like need some more info just my 2 cents


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## larissalurid (Mar 18, 2012)

Bntegus said:


> looks like 2 feet tall is what it is going to be that should be good for the lighting you want to use. it is hard for someone to give you all the right info because we don't no how cold it is also what your vents are like need some more info just my 2 cents



It's usually around regular room temperature, being at least 75 degrees, then hotter in the summer (and actually most of the time since the house has so many heaters already for my fish tanks, other lizards, and scorpion. The coldest the room ever gets is if we close the door to not let heat in during winter (which isn't necessary, it's just my boyfriend's preference to sleep in the cold lol) where the lowest it gets is around 62 degrees, but could probably be about 70 if we left the door open, if not a little warmer.


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## Bntegus (Mar 18, 2012)

copy james cage just shorter that should be a very good start to see what you would need to change if anything.


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## larissalurid (Mar 18, 2012)

Bntegus said:


> copy james cage just shorter that should be a very good start to see what you would need to change if anything.



Well, I will see what I can do, but the length isn't the issue. It's the width of the door that I need to get it through, which is only 2ft 3inches wide. I will see what I can do with making a separate bottom, otherwise the cage is going to have to be about 2ft 2inches or 2 feet tall. I just don't want it to be so short that it gets too hot and there's nothing I can do, or when he gets bigger if he tries to grab at, hang onto, or bite at the lamp at all.


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## Bntegus (Mar 18, 2012)

build the cage in the room that always works.


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## larissalurid (Mar 18, 2012)

Bntegus said:


> build the cage in the room that always works.



Yea I'm either going to do that or have it in 2 parts that I can just screw together. Thank you everyone :] 

Also, while on the topic of lighting I had another question. I'm planning on keeping my hatchling in a 20g long that I already have for a very short amount of time since this is a tiny tank for a tegu. I just wanted a small area to begin with, even if only for a month or 2, so that the tegu could be in the living room to get used to seeing and hearing everyone as well as not being in a huge scary place. This area is right next to a glass sliding door so basically the entire day before sunset the area has full light and is very warm. My skink loves to bask there. This will also be in the summer, so I'm not worried about opening the door and letting cold air in next to the lizard. I was wondering if I would need to use the uva/uvb 100w powersun bulb still or if I could just use a regular red heat bulb for the basking area.

SO! With the full sunlight wouldn't he be getting all the UV rays he needs? I don't want to "waste" using my bulb if the sun is doing it's job and being such a small cage I don't want a 100w bulb frying the poor baby.


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## james.w (Mar 18, 2012)

Uvb does not penetrate glass, so unless the door is always open you will still need a bulb.


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## larissalurid (Mar 18, 2012)

james.w said:


> Uvb does not penetrate glass, so unless the door is always open you will still need a bulb.



Ah I see, that was my concern. Thank you!


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## james.w (Mar 18, 2012)

You could always put the lights on the outside as well.


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## larissalurid (Mar 18, 2012)

james.w said:


> You could always put the lights on the outside as well.



Well yea I'm definitely going to have to do that. Like I said, the starter cage that he will be in for a very very short amount of time is only a 20g long, so it's not tall at all. I'll figure something out lol.


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## Bntegus (Mar 18, 2012)

i no this is going to start a war but i dont use uv for the first year of there life until i put them outside but i also feed whole pray like mice and rats. for the two months you are talking about you should be fine no big deal its the heat they need just my 2cents.


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