Return to the Terrariums Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Vivarium lighting
| | |
Posted by bilgerat md (My Page) on Fri, Jan 27, 06 at 23:01
| I'm starting to build my first viv and have learned alot from reading the posts here. I have a 55gal tank (48w x 12d x 18t) so far I've installed a false bottom with a pond area and a waterfall feeding the pond. I'll be using cork panels and fern tree root for the backround, several pieces of wood will be in the tank, one of which is almost as tall as the tank. I,m not sure what kind of plants will be going in yet, but I will probably be keeping a couple of firebelly toads and a couple of green anoles in it. My question is, what kind of lighting will be necessary. I know the lizards will need uva and uvb, and should have a basking area. I've been looking at a zoomed 48" sliding hood that contains a place for one 36" T-8 or T-12 fluorescent tube and 3 porcelain sockets that can handle up to 150 watt lights. Useing a reptisun 5.0 tube and one or two incandescents for basking. I've read that one tube will probably not be enough for plants and was wondering if I could just supplement the tube with one or two compact fluorescents. I know alot depends on the plants I choose, and I'm still researching that, so any help in that area would also be appreciated. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Vivarium lighting
| | |
In my experience, compact flourescents or CFs are very 'bright' as compared to standard tubes. Those should be a great way to suppliment the reptile lighting. I actually burn my higher light orchids placed too close to them.
Drew |
RE: Vivarium lighting
| | |
| Here's what I would do. You have 3 porcelin sockets and 1 flo tube socket? Put a screw-in 6700K compact flo in each of the porcelin sockets and a UVB bulb in the flo tube socket. The 6700K compact flos (you could use 5400K or anthing around that) give light to your plants and are warm enough for your lizards, and the UVB flo tube gives off UVB. |
RE: Vivarium lighting
| | |
| Thanks for the follow ups guys. I'll give the three CFs a shot. I was just afraid that the CFs wouldn't put out enough heat to serve as basking lamps, and too much light for whatever plants I decide to put in. I thought I read somewhere that the basking temp should be something like 80 or 90 degrees. And I guess, depending on what plants go in maybe I won't need 3 CFs?? I'm thinking of starting with some kind of moss, maybe Java, some Broms and maybe a Nepenthes which I think is a kind of pitcher plant, and some kind of aquatic plant around the pond. And I'll keep building from there. Plant selection is killing me, because there's so much out there. |
RE: Vivarium lighting
| | |
| If you use like a 30-40 watt CF in each socket (available online), I know that the temps will be warm enough. You might even want to stagger the wattage, say, 15W on the L, 20W middle, 40W on the R. That way you get temp gradient. |
|
|
|
|
