Hi Jeremy, I am sure you will understand this. Lite bulbs are tools. Different cages use different tools. One type of lite bulb may not be the right tool for all types of cages.



Halogen floods put out the most heat per watt of the commonly used bulbs. Incandesents are not so efficient. I am sure you can figure out why.



Also the shape of the bulb tells you how the bulb disperses lite, which is also how it disperses heat. Bell shaped bulbs aim the heat downward. Round bulbs throw the heat in all directions, etc.



Bell shaped bulbs have a reflective coating on all but the flat face of the bulb. This is how it directs heat.



Halogen bulbs use the face to focus the lite, These lens either use a tight focus, spotlites or use a lens that disperses lite, flood.



Not to do a complete guide to lite bulbs. Its just an idea of how to use these tools.



If you need lots of heat and cannot place the lites in the cage, then halogens are the tool for you. If you have small cages and want a large temperature range, then incandesents close to the subject are the tool for you. If your making a display and need the lites many feet from the subject, then metal halides and company are the lites for you(and you like to pay for electricity)



Incandesents because they are not normally dangerous as they do not put out or concentrate heat. Halogen spots are extremely dangerous and must be used correctly. Halogen floods, can but dangerous and have caused me lots of problems. So they too must be used with caution.



For instance a example of a problem. Your raising a monitor under halogen floods. The monitor is growing fabulously, then all of a sudden, its burned severely. But its been in there its whole life. And you changed nothing.



You see, the monitor got larger and as it did, it got closer to the lite. The monitor also greatly increased in mass, so it now takes far longer for the monitor to heat up. In addition to those, the larger the monitor got, the more focused the heat is on that monitor(more regional) So being closer and having to stay there for longer periods, now caused burns.



Halogen flood 45's have never been a problem for me with small monitors. They do not have the mass to take long periods to gain the necessary heat.



Again, from what you have told me. I do not need to explain this to you. Its simple mechanics.



By the way, I use all of the above, depending on the situation. Whoops, I do not use metal halides of any sort. and for only one reason, I have no need to. Cheers

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