Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am curious what Bulbs everyone uses for Basking, Spot heat, etc. Brands in particular wattage is unimportant as each cage is unique of its own requirements. Just looking to see any trends of most used Bulb.

Frank there is no need to answer as we all know what you use, but feel free to comment if you feel so inclined.

Thank You
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
0.0.1 Youth -coming soon-

45 watt outdoor halogens,

and for backup lights i have those old disco balls that shoot multi-color lights all over.

I also use dimmers to set the mood for some ackie lovin'
they just won't bone with the lights on

oh and can't forget the fog machine.

*chuckle*

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

Frank,

I really appriciate the imput, in a lot of ways you gave me exactly what I already knew. It's not a bad thing I am glad we agreed on the types of bulb and there place.

The reason why I asked in the first place, and I really should have said it in the first place. Is I am thinking of conducting an experiment of sorts analizing different bulbs and there use in a mathmatical sense not in results.

I would never experiment with an actual animal there are to many out there that do so already I don't need to bea third wheel.

In fact Frank it was you notion of useing more low wattage bulbs vs one higher wattage bulb that sparked this interest in comparision of bulbs.

If you have any hard numerical data I would appriciate the sharing of knowledge. I suspect Frank that you have results to back your use over generations of succesful breedings, and not mathmatical data. Which is fine I would expect that from someone with your experiance. While I my little experiment may not swing people heads in may make them think. Like your use did to me.

Of course I am looking for some base bulb to compare against, I don't want to prove which bulb is best in a cage that idea in riduclus. My motivation is which bulb is used the most not the best. Frank I have my personal preferances in bulbs that give myself the best results.

What I want to see is the different ways to skin a cat persee. I was mearly poling the readers to find what common bulbs are used in the trade, a survey of sorts. What good would it do to prove myself wrong when what I use may not be the norm.

Oh and I agree while metal Halides have there place there is just no need for them in the general herp keepers closet. The bills alone would dictate them not to be used.

If anything my little experiment will show how better to use these tools (bulbs) then I knew before.

Thanks again
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
0.0.1 Youth -coming soon-

little tiny thing. You mentioned many ways to skin the cat. Unfortunately I do not see, eye to eye with this train of thinking.

Hear me out if you will. You and others are thinking using different bulbs, including UV, are different ways to skin the cat. That is what I disagree with. Bulbs are only tools, much like a carpenters tool bag, there are lots of tools to make a wooden cabinet or a wooden chair. You can use all sorts of tools that are your perference. But the making of the cabinet and chair is still the same. If you made the cabinet and chair, out of plastic, then thats skinning the cat in a different way. Its still a cabinet and chair, but the tools and materials are different.

We are seeking the same results, so what tools you use are not skinning the cat differently. The approach is the same, the results are hopefully the same. What we are doing is arguing about tools. Unfortunately some of our extremely educated folks cannot figure seem to figure that out. We are attempting to do the same things, only with different tools.

With that in mind, it question becomes, which tool fits the situation and which tool is handist for the keeper and the kept. Instead of, Dr. So and So, wrote you must use a tork screw and driver, it is absolutely necessary. Then I pop in and say, yet but I have built dozens of cabinets using panhead phillips. I love those, hahahahahahahaha. I do love those.

So good on you, but while your at it, try and convince folks that lite bulbs do no magic and are only a tool to fit the task needed. Cheers

and this is not any argument. I refered to "many ways to skin the cat" as it is a figure of speech. Like you said you can replace one with many.

I agree that each bulb is a tool and does a certain task, by no means amy I trying to solve the problem with one tool or bulb.

>>You and others are thinking using different bulbs, including UV, are different ways to skin the cat. That is what I disagree with.

No Frank we agree, maybe I am just bad with words maybe you maybe both. Each "type" of bulb performs a certain task in a certain cage configuration. They are not different ways to skin the cat they can only be used in there realm of design. Within each type there are different ways but only minor.

A Halogen flood light is good at putting more heat out per watt we both agree. By placing a 45w flood at x" it will produce temp y and placing a 75w flood at z" it will also produce temp y given all other parimeters are the same. Both bulbs are differnt watts placed at different distances to achieve the same surface temp. That is what I mean by different ways to skin the cat. In really life however, the bulb can only be placed at n", what I am attempting to do is mearly compile data to determine (better than guessing) which bulb will do the task more efficiantly.

I hope that makes sense, I think we both see the same thing just write it different.

>>What we are doing is arguing about tools.

No its mearly a miss understanding I am not arguing what tools to use. I am mearly doing a small study to better select the tool for the job.

>> With that in mind, it question becomes, which tool fits the situation and which tool is handist for the keeper and the kept.

Exactly! Maybe we do see eye to eye.

>> So good on you, but while your at it, try and convince folks that lite bulbs do no magic and are only a tool to fit the task needed.

Thanks Frank I will let you know what I find out, I doubt it will be anything new to you.
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
0.0.1 Youth -coming soon-

the internet. The Cat is the monitor. The start is always the same, you have a monitor in hand. The goal if to provide suitable housing conditions for the monitor to lead a healthy life. The tools are everything we use to obtain that goal. Consider the tools are very standard, we put them in boxes of some shape or form. We heat them in some shape or form, etc etc.

The exact tool, litebulb or otherwise can only be judged by how it effects the desired result. The use of a lite bulb is a method, the exact type of lite bulb does not change the method, its not a different way to skin the cat. Its actually the same tool, just a tiny bit different.

The reason I say this is, the litebulb is only a very very small part of the total husbandry. The husbandry is the method, the lite bulb is one little tool within the method. In may opinion, understanding the method allows you to not be concerned over a small part of it, a tool. Hmmmmmmmm OK, talking about litebulbs is like discussing different grind angles on drill bits. They both make holes, in spite of the different grind angle. Cheers