Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a Rubbermaid container with approximately the dimensions of a 30 Gallon tank and was wondering what would be a proper bulb wattage to keep my Ball Pyhon's basking area at around 90 degrees. Thanks.

First off, you can't guarantee a perfect temp without a controller, so get a thermostat to protect against overheating. They are available at so many places. Even the inexpensive A-Life from LLL Reptile is better than none. You're using it for protection against overheating.

It depends on the humidity in the room, the background temp in the room, etc. In a cold room you'll need more wattage than in a warm room. In a dry climate you'll need a bit more wattage than in a humid climate. I'd say start with 40 watts roughly and see what happens. Make sure you use the thermostat, or at least have an end of the cage that remains cool enough for refuge just in case.

If it was that simple to say, "50 watts will keep your cage 90 degrees" then there would be no temperature controller industry needed.

It depends on many things, so the best thing to do is to get a thermometer or IR temp gun and measure the basking spot with a given bulb. If it is too hot, then switch to a lower wattage and vice versa. I would think that a 75 watt should be more than enough.
JustinJ