Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 25 gallon tall that I need to heat up into the mid 80s (F). I can't have a large light above the tank because the tank is setting on a stand that is covered, and only allows for around four inches in free space above the tank. What types of fixtures/bulbs could I use above this tank?

With a 25-gallon, you could pretty easily get away with flex-watt underneath, and a normal flourescent fixture above. The flexwatt will handle the heat for you, while the flourescent takes care of lighting in that tight space. Just make sure you elevate the terrarium off the ground by about 1/4" or so (we use the caps of film canisters under the corners), to provide air flow and prevent the glass from cracking.

Add a substrate to retain the heat a little better and, with a room-temperature house, you should be able to get up to 80 without too much difficulty.
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Justin, Julie and the menagerie...
www.baskingwonders.com

The trouble with a flexwatt is that I want to use a deep substrate that will consist of an inch of pea gravel covered by at least 3 inches of soil. In addition, the animals I will be keeping need some form of radiant heat coming from above. A friend offered me some anoles, so I need to be able to use a light bulb for heat.

another thing you could use that i've used in the past is an incandescent strip light. looks just like a normal strip light for an aquarium but it's got screw in sockets and uses desk lamp styled bulbs instead of the standard flourescent. most aquarium supply stores should have 'em and they come in different sizes and all that good stuff. they're relatively cheap, switched on and off, and have a very low clearance.. lemme know if that helps at all