Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.
I am 90% finished with my new collared enclosure and I am now shopping for a heat/UVB source.
Any wattages, and or name brands that you all recommend?
I was doing research, but I just find companies bragging about their own products.
my enclosure is 8' x 3' x 3' closed on all sides with a screened top. I will post a pict when more complete.
thx
Don
...the height of your enclosure. All the floro type UVB source bulbs put out VERY small amounts of useful light in the desirable wavelengths, and even that falls away dramatically with distance. I "hear" the testing shows the Reptisun 5.0's still out perform most others, but still are only useful within about 8" MAX of the bulbs. So there's that. The heat/basking is less of a problem, and I prefer the "full-spectrum" FLOOD (NOT spot!) lights which come in wattages from 50w to 120w...but the wattage and numbers of bulbs you select will be dependant on your observed temps on the sites you create, as well as the enclosure's ventilation and your target gradients. You will just have to experiment and adjust the heights of the basking rocks and/or use "hanging" spots inside the tank. One bit of advice is to always use fixtures with ceramic sockets rather than plastic or bakelite. An enclosure as large as you describe will be...challanging to keep in the preferred temp ranges in the cooler months if you don't brumate the bunch. In the warmer months, it WILL create a large amount of "surplus" heat in the room you locate it in. I had to move ALL my desert lizards out of the bedroom last year as it was completely overwhelming the A/C and made the whole room seem like Death Valley for hours after the timers went off LOL.
That is some trial-and-error advice, nothing to do with "experts" LOL.
DC
-----
I am actually looking @ T-Rex Mercury Vapor bulbs. They have been independantly rated to emit full UVB "UP TO" 6 feet !
A little steep @ $45 each but I will just use one of those plus a heat lamp.
As for the heat buildup, I am keeping it in my Missouri basement, and brumating in the winter. I really only plan on having 1:2 MAYBE 1:3 if I can get me a real he-man lizard! LOL
So I may have a central rock pile for basking with a lot of room and angles, and plenty of other locations to thermo-regulate.
I am ALWAYS open to suggestions!
Because as soon as ya think you are the expert, that's when things start going terribly wrong!
Thanks again Don
Don
It puts out lots of UV, and the posters that I hang in my enclosures are awesome at night!
only kidding. An alternative that I have used, is to creat a small adjustable fluorescent holder. It has two legs, and the fixture/bulb suspends between them. You can position it in a location where a nice basking light will shine down in front of it. The lizars will be beneath a basking light, but directly in front of the UVB. It doesn't look real natural though. Maybe you can glue some parsely sprigs to it. LOL
John E
....always refer to your parsley sprigs by their Navajo name.
I would tell you what it is, but it is only for the ears of experts LOL.
DC
-----
I dont know which one of you, (you or Sockhead) is the BIGGER WISE GUY ! 
Farmboy, 
makes fun of my Indian names, and Sockhead makes fun of ALL my picture taking,
It's NOT nice to mess with Fairys ya know! 
-----
___
Eve
Eve you are one of my "experts" that I was hoping to get some advice from.
What kind of bulbs do you use?
Do you use crickets as the staple diet for your collareds?
I'm going to OK in a few weeks! If you are nice, perhaps you will get a sock with a surprise in it! 
D
I just love the little RASCALS ! Hheheheh ! I'm learning new things all the time. Especially from all the cool people on this forum!
I don't get fancy as far as basking lights anymore, I used to spend a fortune , to have them blow out like a normal bulb. I just get indoor floods from Home depot now.
I use some 120 watters for my uromastyx and bearded dragon and 75 watts sometimes for the collareds because I heap slate high, for their sites, so they are close to the heat.
Also my reptile room as DC was saying gets pretty hot in these months, with all the lights going!
Reptasun 5.0 or whatever it is , is the UVB I always use
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH I love those surprises in the SOCKS, LMAO hoping its a GIRLY kind of sock, hehehhehee !
Take care, Buddy! Can't wait to see your set up!
-----
___
Eve
LMAO...what gives 
I may sprig...I mean spring for the Mercury vapor this year. I will only have a few collareds, so it won't be too big of a deal.
I also sent all my red head agamas to John-C. He's got more experience with agamas, and was looking for more anyway. Works for me.
John
Wow,that sounds like a nice sized cage. How many lizards will be in it? I use reptisun 8.0's but often wonder about thier effectiveness. I try to get most of my lizards outside at least for alittle bit just incase my lights are not effective anymore.
I actually only "plan" on having 1:2 perhaps 1:3 for now. I am building grooves into it so I can partition it off if need be.
Hey Will, didn't you move to AZ about 18 mos ago?
That's when I adopted out all of my collareds an moved to MO.
On my drive here I passed through Lawton OK, and stopped at a Loves gas station. Inside they had a HUGE collared enclosure with several adults and an incubator full of eggs!
The way this cage came about is, I was flipping tin in the middle of nowhere one day and came accross a sheet of glass that is 24" x 7.5 FEET !
I'll be posting picts of the cage soon.
...of finding those big sheets of "perfect" glass!
-----
...go with it!
LOL
DC
-----
Help, tips & resources quick links
Manage your user and advertising accounts
Advertising and services purchase quick links
