Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Squig's new cge is 4 ft wide, 2 ft deep, & 1.5 ft tall. How many basking lights should I put in there? & for those who have built cages, how did you install oyur lights? Thanks, Kristin

When you turn on flourescent lights, you don't create a lot of heat. When you turn on an incandescent basking light, you do. So what happens when you start pouring heat into a tank?

Well if it's a cooler with a tight fitting lid, it just accumulates and gets really hot in there.

If its my aquarium with an open top, the heat escapes.

If it's May and its 60 degrees in my basement, well it escapes quite well.

I built a lid for my aquarium that holds two 36" flourescent bulbs (UVB) and three incandescents. In cooler months I needed to use an under tank heater as well, but not now that the basement has warmed up. It will go back on in the fall.

I'm using two 65 watt basking lights, and its getting quite warm in there. I never did need all three incandescent fixtures running, but that's just how I built it when I was building it.

My advise, not knowing what climate you live in, etc. is to start out with one or two basking lights, and check the temperature all around the aquarium. You might end up switching out for stronger or weaker bulbs, or more bulbs or something.

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1.3 Collared Lizards
90 Gal Aquarium
Minneapolis, MN

Just wanted to tell you super nice Job ! Eve

How did you install your lights? Thanks, Kristin

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