Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So ok i went into home depot, I bought most of my supplies. except a few things I forgot, gotta go back tomorrow i guess. lol The glass & tracks I need to get too.(got wood, screws, caulk,wood glue, hinges, brass corners, drill bits, etc.

My main question now is the heat & UV. I want them inside. So what do I use & how many? (enclosure will be 4x2x2)

I have 2 clamp lamps, a 5" and 8". I also bought a porcelain lampholder (link below) Or maybe I should get those flood light ones that you can aimt? What should I use? And how many? Does a black light bother a dragon (for night heat)

As for the UV lighting, i dont think the ones that home depot sells has a shiney underside, so could I use tin foil behind the UV bulb help reflect more UV, or does it have to be mylar? Or where is a cheap place to get a 36 or 48" fixture? Where do ya drill the holes for the power cords? Do you some how cork them up after? or could they be the vents?

Oh and and about venting, whats the easiest way to ad them, while keeping in mind, im working with melamine. Will a jig saw hack the melamine or do ok?

Anyone have any detailed photos of the lighting & heating in their home made enclosures?

please help me, i know not what i am doing lol

thanks
the light fixture thingie i bought- useable or return it?

2 things about what you said...
A jigsaw might tear up the melamine, unless you use a fine blade, but then you'll be cutting forever. Be sure and coat the bottom of the jigsaw "skid" with painters tape so as not to scratch up the melamine surface, or just tape the surface up where the skid will be riding on. Bare metal on the melamine might leave a rust stain or black marrs on the surface.
Black light for night heat? Im confused. Is this actually a legitimate technique? Or are people confusing infra-red with ultra-violet spectrums. Black lights make certain colors flouresce (sp?) or glow. Infrared heat is invisible, and not easily purchased I would think. One technique is to use a red light bulb (15 watt or 25 watt) which can be bought commonly and use THAT to generate heat from the bulb, and the red color to the light seems to be less intrusive on the animal for night time.
Ceramic elements that screw into light fixtures are available too from Zoo-Med I think, but I havent used one in many years, Im not sure how reliable the product has been lately.
Maybe Im outta the loop on that one, somebody throw me a bone.
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Tom
TCJ Herps
"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

>>My main question now is the heat & UV. I want them inside. So what do I use & how many? (enclosure will be 4x2x2)

Are you planning on use fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescents, or mercury vapor bulbs?

With that information the rest of your questions will be easier to answer.

What I did was build my Bearded Dragon cage 49.5" long. In other words, the 48" top and bottom fit between the 3/4" thick sides.

This allows me to angle a 4' shop light fixture into the cage. I have a false ceiling design and

Since you're using melamine, cut the material across the width and your top and bottom will be 49" long (melamine is 1" overlength). Still fit the top and bottom between the sides. Have 49" on the inside will give you a lot more options.

>>And how many? Does a black light bother a dragon (for night heat)

What I do is heat my cage 24/7 with a 60 or 100 watt ceramic heat emitter. Dragons love the infared heat produced by these. When all of my lights, etc. turn on during the day it bumps the temps up to 110* or so.

>>Oh and and about venting, whats the easiest way to ad them, while keeping in mind, im working with melamine. Will a jig saw hack the melamine or do ok?

A jigsaw will be okay to cut rectangles out for register covers available at Home Depot. Great way to provide ventilation.

Don't do you long cuts with the jig saw, have Home Depot do it for you.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

I plan on using zoo meds reptisun 5.0 36". for the UV and the lighting.

heating & basking doesnt matter, anything thats easiest. I just need to know what to buy and how to do it lol

ty

>>I plan on using zoo meds reptisun 5.0 36". for the UV and the lighting.

I believe the Reptisun 5.0 is a good choice but do question the choice of the 36" product, especially when you're building from melamine.

The one benefit of the 36" fixture is that they tend to come with the correct ballasts to maximize the UVR output of the Reptisun bulbs. However, the 48" bulbs are easier to find, often cheaper, and have great light intensity and overall intensity - both important for Bearded Dragons.

The one downfall to the 48" fixtures is the difficulty in finding the appropriate ballast. They can be re-wired but I believe it's worth the effort.

Regarding heating, I would use that porcelain fixture you picked up at Home Depot but would exchange it for a keyless fixture (no pull chain or outlet). You'll need one of those electrical boxes to mount it on. They are about 4"x4" and typical made from galvanized steel.

I usually just cut up an extension cord and wire that to the fixture and run it out of a hole in the back.

Depending on how tall your cage is you may need to protect the fixture/bulb from your Dragon contact it.

If you use a CHE, which I recommend, it could resut in severe burns.

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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

The cage you are wanting to build is the size and the type I sell the most of. I don't like melamine at all but for certain animals it works well. First off I don't use the wood glue to glue the joints together. It can be used, but in my mind is an extra step that is not needed. I use 5/8" melamine and I use 1 5/8" #6 deck screws to hold it together spaced every 1' at the most.

I use floor vents that are adjustable 1 on each side. I also just use the vent as a template, draw arount it, and then jigsaw them out. once you slide the vent in, you caulk around the back of the vent and that hides the chipout.

I also use 1 cord grommet (for desks) so the cords go through without having o cut off the heads and then there is a cover cap for the hole.

the link you provided is what I use in my cages, but you will need the 1/2" metal disc to mount it to. Do not use without a metal disc.

I use the flourescent fixtures from Home depot as well. They are not reflective, so adding foil would help, but I don't see it as being that big of a benefit. If mounted inside the cage is only 2' tall so you put a log or something for them to get closer to the light and that is all they will need.

hope that helps. If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Greg West
Cornelsworld Terrariums

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Greg West
www.cornelsworld.com

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Signature file edited [phw 9/26/04]