Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just picked up a nice used 6'x2'x2' melamine enclosure for $125 its practically brand new. I think its like one year old they said. Tomorrow I plan on going to the hardware store and pickeing up some FRP to line the bottom with. If all goes well I should have everything set up by tomorrow. A big upgrade from its 60 gal reptile tank its in, hopefully having more than enough room will help it to grow at a faster pace. It also came with a 4' uvb repti sun 10.0 and a another fixture with a 50w basking lamp. Im just wondering thouhg do you think it would be a good idea to install another fixture to put in there so I can put in a night bulb?

Keep in mind that the fluorescent tube "UVB" lights loose their effectiveness pretty quickly over time. So, if the bulb is the same age as the cage (a year old), it's probably about time to be replaced. I've used Metal Halide lights for many years which provide not only TONS more UV than ANY fluorescent can but also provide heat and retain their effectiveness over much larger amounts of time. The downside is that they're not very good for small cages as they get too hot. But for a large tegu or monitor enclosure they're great. They are also fairly expensive. But they last for ages and they're super energy efficient which makes up in the long run for the initial cost.

There also seems to be a big trend lately to use Mercury Vapor lights. But the ones that I've tried (the ones marketed for herps) that have a micro ballast enclosed in the bulb and screw into a regular light fixture only last a few months and then tend to fall apart. That gets expensive quickly. If you want to use a mercury vapor, at least use a real one that has a real ballast and doesn't just screw into a regular light socket.

Thanks the lady did tell me that I was "lucky" cause the bulb had just recently been replaced. I will replace it in like 4 months from now since they only last like 6 months or so. Metal halide lights arent those used for reef aquariums. My brother is really into fish so he might have some around but do they put out UVB? I was wondering though I had only the 50w daytime spot lamp in there. I watched to temp at the basking site and its like 100 a little more, DO you think I should possibly raise it to a 75 watt? I do have an extra one of those... I guess the trick is to just change it one day that I can closely monitor the temp to make sure it doesnt get too hot. I also still need to install my new porcelain fixture I made with a night bulb too. Im super excited about the cage. I put it in at around 6 at night and the next day at around noon he ate 2 mice so I'm assuming its not scared about the upgrade. I will post some pics later when I get a chance.