Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I currently have a 3 1/2' BP which is in the process of moving. I received a new 55gallon aquarium a couple weeks ago and after cleaning it for about a week, i let him move in. I was just wondering if anyone out there had pics of 55 gallon setups or something similar they may like to share with me so I can get some ideas. Also, I had a question about these red basking bulbs. Do many people use these? If so, please reply and tell me some of the benefits you have noticed compared to a normal basking bulb. Thanks in advance...

This is my setup for my 4ft Gopher. It's easy to clean and provides lots of cover and exercise room. The red lamps are no good, go with a Dayglow lamp by Hagen.

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Hello,

The value of red basking bulbs depends on what type of red bulb and what you're using it for. There are some red bulbs that are just red-glass incandescents. These are really the same as a normal incandescent and offer no real advantage unless you intend to use it as a night bulb so that you can observe your snakes activities. If that is the case I would suggest using a blue "moon glow" bulb instead. Some information indicates reptiles may perceive the red bulbs the same as white light and can thus have day-night cycles disrupted.

Now there is another class of red bulb and those are the infrared bulbs. Infrared bulbs can provide a much more intense heat than a normal incandescent bulb however given the burger-joint heat lamp red glare I would opt for a clear infrared incandescent over the red. As for the night issue, again you probably should steer away from the red and at any rate they put out so much heat you're not going to be getting the nighttime temperature drop you want.

Matt Campbell