Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, I've read a lot of different things online about all different light types, but only managed to get confused. I'm looking at a new cage for my ball. My lighting options are a Black UVB Fluorescent Fixture or a White Fluorescent Fixture. What is the difference? Functional or otherwise. They will have belly heat, and I want to be able to view them during the day and night, changing the bulb nightly is not out of the question if need be.
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0.0.1 Snow Corn
1.0 Ghosts
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Albino Burmese Python

Well, I've got my balls ( sounds bad I know! ) on a 12 hr regular plain old white light ( as I'm suree you've found out, BP's don't really benifit much if at all from UV light ) and for night time viewing, honestly, I just use a light well enough away from the enclosure in the room itself to view him at night. ( your not gonna see him much at all during the day as it is, unless he's coming out to cool off out of his hide. ) But I suppose you could use a low watt red lamp for better quality night time viewing. What type of ball are you going to get?? and how old??

I'm just upgrading my current guy out of his Rubbermaid. I use a red incandescent bulb for night viewing now. I have all my guys on display now so I like the overhead light. The cage I'm buying only comes with those light options though.
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0.0.1 Snow Corn
1.0 Ghosts
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Albino Burmese Python

I'd be slightly concerned that the UV light that the black light gives off will disrupt the day night cycle, not too familar with light spectrum stuff.

>>My lighting options are a Black UVB Fluorescent Fixture or a White Fluorescent Fixture.

I'm not sure whether this is applying to the actual color of the fixture or for some reason a UV blacklight vs. a normal fluorescent blacklight. For that matter there isn't really a UV blacklight but there are blacklights that put out UV, specifically the GE 350BL. Either way, I gather you want to have lighting during the day for normal photoperiod and supplemental lighting at night for nocturnal viewing. I can't say I really know whether your options are simply for a single fluorescent fixture or what. I would go with a regular fluor. fixture and provide you night lighting by means of a second fixture of some sort. Personally I prefer the blue 'moon bulbs' as they look far more natural to me than the red bulbs. Some companies have been offering LED fixtures in either red or blue that were originally developed for reef tanks. You can find these at either www.marinedepot.com or www.drsfostersmith.com or www.herpsupplies.com - Oh yeah, and your Ball Pythons in all likelyhood do not need or would not benefit from UV bulb exposure, but the jury's still out on the benefits of UV for nocturnal and otherwise carnivorous species of reptiles. Some vets/researchers believe UV has some effect on all species regardless of daytime or nighttime activity levels and/or diet.
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Matt Campbell
25 years herp keeping experience
Full-time zookeeper
Personal collection - 21 snakes (9 genera), 20 lizards (4 genera), 6 chelonians (2 genera)

I may just get a regular flourescent and put a colored tube over it, gotta call the company before I order anyway.
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0.0.1 Snow Corn
1.0 Ghosts
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Albino Burmese Python