Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello all. i was wondering if it is ok to use regular household lights in lizard habitats as long as they provide adequate heat. is there an advantage over the heat bulbs at pet stores that are 5x more $$$ than lights at a hardware store? as long as i provide an additional light(s) to suply UVB, does the heat light really matter? thanks!

I'm still learning when it comes to reptiles. But I know you need the heat lamp to provide a basking area, where your pet can go to sit in direct heat to help it digest its food. I also know reptiles need a heat gradient in there homes so they can regulate there body tempertures. Like I said, i'm still learning. Maybe someone else will post and give you some better help.

I've always used household incandescent bulbs in the 25-100 watt range for my relatively small frogs,lizards and tortoises.

I put them in the domed clamp-on lamps you can get at Home Depot for a few bucks. It's important to check the recommended bulb size for the lamps. The small lamps often are limited to 60 watt bulbs. Also, it might be better to get the lamps with ceramic fixtures if you are going to use high watt bulbs.

For UV I've been sticking to Daylight, Sunshine, or Full-Spectrum fluorescent bulbs from manufacturers like GE. The bulb gives off a little UVA and UVB and provides semi-natural lighting. And they are cheap. I also supplement my animal's diets with vitamin D/calcium powder, or feed them pelleted foods that already have D. My lizards and torts also get exposure to unfiltered sunlight during warmer months. My russian torts stay outside from about April to October and I don't give them any D supplements during that time. My bearded dragon goes out in a screen cage several hours a week in the summer.

I also put the cheap UV bulbs into cheap fluorescent fixtures from Home Depot.

For larger animals like monitors or sulcatas you might need to use a more dedicated heating setup. Probably best to consult the appropriate forums for that.

I try to avoid buying things from petshops that can be obtained from other, lower-priced sources.

ok, thanks all. so if i am getting this correct: there is no advantage that pet shop lights have over the lights u buy at hardware stores? thanks!

There are combined heat/UV lights you can get at the petstore. I think they are mercury vapor type of lights. They look like large light bulbs. $$$ and from what I hear, not always reliable. Lots of sending them back for warranty replacements.

I don't know if you can get an equivalent at the hardware store. I don't need that level of heat and UV for my animals, so I don't worry about it.