Enclosure Strategy

[ierowe]

How many heat lamps should I have for a 8' wide by 3' deep by 30" tall cage? Someone told me 3 90w ceramic is what I would need. That sounds like it would suck a lot of juice.

Thanks

 

[RehabRalphy]

How many heat lamps should I have for a 8' wide by 3' deep by 30" tall cage? Someone told me 3 90w ceramic is what I would need. That sounds like it would suck a lot of juice.

Thanks

Try a spot light for outside floods. IT MUST BE ON A DIMMER! Be careful, they'll reach 120*F+. Takes 1 to heat my 8'x4'x4'

EDIT: On second thought, if its only 30" tall, that light will burn your lizards.

 

[DaveDragon]

How many heat lamps should I have for a 8' wide by 3' deep by 30" tall cage? Someone told me 3 90w ceramic is what I would need. That sounds like it would suck a lot of juice.

Thanks

Try a spot light for outside floods. IT MUST BE ON A DIMMER! Be careful, they'll reach 120*F+. Takes 1 to heat my 8'x4'x4'

EDIT: On second thought, if its only 30" tall, that light will burn your lizards.

The spot lights are Halogen. They give off a bright light and much more heat than incandescent bulbs. I use (1) 75W or 90W halogen in each of our enclosures. That gives me a 100-110 degree hot spot.

 

[ierowe]

I was looking at ceramic fixtures. Would halogen be better for heat and energy saving? also with the 30" height where would be the best place for the uvb?

thanks again

 

[DaveDragon]

The halogen bulbs are for the basking area. If the UVB bulb is going to be 30" above the Tegu you'll have to use a Mercury Vapor bulb, the florescent bulbs don't have alot of useful output once they are more than 14" away. http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttuberesults.htm

Tegu's are ground dwelling reptiles, they don't need that much vertical space, not that they wouldn't use it. It's also much harder to get the proper basking temps and deliver proper UVB levels. Our enclosures only have 16" between the bulbs and much. Since the Tegu are 2" or 3" thick, that puts him 13" to 14" from the ReptiSun 10 tube.

 

[DaRealJoker]

can heat bulbs be placed inside?

 

[ierowe]

Would it be alright to place the tube inside the viv or is there a danger of the tegu messing with the fixture?

 

[RehabRalphy]

Would it be alright to place the tube inside the viv or is there a danger of the tegu messing with the fixture?

You could always put a wire guard over the bulb, even if its not close enough for you reptiles to get it.