# Light fittings



## CrazyNut (Aug 3, 2016)

Hi,
Just curiosu as to what's better. External plug in light fixtures or internal wired light fittings (installed by a sparkie)? Also what is a good UVB light which can get light to plants in a high enclsoure (say plants that are 2-3ft from the light source)?
Thanks.

(I'm so excited. Construction starts in 1-2 weeks and will hopefully only take 1-2 weekends).


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## kingofnobbys (Aug 3, 2016)

Powerboards + prewired plug-n-play is more convenient and adaptable if you have a small number of enclosures to heat and lightup IMO.

If you have a large number of enclosures, it's probably worth the expense to commission a sparky with a 1st Class Licence to set everything up PROPERLY and PERMANENTLY. If they are anything like plumbers you are probably looking at having to pay the sparky $90 - $100 /hr and there will be a minimum charge to show up , and then you actually have to get him to show up (good luck with that).


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## Bluetongue1 (Aug 4, 2016)

Plants do not require UVB light (or UVA for that matter). The best artificial lighting for plants is a Grolux long fluorescent tube (or similar) sold for planted freshwater aquaria. If the light fitting is a double, couple this with a bright white/daylight globe. The Grolux tube has a higher output in the blue and red regions of the spectrum, which is what plants absorb for photosynthesis. They appear green because they don't use it and so reflect it instead of absorbing it. The daylight white has better penetration to take light to the lower leaves if your plants are bushy and tall and gives the plants a slightly more natural colour appearance.


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## CrazyNut (Aug 4, 2016)

kingofnobbys said:


> Powerboards + prewired plug-n-play is more convenient and adaptable if you have a small number of enclosures to heat and lightup IMO.
> 
> If you have a large number of enclosures, it's probably worth the expense to commission a sparky with a 1st Class Licence to set everything up PROPERLY and PERMANENTLY. If they are anything like plumbers you are probably looking at having to pay the sparky $90 - $100 /hr and there will be a minimum charge to show up , and then you actually have to get him to show up (good luck with that).


I know a sparkie who is a mate if mine. He can do it cheap lol.
[MENTION=41842]Bluetongue1[/MENTION] UVB is for the monitor lizard going in the enclosure.... Werher or mot they need it is not up for disscusion lol. Yeh I'm aware of what lights they absorb and reflect (unit 2 bio and chem atm I was really interested in it and we covered those topics in depth. Even did an experiment to satisfy an outcome on differnt light colours). So basically I need a light for both or two differnt lights. Thx anyway though.


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## Bluetongue1 (Aug 4, 2016)

CrazyNut said:


> ....Also what is a good UVB light which can get light to plants in a high enclsoure (say plants that are 2-3ft from the light source)?....


With all due respect, my reply was in direct response to the above question in your post. I am rather bewildered as to why you bothered asking about something that you now say you have a good understanding of and have even done practical investigations on... 

Just as an aside, there was no mention what-so-ever of a monitor. So why did you not say that was also an integral part of the information you were seeking? The responses you could expect would be tailored accordingly. That’s just common sense and does not waste the time of those responding to assist you.


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## pinefamily (Aug 4, 2016)

Live plants and monitors don't go happily together, for very long. Unless you are talking about a smaller monitor like a storr's or gillens.


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## CrazyNut (Aug 4, 2016)

Bluetongue1 said:


> With all due respect, my reply was in direct response to the above question in your post. I am rather bewildered as to why you bothered asking about something that you now say you have a good understanding of and have even done practical investigations on...
> 
> Just as an aside, there was no mention what-so-ever of a monitor. So why did you not say that was also an integral part of the information you were seeking? The responses you could expect would be tailored accordingly. That’s just common sense and does not waste the time of those responding to assist you.


Sorry most people would probably know due to numerous other post (my apologies, I shouldn't have assumed yours or anyones knowledge of it). Ahh I asked as in a sugesstion for an exact brand not what effects photosynthesis). The experiment was to do an experiment to prove or disprove that light colour effects the rate of photosynethsis not taking into account light intensity or distance a plant is from a light source (though that was an option and I would have liked to have done that).
[MENTION=38465]pinefamily[/MENTION] yeh but its a trial thing with really hardy plants like ferns and small palms. Apprently bamboo is good as well but not in my personal taste for the type of enviroment I would like to replicate.


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## Bluetongue1 (Aug 8, 2016)

Plants will need lighting the full distance across the enclosure that they are planted. Your monitor, on the other hand, needs a globe suitable for creating a basking spot. The utilisation of UVB to photosynthesis vitamin D in the skin is temperature dependent. It only happens once the animal has warmed up. It therefore makes more sense to incorporate the UV into the basking globe – which is sooo much easier. 

I have to agree with Pinefamily on their comments about live plants and monitors. I assume the enclosure is for Ackies. Apart from climbing on things, Ackies like to burrow, so anything planted directly into the substrate will likely soon be uprooted. Ferns have non-woody stems to their fronds. These ‘leaf stems’ are fairly flexible along their outer length but stiff and brittle at their base. The frond bases are therefore readily broken if trodden on. As for small palms, I doubt the fronds and growing point in the stem have the structural strength to avoid damage from the weight and claws of an Ackie.

You stated: “@pinefamily yeh but its a trial thing with really hardy plants like ferns and small palms.” Only a very few of these plant groups are suited to cultivation indoors, let alone a terrarium. You need to know what species and how to grow them to be successful, without the added complication of animals added.


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## CrazyNut (Aug 8, 2016)

Its for a mertens. They will be grown around thick climbing branches. (Enclosure is 2ftWx4ftHx7ftH possibly 5ftH). When I said small fern, its probably clsoer to medium but anyway, I'm not too worried if live plants don't work but I do hope they do. Any recomendation from really hardy plants that might be more suitable? Smallish palms?


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## pythoninfinite (Aug 9, 2016)

It's definitely a waste of plants if you have a large, active monitor in a confined space like that. They'll be trashed in the first day or two.

Jamie


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## Bluetongue1 (Aug 9, 2016)

I don’t know of any suitable plants that would be considered ‘Mertens proof’. You could possibly try some hanging vines, such Pothos _Epipremnum aureum_ or Arrow Head/Goosefoot Plant _Syngonium podophyllum,_ that hang down with pots positioned somewhere above that the Mertens does not have access to. The basic difficulty is that monitors are active and inquisitive lizards as a part of their natural food foraging behaviour, which involves digging out things like lizards, scorpions and grubs etc from their subterranean retreats. So nothing is sacred if it can be dug up.


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## CrazyNut (Aug 9, 2016)

Fair enough the person that suggested may not have been aware a meretns gets around 5ft. Ehh worth a shot though otherwise there ain't nothing wrong with some decent artifical plants.


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