Heating and Lighting Questions

[Ariande]

Hi guys,

I’m planning on getting a jungle once hatchy season gets underway, and I’ve already got a click clack all set up and running perfect temperatures. While my jungle lives happily in there, I’m planning on converting a beautiful cabinet that I bought off eBay into an adult sized tank, and my question is about heating/lighting.

I’ve never had an arboreal snake before, so I’ve always used mats/cords for heating and never basking lamps, so my knowledge is relatively limited in this area. Firstly, I want to have a tank that I can see into, so have the tank ‘lit’ during the day, and simulated moonlight during the night, and I want the LIGHTING of the tank to be separate to the heating so that I’ve got more control over which one turns on/off and when... e.g. have a basking lamp that generates heat but not light, and as well use light sources around the tank that don’t generate heat, so that I can be more flexible with where they’re placed.

For instance, the way I’m planning on setting up my tank would mean that the ‘cold’ section wouldn’t be able to be seen at all if I only used the basking lamp as lighting. Hence – for the day time I want to install something like LED lights [or similar, so long as they don’t generate much heat] that I can put on a timer to turn off at night... And find something similar for red/blue night lighting.

Couple of questions:

1. Is there a heating lamp that generates no light, and are they suitable?
2. Is there a light that would work for night lighting [e.g. blue/red/infrared] that generates no heat? Or would you just recommend something like a ‘party globe’ to be used as both light and heat during the night?
3. Would you all recommend small LED lights for day time lighting of the tank?

Thanks!

 

[cadwallader]

hey hey
you can get black light that dont emit light
not sure about night lights i just just heat producing one you could have your black light on time so the heat source swaps at night but the you cant just put it anywhere i guess party light might work i guess it would put out a little bit of heat not sure
i had small leds in my frog tank and during the day couldnt really see them that good and that was in a smaller enclosure so in a large on im not sure?

 

[JAS101]

1,a ceramic heat emitter wont generate any light
2, a red LED shouldnt generate too much heat [ for night viewing]
3, LED`s would work for day lighting , even downlights would work . i dont use any day lighting .

 

[J-A-X]

1. Is there a heating lamp that generates no light, and are they suitable? ceramics, or a shelf with a heat cord will work
2. Is there a light that would work for night lighting [e.g. blue/red/infrared] that generates no heat? Or would you just recommend something like a ‘party globe’ to be used as both light and heat during the night? Party globe will still generate a little heat, not huge though, most are available in 40w
3. Would you all recommend small LED lights for day time lighting of the tank? I dont have an answer, most LEDs can be pretty bright individually if you look at them at the right angle. a small fluro would do the same thing and generate minimal heat

 

[Ariande]

Thanks for the quick responses!! So I'm thinking a ceramic globe would be best for heating and just use LED's for the lighting. I didn't realise you could get red LED's, that would be perfect for night time!

This is the cabinet I've bought by the way -

 

[J-A-X]

nice cabinet, how about blue leds, that may be more of a 'night' light than red

 

[Kristy_07]

nice cabinet, how about blue leds, that may be more of a 'night' light than red

Good suggestion - red lights are often quite soft on snakes eyes, but I have always found them to be quite annoying when they're shining in the corner of your eye when you're trying to watch telly! I have used blue, purple, green in the past with as much success, too.

 

[big_head]

I am a big fan of heat panels, especially when used with a shelf to create 2 hot spots..

 

[Ariande]

Yeah I think blue would be better than red... Can you buy all of the lighting you need from places like Bunnings? Or is it better to get it online from a reptile supply store? We're planning on getting an electrician so actually wire the enclosure up, since we've got no clue what we're doing!

 

[J-A-X]

Good suggestion - red lights are often quite soft on snakes eyes, but I have always found them to be quite annoying when they're shining in the corner of your eye when you're trying to watch telly! I have used blue, purple, green in the past with as much success, too.

Kristy, where did you find purple ones PM me please, with a pic of it set up if you have them already set up in tanks. Ta

ariande, if you go with the blue party light make sure you get the blue glass one as opposed to the blue painted one, the painted one still lets through too much light for my liking. and yes you'll find them at bunnings. If you decide to use a ceramic heat emitter, you will need the ceramic ES fitting, available from reptile shops or online

 

[The_Dreaded_Pets]

1. Is there a heating lamp that generates no light, and are they suitable?
i use an infra red heatglobe as i belive the snakes do not see red... but yes you can buy ceramic heat emitters ect and add a fluro or other type of light to the enclosire for viewing at daytimes

2. Is there a light that would work for night lighting [e.g. blue/red/infrared] that generates no heat? Or would you just recommend something like a ‘party globe’ to be used as both light and heat during the night?
yep as stated above and by yourself red partylights seem to be the goer, im thinking of red led strips along the sides when i make mine but notsure if there the same thing as i havnt resurched those yet.

3. Would you all recommend small LED lights for day time lighting of the tank?
as i said above yes tho i havnt resurched it yet high intensity led strips, or you can use neons, or fluros.

on a side note i think for the neons and leds you will need a 240-12volt converter or cheat like me and use an old powersupply from a desktop pc (they run at 12-14v)

fluros - bunnings sell slimline fluros with balast for about the same as normal 1s, they even have smaller fluros that can be daisychained just few other options you might wanna look into lol dont rush it and take your time resurcheing every little thing and you will end up with something far better then you 1st thaught of

 

[cadwallader]

normal neon light... i always wondered if you would still need a cage around it or if they do not heat up?

 

[evilj]

The neons heat bugger all iirc - but the little power pack may.

 

[user 16324]

ceramic heat emitter. one of those energy saving fluoros.

 

[EmDown]

mayby try the 12v 10/20w display down lights, you will need a transformer for them but you can plug a bunch into one transfomer and have one on/off switch. bulbs are heaps cheap and also come in colours. think of the recessed ones you see in shop roofs and display cabinets. you will need an electrician though... all supplies can be found at bunnings

 

[The_Dreaded_Pets]

for neons and led strips i hae been tinking of geting them from a computer shop as i have a on off switch from 1 i used to have in an old pc also i have a few powersupplys sitting around doint nothing as i only use laptops these days.
pc power supplys are about $40?? and will convert your 240v power point into a 12-14v outlet has a cooling fan can be mounted in a false roof thats hideing your light sockets ect... just something to think nabout also car neons pc fans ect all run on 12-14v very easy to wire red is + black is - lol

 

[Ariande]

Actually yeah, do LED's heat up enough to warrant covering them, or do people normally not bother?

I think I'm definitely going to go with a ceramic heat emitter and then try LED's for the lighting. Another question too, for people who have build/converted their own enclosures - do you guys get an electrician to wire it up, or is it relatively simply to do yourself?

 

[The_Dreaded_Pets]

depends on what your wireing i do car sound systems for my friends and myself so i know some basics.

if you use a 40wt computer power supply you can wire the let strips yourself as you should only have 2 or 3 wires to play with depending if you get them from a computer shop or a car type shop.

ither way black = negative red = positive and some car gear may have a yellow wire which is constant positivejust wire that up to the red 1 aswell.

the ceramic light socket you buy for your heat emiter should come compleate the socket just screws apart to allow you to fit it (mine even has an inline dimmer)

if your useing a thermostat they usually are compleate units and you just plug your heatlamp into that.

the thermometor/hydrometor will usually be powered by a battery just have to decide how you want to mount everything

now i have seen bearded dragon enclosures useing twin spotlights like the ones people have above there door with sencors on them but you can buy diy kits from bunnings that would come with all instructions, most house light fitings have 4 plugs however you only actually use 3 of them with 1 being a dummy other then that i cant help you as i buy the above mentioned all in 1 equiptment