BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Sorry to start yet another thread, but I have a query about heating and lighting for Lilly.

She came to us in her own vivarium, and I've come to the conclusion that it's not particularly suited to her in terms of heat and lighting.

The viv is 4' by 2' by 2', which should be large enough I think, but the previous owners installed a ceramic heat lamp which is perched on the top of the tank with a roughly-cut hole allowing the heat through. This heat basically warms up the entire tank rather than a single spot, and also doesn't produce any light at all.

The only concession to UV/light is a 2-foot long fluorescent tube, well older than 6 months, with a very flimsy hanging attachment which isn't actually secured to anything, and it can only be placed at the back of the tank and off to one side - hence virtually the whole viv is dark.

My proposal is to install a directional heat spotlamp on the underside of the top of the tank, with a slate underneath which will absorb the heat and let her bask - the fluo tube will be replaced by a 1.2m one which will be attached to the underside of the top also, about a third forward from the back, to light the whole tank.

So here are the questions:

Given the size of the tank, will attaching the fluo tube to the top be close enough for Lilly to absorb any UV?

Also given the tank size, what wattage should the heat lamp and the fluo tube be?

And finally, can I use a standard lamp attachment for the heat lamp or does it need to be specifically rated to handle infra red bulbs? I imagine a standard fluo tube fitting is suitable for the uv

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Incandescent basking bulb's give off uva light, but I don't believe the flou tube will be giving any uv's- and it's uvb's that you will need also, anyway. I bought this bulb from Petsmart:

http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=12517

which claims to deliver uvb light effectively up to 20 inches, and wasn't too expensive. But with your tank being pretty tall you might need to mount it down in the tank, or clamp to the top inside hanging down to be a bit closer. I'm not sure about the heater situation, perhaps someone else has an idea or more experience with this stuff.

Thanks for the info - I think the bulb I'll be using for basking is going to be an incandescent spot which gives out UVA/B and heat simultaneously. That'll be mounted on an angled attachment on the side of the tank, probably - since, as you say, the viv is quite tall.

In terms of the fluo tube I might have to think of something else by the looks of it

nice, never saw a jack of all trades bulb at Petsmart, not fair, lol.

If it's an incandecent bulb It's not possible for it to give out UVB rays you have to get a special UV flourecent type (regular flourecent won't cut it). As wel as an incandecent heat lamp.

Lucifer_Spades wrote:If it's an incandecent bulb It's not possible for it to give out UVB rays you have to get a special UV flourecent type (regular flourecent won't cut it). As wel as an incandecent heat lamp.

Yeah, that was the original plan Looks like I'll be getting a heat lamp and a separate flood uv light.

Again, anyone know if heat bulbs can be used with a standard bulb fitting?

as long as the watts are in the lamp's range, it should be fine.

i beleive there is a bulb that can do all in one . 160watt Lamp

The PowerSun UV™ is a high intensity source of UVB, UVA, heat and visible light. Because the PowerSun UV is a self-ballasted bulb it can be used in any ceramic socket that is rated to handle the wattage. The PowerSun UV has nickel-plated threads to ensure that it will not corrode in humid reptile habitats. These lamps project useable UVB radiation greater distances (up to 6 feet) than conventional fluorescent tubes. This makes them ideal for large enclosures and reptiles with high UV demands. The PowerSun UV has all of the benefits of our award winning ReptiSun bulbs with the added benefit of increased intensity, heat and a one year guarantee. they are £51.00 hope this helps

ok yeah thats a self ballested mercury vapor I didn't know they had finally done that I havent really researched merc vapor since I was thinking about keeping corals and all they had then were bulbs that needed special ballested fixtures. I must needs look into ths more.

suez wrote:i beleive there is a bulb that can do all in one . 160watt Lamp

That sounds absolutely ideal, but that price tag is a little steep for me I think for the moment I'm going to stick with UV flood and incandescent spot for heat. Should keep her happy for now

Thanks for your help!

Lucifer_Spades wrote:ok yeah thats a self ballested mercury vapor I didn't know they had finally done that I havent really researched merc vapor since I was thinking about keeping corals and all they had then were bulbs that needed special ballested fixtures. I must needs look into ths more.

i just typed mercury vapour bulb in google and it came up with a few in the uk i havent used it as i got all of my lighting heating sorted before i was told of it. A freind of mine has a beardie with a massive enclosure and she uses this bulb and says it is fab but i do beleive it is for the much bigger vivaria

suez, I think you're probably right about that - the mercury vapour bulbs emit a hell of a lot more heat. I think they'd probably be a little too powerful for a 4-foot viv, for example.

they do come in various wattages but yes it does emit a great deal more heat than your standard incandecent. though if you followed standard precautionary methods of carefully measuring the temps it's probably just as safe.

I will say that I currently am using a compact flourecent UV Bulb and it at least screws into a standard light socket and works great as my poor peeling face can attest.

Just found This Don't know the exact merits of it though it does raise some interesting isses. I don't know if I would agree with her conclusions but figured I'd post it so each can make up their own mind.

http://www.anapsid.org/mercuryvapor.html

Sounds as though the article is largely supporting what we've already said really - they're designed for really big enclosures rather than little vivs.

Interesting article though. Raises a few questions about how much UV our little Blueys actually need...

Kinda what I thought.

I've heard those all-in-one bulbs do a very poor job of heating and a poor job of UV output. Like many things people try and combine that make sense at the time, they seem to reduce the effectiveness of both goals.

Stick with the basics: UV fluorescents and a good IR/flood lamp.

KW

That funny, I've actually heard the opposite, that mercury vapor produce a whopping amount of both heat and UVB.

Yes they do thats why they are used for sunlight reliant corals they produce enough UV to penatrate the water. Also, oftan times the heat from the bulb in a small aquarium is enough that they don't need a seperate heater except at night.

I wouldn't even consider usign a second bulb if using a MVB lol!