Added lighting causing too much heat in AP T8

[pretends2bnormal]

This last weekend, I added some T8 fixtures into my AP T8 cages. Running the heat tape as the only intended heat source. Each T8 has 2 18" T8 fixtures, rated for 15 watt bulbs. They came with 3000K florescent bulbs, but I've replaced a few with LED 5000K bulbs.

Fixtures:


Anyway, temperatures in the room are typically 77-80 in the summer with A/C (hello, Texas weather & triple digits outside). What I'm finding is that the cages without A/C are around 83-84 on the floor across the cage with the farthest corner of the cool side going down only a degree or so lower than that. Not too terribly awful for a BP, but I also have one divided with a corn snake and a milksnake. That one has the LED bulbs, but I'm still seeing temperatures up to 82 or 83 on the end of the cold side near the lights and barely down to 80 at the farthest edge. Hot spot is around 84-86 on the floor, but it doesn't get as cool as it should.

Everyone ate yesterday, so they're all using the hot sides now, but I need to get them cool sides to go lower. Clearly the LED T8 bulb isn't putting out much less heat than the florescent, so switching those won't make much difference.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

The cages hold humidity around 60% easy with just water bowls and dry reptile prime, so maybe more ventilation is a good solution here. Especially if there is a way to add some that can be sealed off more easily for winter when it is quite dry.

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[pretends2bnormal]

Forgot to include a picture of the cage.
1st is one with the florescents, adult BP


And the LED bulbs in the divided cage, ignore the temp reading in this one. It is from right after I set him loose and the door had been wide open for arranging things with the light on only a short time.


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[bcr229]

I would just keep the lights off except when needed as task lighting when you are cleaning enclosures. Snakes are fine with ambient light, especially during the summer when the days are long.

[BR8080]

Your enclosures look nice - I've been toying with the idea of installing the same lights in mine with LED bulbs - just for cleaning/showing them off for company/etc....Currently use a flashlight or head mounted light. Ambient light seems to do the trick other times.

[pretends2bnormal]

There's not really any ambient light in that room. It's down a dark hallway and in what used to be half of the garage before I owned the house. Previous owner converted it, but there aren't any windows. So, the lights aren't really an option to leave off. All except for 1 of the snakes are much more lackluster feeders without the day and night cycle. About half stayed so-so with just a lamp in the room on a timer; I'm guessing because the light didnt really get inside the cages like it might from a window.

The temperatures seem to have stabilized in the divided tank with the corn snake and milk snake roughly 79 on the cool end near the from, floor in the back around 82, and 85 at the center edge where the heat tape is. That's pretty close to what I was seeing before with tubs and without the light. It always read a degree or two warmer in the tub than the room temperature.

Looks light turning off the cool side light in the BP cages gets the coll side to exactly 80. So I'll do that for now, I think.

I'm exploring a different kind of LED light for the colubrids (or all). Those flexible strips of individual LEDs. I found an inexpensive set that retains settings on a timer and is 1 meter that sounds nearly perfect for about $8.50 on Amazon. Hot glue on all edges along with its sticky tape and low profile so no one can hang from them should keep them solidly in place. That would even be cheaper than the fixtures, much less the fixture plus the LED bulbs I was intending to get.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FJ...op_mb_pd_title

Just a bummer that I'll end up with those light fixtures extra... most of them I don't have the receipt for.

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[Bogertophis]

Lights DO add a bit of heat, and it all builds up in the kind of cages you are using- I'd add an efficient room light and not use those in the cages except
temporarily as you have to for maintenance etc. Then the ambient light in the room (while not from a window) will NOT warm up the cages.

[Godzilla78]

Dimmer switches will solve your problem 100%

[BR8080]

Just a bummer that I'll end up with those light fixtures extra... most of them I don't have the receipt for.

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Where do you live? I'm in Rochester, NY and would entertain buying them if you're close.

[pretends2bnormal]

I'm in DFW, Texas, so not close at all, unfortunately.

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[bcr229]

Dimmer switches will solve your problem 100%

You have to be careful, there are some LED lights don't work with dimmers.