Dumb Question

Ok so I am ordering the animal plastics T8 now with the options there is a White Fluorescent fixture ( what is that)

something like this...


http://www.homedepot.ca/product/slim...rescent/918859

ok so it is a light right , would this be a good thing to have in there?

The snake doesn't need the light, but the cage will be somewhat dark without it so of you would like to be able to see inside well durin the day it would be good to have.

The snakes don't really need the lights, but I find them useful when its time to search for poop/pee, and cleaning...

ok you make good points I have just added it

Fluorescent lights are not a problem either way. There is some research being done on snakes and the effect of day cycles. The initial evidence calls into question the importance of light so as it does no harm there is no reason what not to provide a day night cycle. Royals (balls) in the wild have extensive records of being out and active in twilight (evening and morning) and have been recorded on roads warming during this time. This is true for many snakes world wide, blue hour is often a favoured snake hunting time.

Aside from this the use of fluorescent lights add to ambient air temps in a real and recognizable way. This aids thermoregulation. They are far cheaper than some of the alternative and in my current testing more effective.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Aside from this the use of fluorescent lights add to ambient air temps in a real and recognizable way. This aids thermoregulation. They are far cheaper than some of the alternative and in my current testing more effective.

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Sometimes a little too well, I'm probably going to have to replace the tubes with LED tubes like these during the peak of the summer so my cages ambient temp doesn't hit 90...

http://earthled.com/flseries.html

But during the winter they do help keep the ambient a few degrees warmer (in my 1 foot tall cages, the effect isn't as noticeable in my 2 foot tall cage)

Aaron,
I see the logic but much of the heat is from the electronic ballast and the led bulbs will drop it some but not as much as you might expect. I run a self ballasted led and I just checked the ambient temp off the top of one of my enclosures it is 88º that drops to 79º near the bottom the led fixture is 90º my room ambient is 68ºF. I found with mine I gain about 8-14ºf ambient over the room, season makes no difference.


Try this to see if it helps start it earlier in the am (if your snake room cools over night...) and during the point of the day when the room is at its brightest turn off the FL light. and back on for a bit after the room starts to cool in the afternoon. Mine are only on from 7am to 11 am and then again at 4pm to 6pm this builds enough ambient air temp to hold through the night. The enclosures that are poor at holding heat also have led night lights.

I'm planning on ordering the t8 as well. If I was to get the fluorescent fixture would I also need one of the screens they have as an option?

>_> I wish I could see it before I buy it. I have so many questions lol


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