Lighting question

I wondered what you guys use for lighting. I've currently been using ordinary light bulbs and think I ought to switch to halogen floods and have a choice of these but they all seem to have different degrees of beam etc - and when it comes to stuff like this I'm clueless :(

Here's a link

http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:y...k&ct=clnk&cd=5

If anyone can help I'd be very grateful :)

~Sue

i use a 45 watt halogen flood light on a dimmer. i would get two since savs need a bigger basking spot then an ackie.

do you have stores like home depot or lowes over in the UK? thats where i got mine.

Thanks, Marshall - yes I can get them easily enough, but I'm not sure what all the percentages mean, like in the link I can get them with either 38° beam angle, 25° beam angle, or even 50° beam angle - that's the part I'm not sure of. I know not to get a 'tight beam' as they concentrate all the light in one little spot.

~Sue

oh i see. well i would try 38 first, but keep the receipt so you can return it and try a new one until you see what works best. im pretty sure the numbers mean how wide the beam is gonna be.

i just use a 150 wat bulb that makes the basking spot around 120 wich is perfect for savannahas. i am not talking about the air temp just the basking spot temp.
http://www.proexotics.com/care_ionides.html
good sheet on care.
matt

I always feel like tight beams work well for the captive environment. It gives the animal options as far as thermoregulating, considering they are in a relatively confined space. Most monitors are pretty good about finding the warm spot and hanging out there as long as they need to. Hope that helps.

Thanks for your input folks, much appreciated :)

We use a combo of 100 watt floods & the Active UV bulbs for heat & a little extra oomph.

Tight beams/spots with any reptile scare me...most of the time the critter will move, but if they're ever stuck in a situation where they can't get away from the light (accidents CAN happen), then they're pretty effectively screwed.

I guess I come from the "better safe than sorry, and if there's a way to do something stupid, someone will eventually find it" school of thought.

K~

Yeah, it's the spots that worry me too. The basking temps are spot on at the moment in his current viv. For his new one though I want to get a bank of white floods for day, and thinking of nearby (on a separate circuit) a bank of red lights for night of a lower basking temp down to 100.

I used a red bulb a while back that worked pretty well. Now I just use a 150 watt halogen flood light hung from the ceiling. If the spot gets too hot I raise it, if it gets cool I lower it. He likes the 130 degree basking spot.
Heres the red light I used to use. Wasn't sure if It put off enough light that he needed so I trashed it
http://pic15.picturetrail.com/VOL591.../160134979.jpg