Better Alternatives to expensive basking bulbs

[davidflas]

I have 4 BPs, and one corn snake. I am looking for a better/cheaper alternative to the expensive, fragile, and short lived bulbs I have been buying from a major reptile equipment supplier, don't see the need to mention their name.... Suggestions appreciated.

[Bogertophis]

None of those snakes need fancy UV lights...and if you're using bulbs for heating, just ordinary incandescent bulbs work fine...white for day, black or
red if you need warmth at night. I'm sure you know that corn snakes like (& need) it much cooler than BPs? I don't use lights on my corn snakes at
all, but all have controlled UTH for heat at one end of their tanks. I do use red/black bulbs to add warmth for my small Aussie spotted python...she
loves to bask on her driftwood all night and likes the warmth too...she's spoiled rotten. Anyway, her cage temps are more like what your BPs
need, and if you don't want the added light, you can always use CHE's. I'll just add that since heat rises, using bulbs of any kind as the sole source of
heat for our snakes is anything but "efficient", but I have some "spoiled" rat snakes (Trans Pecos & Florida yellows) that enjoy night-basking too when
it's colder (winter). That's really optional though, I reserve the right to be a chump...

[bcr229]

Get a rack for the ball pythons, you will save a lot of time, money, and aggravation in the long run.

The corn will be fine with a UTH on a thermostat set so his enclosure floor is in the mid-80's.

[Indy]

Racks are the easiest and cheapest but horrible if you want any kind of display animal. They're as asthetically appealing as a pile of sweaters.

I use a uth under a hide and have a $4 black light CFL on the top.

[PiperPython]

Racks are the easiest and cheapest but horrible if you want any kind of display animal. They're as asthetically appealing as a pile of sweaters.

I use a uth under a hide and have a $4 black light CFL on the top.

The display aspect comes from taking them out and letting them get enrichment outside of the rack system!

[Valyrian]

Racks are the easiest and cheapest but horrible if you want any kind of display animal. They're as asthetically appealing as a pile of sweaters.

I use a uth under a hide and have a $4 black light CFL on the top.

Not a fan of rack systems at all because I prefer aesthetically pleasing displays in my home. But I can see the logic if you have loads of animals. Setting up enclosures like mine for 50 snakes would be ridiculous.



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[Prognathodon]

Ceramic heat emitters (CHEs) or Radiant Heat Panels (RHPs), and LED lighting. CHEs seem to dry things out more than the RHPs. Both have the advantage of not spending energy on producing visible light, and LEDs are very energy-efficient for lighting.


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[ballpythoncornsnake]

just get uth on a thermostat a che to heat the enclosure and for day light just get a flourescent led from walmart

[Sonny1318]

I’ve been using Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared bulbs for years, put them on a dimmer and you won’t be able to remember when you replaced one last. You get a higher watt then you need, turn it down to the proper temperature. And you prolong the life of the ball unbelievably. No where even close to the humidity sucking CHE heaters that get over 400 degrees easy at the base of the bulb. I don’t have much experience with the RHP’s. But I definitely do with bulbs. Reinz and others will tell you the same (he switched to RHP’s I believe now). Great for tanks, trust me. Hope I offered some help. Good luck regardless.