UV Light

[Boomer60]

Hey Everybody, I looking for some help and suggestions. I'm updating my ball python's enclosure, he is in an enclosed habitat, solid all around except for the front sliding glass doors, it also has a large heating pad mounted on the ceiling. I would like to mount a UV bulb/light in the enclosure but not have the bulb exposed for him to touch. Thanks much for all and any suggestions.

[Homebody]

First, I recommend against it. Your ball python doesn't need it. It's difficult and expensive to set up correctly and maintain. Setting it up incorrectly or failing to maintain it can harm your snake. Simply put, it's more trouble than it's worth.

Second, if you're determined to add it anyway, you need to put a guard around it. We can provide more assistance if we know more about your set up, particularly, it's dimensions. Pics are particularly helpful. This thread will show you how to post them: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures.

[Starscream]

I don't know where 'difficult to set up' came from, other than needing more than two seconds of thought to decide where to install them. UV lights at the level ball pythons use (6% UV bulb) with a properly installed guard will not harm a ball python -- by the time the light gets through the guard, its effectiveness is already reduced by half. They are a yearly expense, if that, of $35 dollars -- not very much in the grand scheme of things. As with most things in the reptile spectrum, the setup is probably the most "expensive" part (around $100-150), and the maintenance is negligible after the fact.

Consideration: where is the main basking area? You want the light to cover maybe half the enclosure so the animal has the choice to get away from it. You want at least a foot without a guard, to 6 inches with a guard, of distance from the light to the top of the animal's back at minimum -- anything closer would be where the danger zone is, but installing a light that close to an animal isn't recommended regardless of what kind it is. The snake WILL climb the guard while the light is on, and that will NOT harm the snake for such a short duration. How do I know? From personal, lived experience.

If you are in the US, I would recommend looking at Reptile Basics as they usually have the T5HO kits with the Arcadia bulb. Arcadia is currently the best UVB light on the market and the bulbs will last a year before degrading to need replacement. They also sell the appropriately sized guards for those bulbs that will protect your snake from direct contact. If you are NOT in the US, then shopping around for Arcadia's light guards and lighting equipment would probably be easier.

[Malum Argenteum]

UV lights at the level ball pythons use (6% UV bulb) with a properly installed guard will not harm a ball python -- by the time the light gets through the guard, its effectiveness is already reduced by half.

Respectfully, that's not good info. The UVB% of a lamp is not really relevant to the species being kept, but it is directly relevant to the distance from the animal -- a large tall enclosure might call for a 12%, and a shorter one a 2% (or none at all, for that matter). Whether a lamp guard blocks half the light or not depends entirely on the design of the guard. Looking at the Arcadia one, it looks -- based on apparent net free area and distance from the lamp -- like it would block more than other non-herp-marketed guards that a keeper might end up using.

More general, also respectfully intended, comment: I'd caution against asserting a negative based on personal experience. That can tell only whether the thing didn't happen to you, in your situation -- not whether the thing is possible in some other situation.

I've been using UVB since about 1995 (original "iguana lights", if anyone remembers those), and currently run UVB on 8 enclosures -- so this isn't coming from an anti-UVB point of view. Over that time I've learned that among other factors it is important to own and use a quality UVB meter to test irradiation levels, just like we use IR temp guns to check temps -- so that would be my positive input into this situation for you, Boomer60.

[Homebody]

I don't know where 'difficult to set up' came from, other than needing more than two seconds of thought to decide where to install them.

I considered adding UVb for my Children's python, but, despite giving it a lot more than two seconds of thought, I just couldn't come up with a configuration that made sense. The main problem is the height. My 3x2x2 is divided between a tub and a terrarium. The terrarium only has 14.5" of height. Since the fixture will drop the light down a couple inches, that would have been cutting it close to the minimum distance. I don't like cutting things close to the minimum. It just doesn't feel safe. And that's without considering the hide, perches and vines I have in there.

The other problem was my radiant heat panel. It takes up the entire ceiling area on the warm side. There is no room for a light fixture there. So, I'd have to put the UV light either in the middle or on the cool side, but that runs counter to the recommendations. That's just me trying to make it work in theory. I got exhausted just thinking about it. We all know that it's much more difficult to make something work out in practice. So, I decided not to go through all the trouble and expense for a negligible benefit. If I ever move him to a larger enclosure, I may reconsider.

[Homebody]

...it is important to own and use a quality UVB meter to test irradiation levels, just like we use IR temp guns to check temps...

I agree, and a quality UVb meter is $254.99 at Reptile Basics.