Habitat - Indoor :: Basking laamp

[JayBee]

I just ordered a double lamp that has a USB bulb on one side and a halogen bulb for heat. I have never heard of anyone using a halogen bulb in their setup. Is this safe or should I replace it with something else?

[Kansasslider]

I take it you meant uvb. And yes halogen bulbs are safe. What watt is it? What brand and watt is the uvb bulb?

[JayBee]

I'm not sure at this point. My husband ordered it. I will find out.

[Kansasslider]

Are the lights attached? We like pictures of setups if you can.

[JayBee]

Don't have it yet. It is a hood with silver inside and holds 2 bulbs next to each other. One is a reptiles 5 uvb florescent and the other is a 50 watt turtle tough non breakable halogen bulb. It will have to be hung up over the tank.

[Kansasslider]

Most of us opt for seperate light fixtures. Clamp type if you will. Because they are adjustable seperate from eachother. Like this one. They are costly as you can see. You can also buy clamp lights at any hardware or big box store for about $8 a piece or so. All in one units don't really work that well because you can't move them seperatly from eachother to regulate basking temperature. Sorry to be a downer. Maybe you can return it?. This is just my opinion but most on here will agree with me.

[JayBee]

Ok. Thanks. I should have thought of that. After what I have already spent on this set up, this doesn't seem too much to spend to get it right.

[Kansasslider]

No problem.

[OtisDriftwood]

I have the double lamp, and using the bulbs that came with I don't have a problem regulating basking temps. The UVB bulb doesn't get very hot at all... you can easily touch it after it's been on all day, so it doesn't add to the heat of the basking lamp.

The height is a minor issue. The heat needs to be further away/ the UVB needs to be closer to the surface. I have mine is about 9" from water (as per the manual), and slightly tilted so that the heat lamp is an inch or so higher, and the bulb is 3" shorter too, creating a little more height difference. If you can measure the temps on your basking platform, you can play with the height to keep the temps in range.

It's do-able, but yes, it's easier to have separate lights. Be careful though using cheap fixtures, as the heat bulb gets extremely hot. The manufacturer recommends a ceramic base for the lamp.

Also, in case you didn't see this elsewhere, make sure that you don't have anything inbetween the UVB and the basking platform like glass, acrylic or a tight mesh screen. These will all block the UV rays.

[Kansasslider]

All good points. Cheap clamp lights are actually rated at 150 watts although I wouldn't reccommend that hot of a bulb. 60-75 watt will be fine depending on distance from basking area. Ceramic hoods can be pricy and not needed for cfl's.