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Huh what!?!?!?

Kate

Far too old to grow up now.
My daughter wants a terrarium. Forutnately for me I have been lucky enough to inhearate a small tank that was used for exactly that purpose. Lucky me!... or maybe not... seems it will need a new hood... okay... I can do this.. all the information I need is right here at my fingertips (mouse point) right?

*Kate reads a bit.......* *Kate gets as far as the word "bulb"*....... *Kate's brain runs and hides in the nearest corner, assumes the fetal postion and proceeds to rock back and forth mumbling "Light bad! Dark good! Evil light go away!"*

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

-10g tank intended to hold a few dews (Kyra's request!)
-Reflective backing not a problem and already in place.
-Would prefer a premade hood (thinking aquarium supplies store here, 4 year old + me bad at DIY = cuts, scrapes, electrocution, profuse amounts of blood and some of it may even come from my daughter!)
-What kind of hood and bulbs! Looking for names and or pictures here! Specifics! "Kate go buy X hood made by Y company and put Z bulbs in it!" would be wonderful!

Help! Me and my brain will thank you!
 
Definitely stay away from pre-made hoods unless they are fluorescent types, or screw-in bulb type hoods that will accept a compact fluorescent bulb. I think many standard hoods will accept small CFL bulbs, but check them out real good before buying.

With a smallish tank like that you could probably get away by using 2' fluorescent fixtures meant for under-counter use and just set it on the top glass.

Sam
 
what size is the tank?
10 gallon maybe?

aquarium shops have lots of hoods you can buy seprately..
shouldnt cost much for a small tank.
you Definately want fluorescent lights!
not incandescent.

incandescent lights get too hot.

the trick is getting *enough* light..
Im against keeping CPs indoors, so I dont know anything about lighting, the terrarium keepers can help you more with that.
but I do have a planted aquarium, and I have a great bulb called a SHO light (Super High Output)
much brighter than a normal fluorescent bulb.
but depending on the plants, you might not need one of those.
try to find a hood that will hold two fluorescent lights.

So, in short, my advice.
hood with 2 fluorescent bulbs.

Scot
 
Your going to need alot of light! Most aquarium hoods are not designed to grow plants. Although if you went with one constructed for keeping salt water corals then your in the right range. BUT they are expensive and use expensive high power fluoresecent bulbs.

My opinion... A couple desk lamps with the adjustable goosneck type style.. install a 35watt compact fluorescent bulb into each and your set. I would even try without a cover on the terrarium. Drosera really don't need a ton of humidity. The sides will hold some which should be fine.
 
It's going to be at least partially covered. The RH in my house runs around 5-15% and I end up watering the regular house plants on a daily basis so the amount of covering will be something I will have to fiddle with.

So basiclly find something that will fit and hold as many light bulbs as possible. Got it!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Maehem @ May 02 2005,5:38)]So basiclly find something that will fit and hold as many light bulbs as possible. Got it!
as many fluorescent lights as possible! ;)
for a small tank, you wont find a hood that will hold more than than 2 or 3 bulbs..

Scot
 
For frogs (or any reptile)light is needed. Only certain lights are actually beneficial to anything than a human. With this in mind I am going to attempt to explain the various uses for certain lights, their purpose, and so on. When getting a reptile pet of any kind light is an absolute must have item. You may also opt for live plants which are another kind of light.

1) UV lights; Their are 3 kinds of UV (Ultra Violet) lights available to the consumer. Each with varying uses.

1a) UVA: UVA is a light that is useful to plants mostly and humans. These can be used but generally there are better lights for plants.

2b) UVB: UVB is the light that you are gonna need for keeping reptiles. UVB is a radiation that is helpful to the body of reptiles in processing calcium and other bone nutrients. It is NEEDED! It helps build and maintqin healthy bones and bone structure. Without UVB, eventually all reptiles will perish in captivity. UVB is also found in natural daylight but unless your reptile is sitting in a S.window it is very unlikely that they are getting enough. Lack of UVB is the cause or helper in many crippling and deadly problems incountered in captive reptiles. ABSOLUTE MUST! UVB lights can be found in many stores, most often pet stores, manufactured by many companies. ZOOMED, ExoTerra (Hagen), Jurrasic,etc... Most commonly found as a 6"-48" T12 or T8 long tube fluorescent, very blue in color. Price anywhere from $3US to $50US depending on size and amount of radiation output. Lowlight = Low UVB output, Desert = High UVB output.

1c) UVC: UVC light should be avoided for terrariums or general exposure to living organisms. UVC sources are what cause sunburn and possible cancer. These sources are generally sold as a sterylizing agent. Exposure to UVC while kill skin cells, microbes (bacteria, fungi ,etc..). Most uses are for sterylization of water, and air in ducting systems where smell can be a problem. DO NOT USE FOR REPTILES!

Most people upon planning of a terrarium or chamber for a pet reptile will be thinking of live plants as these tend to add natural beauty and color pattern as well as being generally healthy for living things. (See topics on TOXIC PLANTS).
To keep a plant alive long term light is going to be necessary.
Let me start by saying while there is far more technicality in spectrum and wavelength I have no intention of getting into that for all beginner purposes.

2)T12,T8 - Common Fuoro tubes: These come in varying lengths from 6" - 72" and full spectrum, Warm or Cool. Full spectrum lights tend to be a yellow/orange in color, Warm are gonna be redder in color (actually pink to the eye) and Cool are gonna be bright white or possibly blue in color. These lights are worthy of mention cause for many years hobbyists kept plants under these lights very successfully. The problem being that for PAR (Photo Active Radiation) to be effective the lights have to be place within an inch or 2 no more. Any farther than an inch and you really are not benefitting the plant. Comparable to survivng as opposed to living.

2a)T5: HO (High Output) These lights are ALOT brighter than the standard fluorescent tubes. They are collectively refered to as HO or High Output lights.These are relatively new on the market and are great lights coming in a wider range of spectrum for intensive hobby applications. These lights are also easily spotted as being smaller diameter than their predescessors (T12 and T8). These lights are a bit more pricey but worth it when specific spectrums are desired and compact nature is a must. Most popular with AQ Reef keepers but quickly catching on in the plant industry as well. Prices to drop as availability increases. www.google.com for more info on these if interested.

2b)CFL and VHOs: CFLs (Compact Fluorescent) and VHO (Very High Output) are the brightest of fluorescent lighting. These lights are typically capable of growing full sun annual and perrenial plants indoors. They are well know for their spirraling and curly-Q shapes. These lights are diffwerent in one aspect from theothers and that is these lights are usually referred to by their wattage and not by length as the others are. The lights are commonly found in 7wtts all the way up to 120wtts. Some are self ballasted and others are not. These lights have become a favorite among plan collectors because of their compact nature and intense lighting capabilities. One 65wtt of these lights will generally provide enough PAR light for 6cuft. These are the lights used most often for growing orchids and such in deep chambers. These lights can be found under several names by several manufacturers for several applications. Some are for street lighting, some are for plants, some are for AQs and variuos other uses. Most of these lights will do well. It should be mentioned that these lights are found in War and Cool. Cool is the most effective single bulb but a warm and a cool bulb provide better spectrum and even coloring (CRI (Color Rendering Index) to the eye and is more accurate for a plants natural light requirements. These lights are often found at Hydroponic shops and plant supply stores for very expensive prices but a little research on your own can turn up a very good light marketed as a street light for a 1/4 the price or better.
P.S. These are the lights I use for my tanks

3) HID (High Intensity Discharge) These are for professional use ONLY! If you are reading this to learn then you haven't enough knowledge to use these lights yet. These lights are EXTREMELY bright and HOT. I cannot stress enough the HOT part. These are a fire hazard in the wrong hands as well as dangerous to unaware animals and children. It needs to also be noted that these lights will chalk up an electricity bill by double digits at a time. Very expensive to run on 12hr cycles or more. Before considering use of these lights you must first consider: Ventilation and heat buildup, cost, protective measures and more. I give this as a reference as possible lights but far more research than this NEEDS to be done before even considering use of these ultimate lighting systems.

*There is also such a thing as Over Driving a fluorescent light. This one of those things that are possible but at your own risk! It is basically multiplying the input to a fixture Lowes, etc..) 48" double strip light(Usually like $7-$10, sold for garages) and an 18" or 12" strip light inand it forces the fixture to pass on this multiplyed power to the bulb. Pesonally, I use this for my UVB bulbs in taller tanks. This way I can get away standard 18"fluoro fixtures.

Well, Here it is.
It's not my fault if you hurt yourself!

1) Start with a twin 40wtt/48" light fixture.
2) Open the shell of the fixture, clip all the wires. (If your wire map on ballast is faded you might want to right it down)
3) Now you need an 18" fixture, the ones that use 15wtt, 20wtt,so on.
4) Do the same as above with the 18" as well.
5) Reconnect the ballast to the 18" fixture, remember that it has twin out puts, instead you need to double the outputs to each side.
6) Make sure no wires are touching each other and that you use something to cover exposed wire.
7) If any wires touch not only will it hurt if your apart of it but it will kill the ballast possibly.
8) You just need a bulb that has the spectrum that you want.
By my use I would say that If your bulb has 1 yr of use plants wise then you over drive it and it is 20wtt running on twin 40wtt ballast; That leaves you with 80wtts on a 20wtt bulb. Since 80 divided 20 = 4, We have quadrupled its output and therefore its life is cut down to 1/4 of its 20wtt life.

1yr bulb = 3month bulb rotation on over drive X4



Take care
and
Good Luck
Joe
 
lol ty, but for now, I am going to pass on the rewiring. I have been known to have difficulty changing the battery in my smokedetector! That definately sounds like a job for someone else and I think I have just the person in mind to do it at some future date!

In the mean time I have come up with what I feel may be a workable solution. I have managed to get ahold of 2 different 1/2 hoods for the size tank. 1 has 2 regular fixtures that I plan to put Cf in (haven't figured out which ones yet) and the other is a double strip 18" tube type hood. These two cover all but about an inch wide strip of the tanks top which should be adequate ventilation, I hope. To my count that gives me 4 bulbs over this tank and I should be able, with a little experimentation get some decent lighting in there.

Thanks again for all the help!
 
My guess is that the standard socket hood will probably accept 13W or smaller CF bulbs. Try to locate the "daylight" colored bulbs if you can.

Sam
 
  • #10
Kate, I have a 10 gal right now with N. ventricosa, D. adelae and P. primuliflora (gonna move them to my 29 gallon after I get my fish out of there, but anyway) with gravel in the bottom (water retention for higher humidity) trays under the plants, a thermometer and hygrometer, foil on three sides, a fluorescent fixture over it with an 18'' regular fluorescent tube and a trimmed sheet of hard plastic with 14 ventilation holes melted into it covering the open area of the tank not already covered by the fixture. The light's on from about 9AM to about 11PM. Plants are doing GREAT. I can't think of a simpler way to do it.
 
  • #11
Single bulb is working? That is good news.....
 
  • #12
Yeah. Go to WalMart and get a tube fluorescent in the houseware department, and make sure it says something like "full sun" or "sunlight" or "full spectrum" on it, not "kitchen & bath".
 
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