Is uv tube lighting adequate for my reptile and plant terrarium?

Question

I've recently completed construction on my terrarium and have bought a uv tube for the lighting. The terrarium is 1.5m high, is the tube i have purchased adequate for my snakes and for the live plants growing inside the terrarium it is 70mm long and has 30 watts of power?

Answer 1

my dad used it and it works great dont be shy with it

Answer 2

i think that when you say uv tube, that you mean thos that others call full spectrum tubes - simply those tubes that are designed for terrarium use, ok?. it should be more than enough for the snakes, as others say, but as the terrarium is pretty big, you will see whether you plants will or will not get too thin - for the bottom of the terrarium i suggest to use shade-loving/tolerating plant species in any case. it would be too costly and inefficient to try to get as much light to the bottom of the tank to make enough light for any plants. i use cissus, they are hardy vines, tolerate the hot air, lower light. just one hint - place the pots with the plants as far away from heat source - that is if you use heating cable/mat place the pot in the middle of the height of the terrarium or at a spot that is not above the cable, if the terrarium floor is not heated, place the pot on bottom. in my experience, the heat is detrimental for the plants - it is just above the optimum. the temperature tends to be the highest at the top of the terrarium so it is bad if you place the pots somewhere high and let the plants hang down - the roots would be too hot which is not natural.

Answer 3

a UV bulb such as a grow bulb should be fine. Reptiles needing UV light to encourage calcium need a bit more of a bulb. Usually a 5.0 to 8.0 output of UV. Snakes do not utilize this as do bearded dragons,chameleons or igaunas. The plants should do fine under a plant -gro light tube. As said there are full spectrum bulbs on the market. I am not sure what kind of UV bulb you have as there are many differnt styles. A 5.0 or 8.0 tube usually is only good at 1` to 2 feet for animals such as those above and won't work through most glass. It should be fine for your live terrarium and will probally give a bluish light.

Answer 4

In general snakes don't spend enough time basking to make any use of the UV rays. But they do sell special florescent bulbs at the pet store just for reptiles. They are full spectrum bulbs that would probably be great for the live plants as well. I don't know what kind of snake you have. But like I said in general the snake is usually in a hide box so they don't really need the UV as much as other reptiles. Heat and a good thermal gradient is more important for snakes.

Answer 5

Lizards not snakes need UV lighting. They use it to metabolize calcium. Snakes will need a infrared bulb and an under tank heating pad to keep temps at about 80 degrees cool side and a basking spot of 90 degrees. The plants will just need fertilizer once a month. Be warned, if your snake gets sick you will have a hell of a time sterilizing it's tank.



I could offer you more help but I need to know what type of snake you have. As well as what size tank it is, 20 long, 20 tall? You just have a height, no other dimensions.

Answer 6

As the other answer shows, you need a wide spectrum fluorescent. They are a little more expensive than regular ones and will show having a light temperature of 5,500 Kelvin. That is roughly the temperature at the surface of the sun, and the color light we experience..

Answer 7

That depends on what type it is - they make special ones for reptiles - called full spectrum bulbs. UV alone is not enough.

Answer 8

It is impossible to know without knowing what kind of snake you have. Proper set-up varies from species to species. I recommend searching online for a caresheet about the particular species of snake you own.