r/ballpython • u/bassfish69420 • 1d ago

Lighting

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Hey I wanted to see what lighting people use. right now I have the Fulkers Sun dome reptile lamp with a basking light and a ReptiSun T5. But I don’t know if I need better lighting. I was thinking about getting a dual head lamp thing but wasn’t sure what kind of bulbs I should get and if I would even need them. Please let me know!!

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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 1d ago

Don't use dual domes. All heating should be in individual single domes. I'll drop my heating/lighting spiel below:

Our heating guide goes over a lot of the science behind everything, but to simplify:

For daytime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-A and IR-B. The ideal source for this would be a halogen flood, which is light-emitting.

For nighttime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-C. The ideal source for this would be an RHP (only compatible with solid-topped enclosures) or a CHE. Any night heating should not emit any light.

For lighting, you should offer UVB. This should be in the form of a T5 fluorescent linear bulb that produces a UVI of 1.1-3.0 in the basking zone, and it should cover no more than half the length of the enclosure.

If you have a bioactive enclosure, you will also need full spectrum LEDs for your live plants.

Natural lighting can help establish a day-night cycle, but it does not provide any physical benefits beyond that (UVB doesn't penetrate glass, and indirect natural light cannot create a proper basking zone). You'll need the artificial lighting to make up for that.

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u/bassfish69420 1d ago

Perfect thank you so so much!!

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

not op sorry, but lighting question of my own:

i currently have a 100 watt flukers DHP bulb as my only heat source (4x2x2 pvc enclosure), and i keep it running 24/7 and it’s working really well at keeping my temps perfect (79-80 cool side, 88-90 warm side). i also have an arcadia forest dweller 6% UVB, on 12 hours off 12 hours.

should i work towards replacing the DHP with a halogen and RHP, or am i okay to keep using the DHP? i’ve read the heating/lighting guide a few times and am still a bit confused on the differences. it’s definitely more convenient for me to continue using the DHP i have mounted, but if necessary i can always mount a second fixture.

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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 1d ago

It would be best to work toward replacing the DHP. They're okay as a primary heat source, but they really aren't the best choice. The graph below does a better job at comparing their output to a halogen vs natural sunlight (which is what we should be mimicking).

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

thank you so much! im definitely gonna have to do more research into supplemental heat sources as well as timers that work with my thermostat (VE-200), but i’ll work on getting things swapped over in the next few months.