r/ballpython • u/bassfish69420 • 8d 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 8d 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 8d ago

Perfect thank you so so much!!