Mary Allen
Terrarium lighting is an important factor for the well-being and health of many reptiles and other animals. Inserting a normal light bulb is not enough here. The terrarium lighting should therefore have been specially designed for use in certain terrariums so that the tasks of these products can also be fulfilled. The lighting in a terrarium not only provides the necessary light. They are also used for heat generation and the possibility of forming vitamins. However, since not all lamps are the same, there are a few factors to consider when making a purchase. In our article, you can find out what is important when choosing the right terrarium lighting.
What does your animal need?
First of all, you should of course deal with the individual needs of your animals, because not all terrarium inhabitants have the same lighting requirements. In addition to snakes, spiders, batagamas, and turtles, mice and the like are also kept in terrariums. The first task for you as a terrarium owner is to get to know the needs of your animals more closely and to define the selection criteria for the lighting accordingly. So it is important to know whether this should serve as pure lighting or also as a heat source. The question of whether with UV light or without is therefore crucial at the beginning. For example, more often than not, keepers make the decision based on habitat and decide that animals that live in a rainforest don’t need UV radiation, while desert animals do. However, that is not correct. Rainforest dwellers or animals that live on the riverbank or in the treetops receive significantly more UV light than animals that live in the desert region at twilight. So please always check before you buy the animal exactly what its needs are in terms of UV light and buy the lighting accordingly.
Please note that UV radiation can also ensure that nocturnal animals are kept in a species-appropriate manner. Please always deal with the way of life and the associated needs of the animals. For example, it is normal for nocturnal tree pythons to lie on the branches in the treetops and rest in the sun during the day. As soon as dusk sets in and the UV rays decrease, the animals become active. The UV rays also regulate the daily routine of the animals. The twilight-active terrarium inhabitants always get some UV radiation. In both cases, being kept without UV light or with too little UV light can lead to severe health problems. Animals can get sick faster and usually die much earlier.
What lighting options are there?
As already mentioned, the terrarium lighting is selected primarily with regard to the UV light or the UV light emission. There are therefore three different types you can choose from.
On the one hand there are the lamps without UV from different manufacturer brands. These are available as halogen lamps or as a daylight variant. UV lamps with a low UV output can then in turn be used. Here you have the choice between spotlights, fluorescent tubes or energy-saving lamps with 2 UV versions. If you need a lamp with a high UV output, the range is also very wide, ranging from small spotlights to energy-saving lamps and fluorescent tubes to metal halide lamps.
What is to be considered?
If you use a light source that emits UV rays, you should note that the glass only lets through about 50 percent of the emitted UV amount and therefore only half reaches the terrarium if the lighting is installed above it. In the case of spiders, for example, these are attached outside so that the animals cannot burn themselves in the small dwellings. In the case of batagamas and co., on the other hand, the UV emitters are attached inside, which of course means that the complete UV output arrives.
You should also note that the amount of UV naturally decreases with increasing distance from the light. This means that the amount of UV very close to the lamp is of course much higher than at the bottom. For this reason you should offer the animals climbing opportunities to get close to the lamp, but never too close to reduce the possibility of injury. This is very important, especially in higher terrariums, and should never be forgotten. Animals always associate a light source with warmth and then always like to use these higher places for sunbathing and warming up. With some animals, however, it must be noted that they are not really good climbers, such as turtles, so you should get a little more creative there to still give the animals the opportunity to enjoy a sunbath or two.
Install the terrarium lighting correctly
After purchasing the right terrarium lighting for your new pet, it must of course be installed professionally. The different lamp systems each have different sockets, so it is always very important to find the right versions. This is mainly due to the fact that the individual models can sometimes reach high temperatures and the development of danger must of course be ruled out. For this reason, individual manufacturer brands, such as JBL, offer special protective baskets or high-temperature-proof sockets.
Always make sure that the sockets are special moisture-proof sockets so that there are no problems with water sprayers or the high humidity in some terrariums. In order to enable a higher light output, there are special reflectors for some models, which can be attached to the lighting. These are even available for some energy-saving lamps.
If you choose metal halide lamps, you should note that they only work with a special ballast. This is because they require a much higher ignition voltage and would therefore not work without a ballast. However, please only use very high-quality versions. Some cheaper ballasts, for example, would attempt to ignite the lamp even if it was defective. A cable fire would be very likely with such a defect and can of course have very bad consequences.
Conclusion
In order to offer the animals in a terrarium a species-appropriate attitude that is adapted to their natural habitat, the terrarium lighting is a very important aspect. Especially when it comes to the strength of the required UV radiation, you must of course research exactly what your darlings need in advance. Only look around for special terrarium lighting and make sure to only use high-quality items in order to avoid sources of danger directly. You should find out in advance about the duration of the irradiation and the associated UV emission and possibly install lighting models that can be gradually dimmed. With the right terrarium equipment and lighting that is ideally adapted to the animal, you can give your pet a species-appropriate attitude with many great moments.