# Tree frog lighting



## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

Hi guys.

I have used a dual canopy for my tree frog viv since I've had it with no probs, running two 5% repti glos.

Was just thinking if I used just one instead and the other for a bulb that would produce better plant growth as most of my plants didn't seem to grow too well last time under those. 

I know darts often use t5 strip but anybody have suggestions / experience with a bulb that boosts the plant growth? My broms dry up too if they are over half the way up the tank it seems.

Thanks


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

How about one of these for the plants, and the repti glo for frogs Exo Terra Sun Glo Neodymium Daylight Lamp 150W.

Likely out on of these in gecko viv too for plants


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

That's pretty much the method I use in my golden treefrog tank- the plants seem to be doing a little better.


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

Ideal cheers Ron lol. Can always rely on a reply from you haha


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Or switch your current 5% bulbs for ZooMed or Arcadia ones. These have a much nicer quality of light, more akin to 6,500k bulbs than other brands of UV bulb.

Ade


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

Ok thanks for tip buddy. Do you just use the t5s for darts then no extras personally? In response to the Bulanger or even palid morph, I guess they are mega super rare over here right?

I've scrapped my idea of 30x30x60 and now looking at a 350l corner fish tank. With that extra size the tincs are ever more appealing :bash::lol2:


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## Peytone (Aug 16, 2012)

Well I think tree frog does not need lighting in the morning. For night it needs some sort of bulbs and it gives immense light that helps them to move comfortably.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Here we go... :whistling2:


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

Oh dear :bash:


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

lol Peytone has to be the worst troll I've ever seen. 

Ade


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## Gaz_dbd (Apr 30, 2009)

I've recently switched my bulbs to these, they seem to work really well for the plants and give off a nice daylight too, they are also energy saving and give off a little bit of added heat but not too much.

Mini Lynx Fast Start 23W ES 860 10K Hr 31175 Low Energy Light Bulb Sylvania


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Ron Magpie said:


> Here we go... :whistling2:





brysaa2 said:


> Oh dear :bash:





Wolfenrook said:


> lol Peytone has to be the worst troll I've ever seen.
> 
> Ade


I knew my troll senses were tingling. Who ya gonna call?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Gaz_dbd said:


> I've recently switched my bulbs to these, they seem to work really well for the plants and give off a nice daylight too, they are also energy saving and give off a little bit of added heat but not too much.
> 
> Mini Lynx Fast Start 23W ES 860 10K Hr 31175 Low Energy Light Bulb Sylvania


I remember the thread- they def look really good- my hood has two (T8 ) tube and one halogen fitting though, so I can't use them in that particular tank.


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Ron Magpie said:


> I remember the thread- they def look really good- my hood has two (T8 ) tube and one halogen fitting though, so I can't use them in that particular tank.


I think Beanie suggested them. My hood has fittings for 2 compact bulbs so I might give one of these and a 5.0 repti glo a whirl.


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

Yeah thanks for the recommendation mate, actually just missed me as I have now ordered the bulbs haha but I seem to be quite alone using the compact bulbs and not strips, so I went with the good old zoo med blue daylight bulb and a zoo med 5% as recommended. Will see how these turn out!


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## vikki_john (Jul 16, 2007)

ronnyjodes said:


> Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand back on to the ignore list you go.


 
Bub bye :lol2:


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## Gaz_dbd (Apr 30, 2009)

I can't remember who it was that first mentioned those bulbs, but I ran them past the bulb master (Ade) and he gave me the okay on them.

They work really well. I don't use strips/tubes myself, no real reason, I think it was beacuse I had more screw fittings than UV starters going spare.

Make sure to post some pics once your lighting is in place!!


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Aye, so long as there's enough light reaching the plants any 6,500k light will work just fine. I don't use compacts purely because they give off too much heat for my needs. That and the fittings for them are seriously ugly. lol

Ade


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

Your right about the heat Ade, I think I'll be going t5s all the way for darts! Thinking of drawing up my initial idea for dart viv and see what you guys think, maybe give some advice etc.

Ordered some of the compacts :2thumb:


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## Jimaseriay (Aug 17, 2012)

I am glad to become a part of this forum as it has provided me relevant information about snakes and other reptiles.


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Jimaseriay said:


> I am glad to become a part of this forum as it has provided me relevant information about snakes and other reptiles.


My senses are tingling................

Ade, what sort of heat do those compacts kick out? I wouldn't mind running one of those for plant growth and then a compact UV bulb as my canopy will hold two compact bulbs. It'd be for my whites but I don't know if it'll be sufficient. I'm not exactly a lighting expert and I'm running the starter and tube I was given when I first got them. Any ideas fella?


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

I have a 2x39 watt T5HO luminaire over my White's, witha big heat mat up the side. They seldom get below 29 degrees Celsius in the day.

Regarding compacts, if you have power saver bulbs in your home fittings, go put your hand near to one.  They're the exact same thing, just a different colour temperature.

Ade


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

ronnyjodes said:


> My senses are tingling................
> 
> Ade, what sort of heat do those compacts kick out? I wouldn't mind running one of those for plant growth and then a compact UV bulb as my canopy will hold two compact bulbs. It'd be for my whites but I don't know if it'll be sufficient. I'm not exactly a lighting expert and I'm running the starter and tube I was given when I first got them. Any ideas fella?


I got these purely for plants buddy so I hope I'll see some improvements. I've had compacts all the time I wouldn't say they were massively hot, but they pack out more than tubes and this helps anyways for my tree frogs that i want to try to dry out a bit in the daytime :2thumb:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

ronnyjodes said:


> *My senses are tingling................
> *
> Ade, what sort of heat do those compacts kick out? I wouldn't mind running one of those for plant growth and then a compact UV bulb as my canopy will hold two compact bulbs. It'd be for my whites but I don't know if it'll be sufficient. I'm not exactly a lighting expert and I'm running the starter and tube I was given when I first got them. Any ideas fella?


You may be right...

Having just bought an Aquaglow tube for my golden canopy, I found a local shop that stocks the Arcadia ones! :devil:

Well, a replacement will have to wait.


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

From my experience with different T5HOs, the best for plant growth I have tried:-

Money no object - Arcadia Freshwater Pro - Excellent plant growth, fantastic colour rendition. This combines well with the D3 6% UV tube, I wouldn't use 2 FWPs together though, as they're just too bright looking.

Middle ground - ZooMed Ultra Sun T5HO - Again fantastic plant growth and colour rendition. Perhaps not quite as bright looking as the Arcadia as I am using 2 together over my leuc viv without them making me see spots like 2 FWPs together did. lol

El Cheapo - GE 865 T5HO daylight tubes - Plants grow fine under these, the light looks a bit yellow though and colours don't pop as much as under the more expensive tubes.

The same goes for 865 compacts like the lynx. Your plants will grow just fine under them, so long as you have enough. However you may find the colour a bit yellow and that your plant and frog colours aren't quite as vivid as with say an Arcadia D3 or ZooMed UV power compact. Heck you can grow plants under bog standard household 'decor' energy saving bulbs (2,800k) if you have enough of them, just your plants and frogs will look horrible. lol I actually did use 2,800k lighting over a viv for a while, in the form of 2 x 36 watt Osram Dulux PLL lamps, plant growth was amazing, but I hated the look of the viv:-










They also ran seriously hot, heating both the viv and the room it was in quite a bit. lol

There is NO magic light for plants, heck grow lights are ugly pinky purple things, it doesn't bother the plants as PAR is mainly in the blue and red regions of the spectrum, it's just that we humans like other bits thrown in as we find lights with JUST what plants want look really ugly. All plants care about is that they get plenty of light. So for example if you have a single compact over a large viv, it doesn't matter wether you put a household bulb or an Arcadia D3 in there, your plants will still not thrive. More often than not, if your plants aren't thriving under brand new bulbs (older bulbs may have reduced output, so you can't judge by this, often just replacing them with newer bulbs is enough to make an improvement) of whatever type, then you just don't have enough lighting on there to grow the plants that you want. Quite often, the trick is the very simple one of either using better reflectors, or adding on more lighting.

Plants not growing though doesn't alwys mean something is up with the lighting. Quite often it can just as easily be they can't get enough nutrients. It's amazing the difference a more nutritious substrate can often make. Growing plants is about balancing their needs for light and nutrients (oh and not rotting them by keeping them too wet, unless they are bog plants).

Ade


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## brysaa2 (Oct 11, 2009)

Thanks for the awesome info Ade, makes sense what you saying about the light. Yeah I noticed that since planting plants in peat moss instead of eco earth/peat/orchid bark mix they grow hella' better! :lol2:


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## Gaz_dbd (Apr 30, 2009)

Yeah I did by the compacts due to budget, however I think once I have saved some more I may switch one or to over to the freshwater pros or one in your middleground range.

Must admit, lighting is where im kinda in over my head. Looking at the likes of your pictures I can clearly see that the lights you use are better haha


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