# Green Anole lighting/ heat advice



## spring (Feb 28, 2010)

Hi

I am setting up a large planted naturalistic vivarium (110x50x90cm) for 7-8 green anole lizards.

I’m after some advice on the best way to provide a basking/ heat source for them. 

The terrarium is a ferplast 110H tank with the explora 96cm overtank light containing x1 2% 30w daylight and x1 5% 30w tropical florescent strip lights.

The ferplast tank has space for x2 spot covers/ light guards one on either end of the tank.

I could use one of these guards for a 75w sunglow basking spotlight 
and the second guard (on the other end of the tank) for either- 





A 60w ceramic heat emitter to provide a secondary day heat and night heat source? 
(I was unsure if 1 spot light would be enough for heating such a large tank during the day?) 
(Or if only one basking spot for the number of animals may cause fighting?)




Or instead a 75w night glow light for night heat?
I believe some sort of nighttime heat will be required as I have quite a cold room.

I was unsure if I did use both a ceramic heater and basking light during the day on either end of the tank it might be too hot for a thermal gradient?

(I was told elsewhere as long as I had the U.V florescent lights a basking light would not be needed- 1 ceramic heater at one end of the tank would be fine for 24h heat?)

I am a bit confused!:blush:


(I also have a miroclimate B1ME thermostat)

Any advice welcome:lol2:

Kind Regards


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

mercury vapour bulbs like megaray will cover both heat light and uv then prehapse just a large heatmat or something for night heat ?


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## spring (Feb 28, 2010)

Hi Sambridge 

Thanks for all your help:no1:

I have already got the ferplast overtank hood containing 
x1 2% UVB 30w daylight and 
x1 5% UVB 30w tropical florescent strip lights 

and x2 ferplast basking spot covers/guards, so I want to use these if I can.

However I was unsure how to best provide a basking spot/ 24h heat.

I was unsure if only x1 basking spot light would be enough to warm such as large tank efficiently or may cause fighting over basking space?
Do you think a 75W basking spot lamp would provide enough day heat? Or would you suggest something with a stronger wattage?:hmm:

Any suggestions welcome

Kind regards


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi mate,

It will be a case of "suck it and see". 

You will want three gradents in this viv, light, heat, uv. 

So lets start with light/heat, go for the 75 watt spot, (any old cheap thing will do) at one end, and see if you can creat a very bright area with the right temp range, (about 100f?) and with the use of plants, (real/fake) creat shaded/dark, cool areas, remember that with that many animals competing for for light/heat and shade, you may have to have lights at both ends, or reduce the amount of animals.

The good thing is that the gradeint (heat/light) can be horizontal, and vertical : victory:

You might find the 5% tube wont be powerful enough, the mesh will block about 30 - 50% of the uvb, this means a 5% uvb tube (zoo med is best) with a reflector will produce about 50 uW/cm2 of uvb at 2" when going through the mesh. To give you an idea, in the animals natural habitat, the uvb will be around 400 uW/cm2 at midday : victory:

As I have said, the best thing to do is build/plant the viv, then fit the lights and check the temps, (uvb levels if you have a meter). The option of useing M.V.Bs or M.Hs is a posibility, though take into account that these usually have a min safe distance of 12" (though it can be closer if the light is behind mesh), and at this distance they may be too far away to provide much heat.

Hope this helps

Jay


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## spring (Feb 28, 2010)

Hi Pendragon

Thanks for your help

As you suggest I think it will be a case of trying it and see.

Unfortunately the tank only comes with space for x2 heat/ basking guard covers, which sit approx 20cm into the tank on either end (I only have space for fluorescents on the hood.) 

I think it may be a case in order to create enough basking space for the number of animals to have x1 75w spot light on 1 end and x1 60w ceramic heater on the other in order to provide both day/ night heat and then as you say checking the temps to see how it goes. 

I plan on having the tank heavily planted so thermal gradient as you say should be provided lower down/ under plants. 

I guess the best place to put my microclimate B1ME thermostat will be somewhere in the middle of the tank with both the ceramic and spot bulb connected to it to provide 24h heat?

Do you think the anoles would use a ceramic heater for basking during the day although it does not produce light?
Do you think it would be better to go for a halogen bulb on one end rather then a spot bulb to provide higher UV levels?

Thanks for you help: victory:

Kind Regards


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

The Anoles will detect the heat from the ceramic with no problems. though if the ceramic and spotlight are both plugged into the same socket in the stat, will this mean they will both get turned off at night, therfor no heat at night?

Halogens don't give uvb, do you mean a mercury vapour? If so, then yes this would be ok, but as stated befor, even Zoo meds powersun M.V.B needs to be placed 12" from any basking spot, this may make it too far away to provide enough heat, plus you can't run the M.V.B on a stat, (though this would solve the problem of the spot and ceramic being in the same power socket). 

Jay


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## spring (Feb 28, 2010)

Hi Pendragon : victory:

I planned to attach the spotlight to a timer, so it would be timed to go off at night. The thermostat is a microclimate B1ME with magic eye, so is designed to give a nighttime drop in temperature when the ceramic would be providing nighttime heat.

I thought the sun glo halogen by Exo terra would provide UVA in higher levels than a spotlight thus making it less of a problem of having only 1 basking light source? 

I could then perhaps swap the 2% florescent strip light for a 10% if necessary for UVB?

As the 2 basking spot (20 H /11 W /11 L cm) covers I have fit within the tank and are made of solid metal except at the top and bottom where it is grilled to allow the light & ventilation through I don’t think they are suitable for M.V.B.

Any other suggestions/ thoughts welcome

Kind regards


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

spring said:


> Hi Pendragon : victory:
> 
> I planned to attach the spotlight to a timer, so it would be timed to go off at night. The thermostat is a microclimate B1ME with magic eye, so is designed to give a nighttime drop in temperature when the ceramic would be providing nighttime heat.
> 
> ...


 
Good luck

Jay


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