# overhead heating for frogs?



## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

who uses it and who doesn't?
I hear mix feelings about using low wattage over head heat lamps or not when it comes to frogs.
Obviously some type of light has to be used to create the day and night effect for the little buggers.
Also those of you who use natural vivs, what type of bulbs do you use for the photosynthesis of your plants?


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## kawickstrom (Oct 3, 2008)

I use t8 florescent grow lights. They have a Kelvin rating of 6700k and are 34 watts. My plants love them..


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

You can get these at any pet store or aquarium shop I assume?



kawickstrom said:


> I use t8 florescent grow lights. They have a Kelvin rating of 6700k and are 34 watts. My plants love them..


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

I use regular t8 4 ft. flourescents. 1 4 ft. flourescent, 68 watts covers 5 - 10 gallon tanks or 2 pumilio tanks or 3 sterilites for the breeders. Does great for plants/moss etc.



kawickstrom said:


> I use t8 florescent grow lights. They have a Kelvin rating of 6700k and are 34 watts. My plants love them..


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

I should hope no body uses "heat" lamps over any dart frog and most amphibians  

I use T5's mostly T8's work which you can get at home depot or any LFS


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

What can be the negative effect of using over head heat lamps for amphibians.
Don't get me wrong I'm in no way justifying it, I just want to know the reason to inform the people who have supported the idea of heat lamps. 
When humidity levels are kept high and temperatures correct.
Thanks



MJ said:


> I should hope no body uses "heat" lamps over any dart frog and most amphibians
> 
> I use T5's mostly T8's work which you can get at home depot or any LFS


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

Trouble is they produce a dry very direct heat and you would have to be right on top of misting and such it's just too risky IMO.. 

Heat will kill an amphibian faster than cold will and the sort of heat coming from a heat lamp will quickly turn a frog into jerky if something goes wrong. 

How warm is the room you are keeping the frogs in?


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

I dont have over head heating for my red eyes right now, only 5.0 compact 13w fluorescent bulbs but the room is kept at about 72-80 depending on how the sunlight hits in the room, (not direct on the tanks)
And at night is at about 68 very coldest ive seen it.

My problem will be keeping it cool in summer months


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

Right so you don't need over head heating or additional heating what so ever.. in fact you're going to need to watch what kind of lighting you use so you don't over heat the auratus (btw kudos for realising its better to start with one viv )

As above T5's T8's a couple inches off the tank will do fine just watch your temps inside the vivarium.


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

I just checked with my heat gun and it's 73 in the room, will warm up a little higher around noon.
The Red eyes tank is at 71 bottom and 74 top where the frogs are hanging out.
A little cool


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

frogfarm said:


> I use regular t8 4 ft. flourescents. 1 4 ft. flourescent, 68 watts covers 5 - 10 gallon tanks or 2 pumilio tanks or 3 sterilites for the breeders. Does great for plants/moss etc.


I forgot to add, it raises the temps on the top glass to provide a basking spot of around 82-88f when the rest of the tank remains in the lo to mid 70`s.


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

My viv is a 24x18x24 exo terra so a portion of the top will remain screen, will that affect the temps a bit because 82-88 seems high but they don't right on top of the viv I understand that.

Are these bulbs already in the fixtures or you need special fixtures for them?



frogfarm said:


> I forgot to add, it raises the temps on the top glass to provide a basking spot of around 82-88f when the rest of the tank remains in the lo to mid 70`s.


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## bmasar (Dec 13, 2007)

I use an overhead heating source in one of my tanks. 

Basically, I have one tank (35g hex) outside my frog room and my house can get very cold since it has 1920's-era insulation. I installed a light socket for a low wattage heat lamp that goes right into the hood. (I'll try and post pictures when I get home from work.)

It is a 60w and raises the temps by about 3 degrees. This is due to a few factors. One being that it's a hex, so the heat dissipates considerably by the time it gets to the tank floor. Another factor is the air circulation between the lamp in my hood and the lid. Finally, it's only a 60w (shaped like a traditional incandescent light bulb) and is screwed into a basic socket with no dome to concentrate the heat.

My basic point is that while an overhead heat lamp like one used for desert reptiles isn't a good option, there are ways to make head lamps work when you're only trying to raise the temps a few degrees. During the current winter season, my tank peaks at 70 degrees during sunny days and 65 degrees during cold days. That is definitely not overheating as some have suggested.


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## colb (Mar 13, 2008)

Ziggi, 

Are you not still planning on doing the glass top for your ExoTerra? You will likely have to mist more often than once a day if you plan on leaving the mesh top that comes with an Exo... or was I just misunderstanding your previous post altogether?


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

maybe not a complete glass top but what I have done now is actually put a garbage bag over it hehe, I taped up all the sides of the screen so nothing escapes and coved 1/2 of it.
I didn't receive my custom glass top yet


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## colb (Mar 13, 2008)

Okay, now it all makes sense to me!


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## DCreptiles (Jan 26, 2009)

i was in the same dilema not to long ago because i wanted to get the perfect light for my plants int he viv and wasnt going to make the frogs envirement to warm or dry it out. after careful researching i went to my local pet smart and got a simple T8 flor bulb just read the boxs and it will tell you for plant life or fish or desert. and just put it in. but i mean i have no heat source for my frogs and their vivs are right in front of the window and they do just fine. and the room is at a constant range of 71 to 75 even at night.


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## kawickstrom (Oct 3, 2008)

Ziggi said:


> You can get these at any pet store or aquarium shop I assume?


Yes you can but they are generally expensive there. I get mine at home depot for $4 for a 48" bulb.


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

Sounds like the perfect setup then!
I'll find one of those T8 Bulbs when time comes.
I also have no heat source for my Red eyes right now and I just checked at 5:30 am and it's 72F so I don't think it would drop any lower then that, so it should be no problem.
Day time reaches around high 70's sometimes low 80's rarely.

Thanks again folks!


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## kawickstrom (Oct 3, 2008)

Ziggi said:


> Sounds like the perfect setup then!
> I'll find one of those T8 Bulbs when time comes.
> Thanks again folks!


One? I use 4 ha.. I know its a little over kill but the plants dont complain.


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

Ouch that's a lot of light lol.
I only have one viv i'm building now and it's only 24 wide so I wouldn't want to get a 48" bulb, look kinda weird, so I would maybe try to find 2 24" that would be great 



kawickstrom said:


> One? I use 4 ha.. I know its a little over kill but the plants dont complain.


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## kawickstrom (Oct 3, 2008)

Haha two will work great. The rule of thumb is 2-3 watts per a gallon. So I have a 55 gallon display so that would be 110-165 watts of light. I use 4 48'' 34 watt bulbs so thats 136 watts. Which is right in between. Thats just a general rule I use.


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