# jungle dawn LED lighting, wattage



## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

Hi everyone, I'm building a new vivarium. Exo terra 18/18/24H. Any reason I shouldn't get the 13watts? I'm using the exo hood that came with the tank. Any problems with using the 13 watts in both fixtures?

Not sure on plant types yet, but I'd like some different mosses, maybe few mini orchids, a few broms, some vining plants, etc. There will be shaded areas for low light plants.

Thanks in advance


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## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

Just to simplify, any negatives to getting the 13watt vs the 9/11watts? 

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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

You will probably be happier with the 13W, especially in a tank that size. Will be able to keep better color on plants/get more color on them, as well as some great growth. And I know I have them on sale right now, as well as NEHERP.


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## naadbrahma (Sep 14, 2012)

I use 4x 13w bulbs on my tanks that size. I diffuse the light with a cut out piece of screen that I put on top of the glass top. They work great and I have lots of orchids blooming all the time. Just make sure there are plenty of dark or shady spots in the tank since the frogs enjoy those. Also, because there are 4 bulbs per tank, you can replicate dawn and dusk by staggering the timers for the lights.


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

Go with one of the Exo terra light hoods and you can fit a 13w on each side. I'be been using the jungle dawns for a while and really love them. The reason I say do the Exo hood vs a zoo med hood is that the zoomeds have the mogul sockets offset and you cannot fit a 13watt on the short side. Initially on a couple Vivs I started with 4 13w on an 18x18x2; footprint, but this is massive overkill.

I will mention this too, be careful when tightening these into a socket. If you're ham fisted about it and over tighten it, you can break the plastic base or overturn and pull the wires free inside the housing. This really isn't a problem with the product, but more of a caution not to be careless like I was with a couple bulbs.


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## joneill809 (Feb 25, 2012)

You can also remove the aluminum reflectors in the stock exo hoods when using JD LEDs. This helps with venting. An 80 mm PC fan also fits nicely in the vent hole (requires drilling mount holes) with the reflector removed. Clearance is tight but doable. Orient the fan to blow out and you can have more control over venting. I use a mix of 3xJD and a UVB bulb (reflector stays in on that one).


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## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

Cool, thanks guys! I think I'm gonna do as suggested and remove the reflectors, use two 13watt JD LEDs. I have a computer fan wired/ rigged that I'll mount into hood. I also have a 24" T5ho I can put on front section of the lid if I want more light, or I also have a 24" coralife double power compact fixture I used to use for my reef tank that I could put on one section of the lid. That'd be overkill though. Ill start with two 13watt jungle dawns and go from there

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## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

Oh, one more thing. Is it possible to EASILY wire the fan to the exo terra hood, or should I just leave it on its own adapter/plug?

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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

joneill809 said:


> You can also remove the aluminum reflectors in the stock exo hoods when using JD LEDs. This helps with venting. An 80 mm PC fan also fits nicely in the vent hole (requires drilling mount holes) with the reflector removed. Clearance is tight but doable. Orient the fan to blow out and you can have more control over venting. I use a mix of 3xJD and a UVB bulb (reflector stays in on that one).


Yes, Excellent, thank you Jim!

And if there are a few sockets... tossing in one Repti Sun 5.0 CFL is a great idea!
Since LED does not emit Vit. D synthesizing UV B rays in the 390-410 nm bandwidth.

*BTW, NO Commercially available LED for herps does emit the correct Vit. D wavelenghs* ... no matter what anyone wants to claim.

In Exo hoods , you can remove the metal reflectors by just unscrewing them.
Then the air actually rises up and out of the slots of the top of the fixture better and they do stay a bit cooler!

No worries, the plastic will not melt.

And since in Jungle Dawns, all the light points "down".... there is no need for a reflector behind the light anyway.

IF heat is a real issue and you want to drop it a few degrees and are using ZOO MED hoods, you can remove the metal reflectors in those as well.

I experimented with a zoo med hood and removed the metal reflector and neatly drilled about a half dozen 1/3" inch holes in the top for convection & heat to rise up and out more freely.
(Since the Zoo Med hoods do not have slots in the top like Exo Terra hoods.)
It worked like a charm.

*NOTE:*
You do not have to do this... *so don't worry, Zoo Med and Exo Hoods also work fine as is!*

But if you are trying to beat the heat.... especially in summer, 
GO LED!
And if you want to get the temps down a few degrees more.... the above tricks / tips will help! 

I personally want to thank everyone who uses Jungle Dawn™ LEDS.
And all the merchants that sell them.
I appreciate it very much.

Cheers!
Sincerely,
Todd


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## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

Ordered two 13watt JD LEDs. Also got some tree fern panels, black silicone, coco fiber, and great stuff. Now I gotta clean out my exoterra and decide on my design. I'm gonna put pieces of tree fern all over the background and attach moss, orchids, etc... ill start a new thread when I start

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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

I love my jungle dawns. I've had terrariums for over 20 years and I've never seen the kind of growth and colour I get from them before with any kind of lighting.


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## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

Got my jungle dawns today! Fast and great service e from NE Herp. They are nice and bright, . I wouldn't recommend starting at them directly if you enjoy having vision. Color looks nice too

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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

zachxbass said:


> I wouldn't recommend starting at them directly if you enjoy having vision.


You can swivel them a bit towards the back of the vivarium so there's less reflection/glare off the glass lid (assuming you have one).


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## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

jacobi said:


> You can swivel them a bit towards the back of the vivarium so there's less reflection/glare off the glass lid (assuming you have one).


I just meant don't look directly at them when u turn them on. I had the fixture upside down pointing up at my face

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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

zachxbass said:


> I just meant don't look directly at them when u turn them on. I had the fixture upside down pointing up at my face
> 
> Sent from my C5155 using Tapatalk 2


I did that when I got mine...Now I using software to read this post to me and typing my reply on a braille keyboard.

I love my jungle dawns


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