Good source of indoor sunlight?

[Maggotlyfe]

My guys are indoor (for the winter) and I was wondering what a good source of sunlight is for them indoors. I have a desert UVB light about 6 inches away from them right now. Didnt know what other oprions and opinions there are out there.

 

[Tom]

My guys are indoor (for the winter) and I was wondering what a good source of sunlight is for them indoors. I have a desert UVB light about 6 inches away from them right now. Didnt know what other oprions and opinions there are out there.

I have found the mercury vapor type bulbs to be the best. It gives you heat, light and UV all in one bulb. They most commonly come in a 160 watt flood or 100 watt spot. The 160 flood is good if your enclosure is more that 4 or 5 feet, so they can get away from the heat. The 100 watt spot is good if you need a narrower beam, but be careful, as it gets really hot under that concentrated beam. Use a temperature measuring device of some sort and raise or lower the light fixture accordingly. I like to point my basking lights onto a flat rock thats buried relatively flush with the substrate. This way the rock warms up when they aren't on it and they get safe heat from below like they would in the wild. It also acts as a heat sink to keep the enclosure warmer, even after the lights go out. It also gives you a clear spot to accurately measure the temp of your basking spot with an infared type thermometer. They do have seasons in Africa, so I set a timer for 13-14 hours in the summer, 10-11 in the winter and 12 in the spring and fall.

Personally, I haven't found the flourescents to be very effective, but some people love and swear by them.