Questions about moon glow bulbs.

[Guest]

Well I bought an exo-terra moonglow bulb(15w) for 2 bucks and I was wondering if it is safe to just stick it in a ordinary portable lamp? I don't have an aquarium hood with lights so I don't know if it's safe and just bought the bulb because it was cheap.

[Guest]

I used one on my 20 gallon tall tank and it works great but, I don't think I would attempt to use one on a 10 gallon. They are considerably smaller. It might dry tank out. A UTH is a better heat system for smaller tanks. This is only my opinion and I know there is more experienced people out there that has more information.

[NewCrabber]

I have used a 15 watt moonglo over a 10G ISO in a hood. It's not a good idea. I did have several inches of sand in the tank, but it drove the temp up much to high and quickly dried the sand. It was next to impossible to maintain good temp and humidity. It was also very time consuming. I had to constantly keep an eagle eye on it and make adjustments. I don't recommend using bulbs over a short tank like a 10G, but as a heat source on a short tank, perhaps a clamp lamp would make a difference, depending on where you put it, but if you go that route, keep a very close eye on it until you know how it will affect the conditions. In a larger tank, you'll only get a few degree increase in temp and controlling humidity isn't a problem. I use two 15 watters in a strip fixture which sits very close to the glass canopy covering my 40B and I get about a 4° increase in temp. As far as using the bulb in a regular lamp, I suppose you could try it, but again, the success of it's use would depend on placement, size of tank and I don't think you'll get much flexibility from that type of fixture.

[Guest]

Would the moon glo work in this type of lamp?http://www.homevisions.com/hvprod/large ... D=55853I'm not going to use it as a heat source. I think the light is far enough that it wouldn't affect the temperature, but I will still watch out for the temps though. I just thought the hermies would enjoy the moonlight.I have a ten gallon tank that fits right under the lampshade(on top of the little cabinet). The moon glo works but I was just wondering if I could just screw in any type of bulbs in there without any fire hazards?

[NewCrabber]

I don't know how tall the lamp is so it's hard to judge, but it looks like it might be a bit too close to the tank not to affect temp and humidity. If you are going to give it a try anyway, if it does affect temp and humidity, how quickly you will see the sand begin to dry out and notice the change in temp when you put your hand in the tank will depend on the distance. While I would be watchful of these things, I also highly suggest you double check that your gauges are reading accurately and keep as close an eye on them, too. As far as it being a fire hazard as long as there is nothing between the lamp and the lid, there is probably no reason for concern, but what you are using for a lid might be.

[Guest]

laharre,I got one at PetsMart rated for 10-20 gal tanks and stuck it on the side of the tank for my 10gal Iso. Some people put it on the bottom, but I don't have good ventilation underneath and it's sitting on a bookcase, so I did the side method. They can go over there if they're cold or go over to the other side if they're warm. I don't have it attached to a thermostat though, so I do have to do my own temperature checks a few times a day and plug or unplug it as needed.

[JediMasterThrash]

The reason to use a hood for the light is because there is reflective sheet metal in the top that reflects all the light into the tank.If you use a regular desk lamp or light fixture that doesn't have a reflective back-surface, then all the light that isn't ben reflected is absorbed into the fixture as heat. If you've ever touched a desk lamp with a 60w bulb in it, you know what I mean.What you want is for most of the light to get transmitted into the tank, so that all the energy goes into heating the air and substrate inside the tank itself. Usually only terarium/aquarium fixtures are designed for this. There's also the ceramic lights which have no hood at all, but those are designed to actually be placed inside the terrarium (for desert animals only) so they are in direct contact with in-tank air.Most people may not yet agree, but I'm pushing for the acceptance that heat is at least as important a factor to crab health as humidity. You shouldn't sacrifice heat to keep your crabs at 80% humidity, and there's no reason to, because it is fairly easy to obtain both high heat and high humidity, even with a 10g. It just may require a different take on your tank.First, have some decent sized water bowls so they don't completely dry out within a few days. Even your regular hamster bowls will work (with a sponge). But I just don't recommend very shallow bowls or shell-dishes for water.Next, you need to keep the lower substrate moist. To do this, finger a hole into two opposing corners as far down as you can, and dump 1/2 cup or so of dechlor water into the hole. The water will slowly absorb into the lower substrat. Down there, its protected from the immediate heat of the light, and it provides a continuous outflux of moisture throughout the entire tank for up to a week before you need to repeat. Also, in nature crabs dig down to find moisture, so it's natural. If you've got the extra money, you can invest in a humidifier too.Then you can add an appropriate wattage moon/nite-glow bulb for your tank size, and see an increase in heat without sacrificing humidity.Provide some stuff for them to climb on up close to the light. Crabs will enjoy pending some of their time up close to the light where it might be 85o or more. And then they can bury in the sand where it might be just 70o if they need to cool off.

[Guest]

Remnant, this is what I did in my ten gallon and had no problems at all. I put the moon glow bulb (60 watts believe it or not) in a desk lamp. I use play sand for substrate. I had a mesh top for the 10 gallon that I kept a damp towel over with about 2-3 inches open. At night when it cooled down, I set the desk lamp so it shined down into the open section of the mesh lid. It did well heating the tank, but didnt overheat it, and I didnt loose humidity either. I think part of the reason is because it was also shining on the damp towel, so it warmed that up, detracted some of the heat and also produced some humidity.I know alot of people dont like using bulbs but Ive never had a problem with it. You just have to make sure you have gauges so you can monitor it until you know its going to work. The 10 gallon is now an ISO which isnt being used at the time, but it worked well while I used it.Also make sure you have 3 or 4 sponges in there.