lighting suggestions?

[Sharlynn93]

we would love to add some full spectrum lighting to our boa master enclosures (not to leave on full time of course, but for viewing and making it easier to see when cleaning, etc)...does anyone have any suggestions or warnings of products to avoid for high humidity enclosures (these are for rainbow boas)?

[Kid Boa]

They only real way to get "Full Spectrum" light is by using High pleasure Sodium lamp which is nearly impossible to set up for a snake enclosure due too the intense heat it puts out.

You can get fluorescent lamps that put out a "Close too" full spectrum light such as the Philips TL "True Light" lamps. These can be mounted in a vapor tight fixture.

I'm sure your aware that snake have no light requirements other than needing a day and night cycle.

I would suggest a LED strip of about 4100 kelvin. These are readily available now, easy to mount and getting cheaper by the day.

[Sharlynn93]

that's what hubby was thinking...an LED strip...just something to show off the rainbows if someone wants to see them, and to give us light while doing maintenance..although I do plan on doing bioactive in the near future...they both HATE light, lol...they retreat whenever I turn lights on in the room, Iris has a fluorescent fixture now on her aquarium, but I keep it off unless I need to search for messes, etc...but we do have a lot of people wanting to come see our collection (most of them people who are afraid of them but LOVE the pics I post on facebook and want to start to work on their fears, so that's pretty thrilling to me, and I want to make their experience worthwhile)...so I want the option of some lighting when we want it...we were offered (from boa masters) the display he had (2 enclosures, with stand and lighting) for a discount, but they were pretty beat up from multiple disassemblies and reassemblies, so we opted for just the 2 new enclosures, and are looking for our own lighting source...I didn't want to compromise quality on the enclosures just to get a deal....

[Kid Boa]

Here is a good example.

USD $ 8.99 - Waterproof 3.5W/M 3528 SMD White Light LED Strip Lamp (220V, Length Selectable), Free Shipping On All Gadgets! (http://www.miniinthebox.com/waterproof-3-5w-m-3528-smd-white-light-led-strip-lamp-220v-length-selectable_p513091.html?pos=ultimately_buy_11)

[Sharlynn93]

awesome! thanks! saved the page to show my hubby tonight when he gets home from work..looks like an even better alternative to what would have been included in the pkg deal! no bulbs to replace... :D

[jarich]

They only real way to get "Full Spectrum" light is by using High pleasure Sodium lamp which is nearly impossible to set up for a snake enclosure due too the intense heat it puts out.

You can get fluorescent lamps that put out a "Close too" full spectrum light such as the Philips TL "True Light" lamps. These can be mounted in a vapor tight fixture.

I'm sure your aware that snake have no light requirements other than needing a day and night cycle.

I would suggest a LED strip of about 4100 kelvin. These are readily available now, easy to mount and getting cheaper by the day.

I would disagree with most of what you said there actually. 'Full spectrum' really doesnt have much meaning except as a marketing term, but Im guessing you were meaning a light that emits both visible light and UV light. There are very good fluorescent lights now, called High Output (HO) T5 lights by Zoomed and Arcadia, which give off a great spectrum, including a lot of UVB light. They arent great for UVA, but do give off some.

As for HPS lights, I cant really think of any that give off a natural spectrum due to the protective glass they all come with standard. Because they also produce UVC, any unshielded lamps would be extremely harmful. There are other types of HID lamps that are designed specifically for their UVA/B qualities though and so are great if you have the space for them. Like KidBoa said, they give off a lot of heat usually though too, so arent great for most snake enclosures. There is a very good one out now by ExoTerra (shockingly enough) that is only a 50 watt though. Ive not got one yet, so am not aware of how much extra heat they actually produce with that 50 watts.

As for the lighting requirements for snakes, I wouldnt be so sure of that either. Snakes see UVA2 wavelengths, and all testing that I have seen for various species shows that their health is improved by UVB exposure. I think its going to be a thing of the past in 20 years, this idea that snakes dont make use of extra lighting.

[formica]

+1 for LED strip lights


however I would suggest 6000K or higher, not 4100K. 6000K and above is a nice clean white light, lower (color temps) are more yellow and imo do not bring out the best colors inside the enclosure


you wont get UVB with LED's, although you can get UVA, but I dont think there is much point

[Sharlynn93]

i don't want anything that produces heat...my RHP's will take care of that...if for some reason the light were to be left on accidentally (can happen to anyone, i'm guessing) I don't want it to get to warm in there...just want something that will highlight their rainbows when we want to "show" them to someone, especially if that person were to be more comfortable with them NOT out of their enclosure, (easing people into working through phobias) and also provide light for cleaning or maintenance when we need it...

[formica]

i don't want anything that produces heat...my RHP's will take care of that...if for some reason the light were to be left on accidentally (can happen to anyone, i'm guessing) I don't want it to get to warm in there...just want something that will highlight their rainbows when we want to "show" them to someone, especially if that person were to be more comfortable with them NOT out of their enclosure, (easing people into working through phobias) and also provide light for cleaning or maintenance when we need it...

6000K LED's fit the bill nicely, my CRB's rainbows come out beautifully under those, especially in the evenings. she really isnt bothered by the light either, in total she has 1W of 6000K, and is just as happy hunting when they are on as when they are switched over to red or off

[Sharlynn93]

great info! thanks so much!! :D

[Kid Boa]

You are correct Jaricj my apologies. When most people speak of "Full spectrum Lamps" (a coined phrase) they are speaking of grow lamps and I assumed this is what she was asking for. :) My bad.

I would still stick to the 4100-5500K lamps. Once you hit the 6000k mark lamps start putting out a blue color. 4100-5500 will be your best white colors. But this is just our opinions. See chart below.

27933

[Sharlynn93]

awesome! thanks! hubby is an electrician, so he knows more about the technical terms than I do, but I figured I would do some legwork and ask for suggestions to get him pointed in the right direction! (he has been out of the field for a few years, so new developments may have escaped him...maybe...we don't talk shop much at home, he has been speculating since Saturday on options, so thought I would get opinions)..

[formica]

You are correct Jaricj my apologies. When most people speak of "Full spectrum Lamps" (a coined phrase) they are speaking of grow lamps and I assumed this is what she was asking for. :) My bad.

I would still stick to the 4100-5500K lamps. Once you hit the 6000k mark lamps start putting out a blue color. 4100-5500 will be your best white colors. But this is just our opinions. See chart below.

27933

6000K is not blue at all, yes it has more blue than a 4000K, but that the point, the problem is not that 6000K has too much blue, but that 4000K doesnt have enough, and so produces that terrible dull yellow lighting - which does nothing for iridescence - thats why I switched to 6000K as standard in all the enclosures I build, because it looks fantastic :)

[Kid Boa]

I'm not here to upset anyone Formica, just to give the girl some info. I PERSONLAY find that 6000K+ adds too much of a blue hue and changes the natural color of the orange and reds.

I choose to run mine at 5000K. I find this is a neutral color and accents everything. again, this is my opinion.

[dbank999]

If you go with SMD LED strips, get an RGB set-up with a module and receiver to change the color via remote.

Too bright? Adjust the brightness levels.
Too white? Adjust the levels.
Too blue? Adjust the levels.
Want some red for night viewing? Put red levels at max, green and blue at 0.
Disco for your Boa? Turn on jumping strobe, etc..

You can find full kits for about 20 bucks (remote, 5meter LED strip, hook-ups, module and receiver).

My advice, save yourself the hassle and go with waterproof. They are fully sealed and have an easy to use 3M mounting back surface, and are "cut to length" (literally just cut on the marked line at the length you want, that's it, no soldering or anything else). No extra housing required.

[sharthun]

6000K LED's fit the bill nicely, my CRB's rainbows come out beautifully under those, especially in the evenings. she really isnt bothered by the light either, in total she has 1W of 6000K, and is just as happy hunting when they are on as when they are switched over to red or off

I'm looking for lighting as well for my ap t10's. Where do you mount them inside? back,front, middle? Thanks!

[formica]

I'm looking for lighting as well for my ap t10's. Where do you mount them inside? back,front, middle? Thanks!

it doesnt matter too much, although at the front you will get more light bleed out of the enclosure

I tend to have 3 strips in the middle (2 white 1 red). water proof stuff of course, and personally I like to use the low voltage LED strips, (24v generally), just to be on the safe side.

[Sharlynn93]

If you go with SMD LED strips, get an RGB set-up with a module and receiver to change the color via remote.

Too bright? Adjust the brightness levels.
Too white? Adjust the levels.
Too blue? Adjust the levels.
Want some red for night viewing? Put red levels at max, green and blue at 0.
Disco for your Boa? Turn on jumping strobe, etc..

You can find full kits for about 20 bucks (remote, 5meter LED strip, hook-ups, module and receiver).

My advice, save yourself the hassle and go with waterproof. They are fully sealed and have an easy to use 3M mounting back surface, and are "cut to length" (literally just cut on the marked line at the length you want, that's it, no soldering or anything else). No extra housing required.

this sounds like an amazing setup! will look into this!!

[dbank999]

this sounds like an amazing setup! will look into this!!


Check out

Flexfireleds . com

a little more than $20, but this company has a better rep than some ebay/amazon vendors. Atleast you can take a look here and see what you might be interested in... and then perhaps take your shopping elsewhere for a better price if you choose ;)

[Sharlynn93]

thanks! :D

[jarich]

If you go with SMD LED strips, get an RGB set-up with a module and receiver to change the color via remote.

Too bright? Adjust the brightness levels.
Too white? Adjust the levels.
Too blue? Adjust the levels.
Want some red for night viewing? Put red levels at max, green and blue at 0.
Disco for your Boa? Turn on jumping strobe, etc..

You can find full kits for about 20 bucks (remote, 5meter LED strip, hook-ups, module and receiver).

My advice, save yourself the hassle and go with waterproof. They are fully sealed and have an easy to use 3M mounting back surface, and are "cut to length" (literally just cut on the marked line at the length you want, that's it, no soldering or anything else). No extra housing required.

I always prefer Disco Boa ;)

[dbank999]

thanks! :D

No problem!

Here is a link to a very comparible set-up I recently purchased for an enclosure I am finishing up:

USD $ 29.59 - 5M 150X5050 Smd Rgb Led Strip Light and 24Key Remote Controller and Ac110-240V to Dc12V3A Transformer, Free Shipping On All Gadgets! (http://www.miniinthebox.com/5m-150x5050-smd-rgb-led-strip-light-and-24key-remote-controller-and-ac110-240v-to-dc12v3a-transformer_p944970.html?currency=USD&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&gclid=CJjo7ZzR5bwCFctcMgod3gkAjw)

This isn't the exact kit I ordered, but to show a price point..

My only complaint with the kit I received (remember, not the one linked above, I am at work and can't remember the name of the exact brand I purchased... If I remember tonight to look, I can get you it) was that the remote is very cheaply made and in fact I had to use tape right out of the box to keep it from falling apart LOL well you get what you pay for...

It does work fine though, for the record.

I always prefer Disco Boa ;)

LOL

Would it be appropriate to wear your boa.. as a disco boa... at a disco?

[formica]

make sure you check that the power adapter conforms to US safety standards, many dangerous power units have flooded both the US and UK markets over the last few years.

I buy LED strips online from places like ebay/amazon, but I source power adapters separately and only from UK companies selling UK tested stock. the main issue that is cropping up, is the wrong type of plastic casing, it should be self-extinguishing within 30 seconds.

[jarich]

Would it be appropriate to wear your boa.. as a disco boa... at a disco?

Ha! I think it would be inappropriate not to! Or would it wear you?

[sharthun]

So will this kit work for ap t10?

Waterproof 5M 300x3528 SMD RGB LED Strip Light with 24-Button Remote Controller and AC Adapter Set (100-240V) - USD $ 39.99 (http://m.miniinthebox.com/waterproof-5m-300x3528-smd-rgb-led-strip-light-with-24-button-remote-controller-and-ac-adapter-set-100-240v_p552220.html)

No problem!

Here is a link to a very comparible set-up I recently purchased for an enclosure I am finishing up:

USD $ 29.59 - 5M 150X5050 Smd Rgb Led Strip Light and 24Key Remote Controller and Ac110-240V to Dc12V3A Transformer, Free Shipping On All Gadgets! (http://www.miniinthebox.com/5m-150x5050-smd-rgb-led-strip-light-and-24key-remote-controller-and-ac110-240v-to-dc12v3a-transformer_p944970.html?currency=USD&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&gclid=CJjo7ZzR5bwCFctcMgod3gkAjw)

This isn't the exact kit I ordered, but to show a price point..

My only complaint with the kit I received (remember, not the one linked above, I am at work and can't remember the name of the exact brand I purchased... If I remember tonight to look, I can get you it) was that the remote is very cheaply made and in fact I had to use tape right out of the box to keep it from falling apart LOL well you get what you pay for...

It does work fine though, for the record.



LOL

Would it be appropriate to wear your boa.. as a disco boa... at a disco?

[dbank999]

So will this kit work for ap t10?

Waterproof 5M 300x3528 SMD RGB LED Strip Light with 24-Button Remote Controller and AC Adapter Set (100-240V) - USD $ 39.99 (http://m.miniinthebox.com/waterproof-5m-300x3528-smd-rgb-led-strip-light-with-24-button-remote-controller-and-ac-adapter-set-100-240v_p552220.html)


This is kit is nearly identical to the one I used for the enclosure I recently built, I had no issues with installing it and having it work :freakedout:

The only complaint that I had was that the remote was very flimsy and cheap.. but it gets the job done.

[Sharlynn93]

they have that same setup on ebay for less than $12, and the power supply for $8.50! woo hoo!! :D

[sharthun]

they have that same setup on ebay for less than $12, and the power supply for $8.50! woo hoo!! :D

Well that's worthless without a link! :p

[Sharlynn93]

5M New 3528 SMD RGB Waterproof IP44 300 LED Light Strip 24 Key Free IR Remote | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/390757364876)

try this...power supply is listed separate in the description...

[sharthun]

5M New 3528 SMD RGB Waterproof IP44 300 LED Light Strip 24 Key Free IR Remote | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/390757364876)

try this...power supply is listed separate in the description...

Thanks!!!!:cool:

[Sharlynn93]

you're welcome! :D

[sharthun]

you're welcome! :D

Forgot to ask, did you order a couple of these kits?:)

[Sharlynn93]

I ordered 2 of them

[sharthun]

I ordered 2 of them

Cool! I may do the same. Thanks!

[sharthun]

I ordered 2 of them

Ordered 2 kits this morning!:D

[Sharlynn93]

awesome! mine are supposed to be here friday or saturday, so we should be able to install them before the snakes even go in...hoping the rest of my supplies get here by then too, or else I will be delayed yet again :( planning on doing live plants and bioactive as well, but that has to wait a few weeks, a lot of the suppliers are out due to cold weather inhibiting them getting and sending shipments, so I will decorate with fakes for now...LOL

[sharthun]

awesome! mine are supposed to be here friday or saturday, so we should be able to install them before the snakes even go in...hoping the rest of my supplies get here by then too, or else I will be delayed yet again :( planning on doing live plants and bioactive as well, but that has to wait a few weeks, a lot of the suppliers are out due to cold weather inhibiting them getting and sending shipments, so I will decorate with fakes for now...LOL

Those enclosures are going to be sweet! Can't wait to seem them setup!;)

[Sharlynn93]

hopefully :/ wish I could have plants, etc in before I show pics, but it is what it is...I like black backgrounds better, and these are "off white" but I am hoping I can make them look good! there is always room for improvements and modifications, also...but I love the natural wood look of the outsides as opposed to straight black, myself...seems more "natural"...

[sharthun]

hopefully :/ wish I could have plants, etc in before I show pics, but it is what it is...I like black backgrounds better, and these are "off white" but I am hoping I can make them look good! there is always room for improvements and modifications, also...but I love the natural wood look of the outsides as opposed to straight black, myself...seems more "natural"...

Yeah, my t10's are black and need some led power!

[Sharlynn93]

I bought some fake vines and flowers for now (ones to accent the snakes colorings) until I can get it planted and going bio...but the lights will be such a finishing touch! :) cant wait to see yours as well!!!

[sharthun]

This is kit is nearly identical to the one I used for the enclosure I recently built, I had no issues with installing it and having it work :freakedout:

The only complaint that I had was that the remote was very flimsy and cheap.. but it gets the job done.

Quick question. I installed 2 of the SMD 3528 8mm flexible waterproof strip kits and they work great! and I have lots leftover on two spools. What kind of connectors do I need to use more of the strips?

[formica]

Quick question. I installed 2 of the SMD 3528 8mm flexible waterproof strip kits and they work great! and I have lots leftover on two spools. What kind of connectors do I need to use more of the strips?

you can buy pre-wired connectors, with jack power adapters, which you just slot onto the strip, adding a little silicone to ensure it stays waterproof. do a search on ebay for ''8mm 3528 LED strip power connectors'', they are cheap as chips

alternatively you can buy the 8mm connectors, black and red wire, and jack adapters seperatly and build your own, you will save money, but considering the ready made ones are only about £1 each, its not really worth it unless you are making allot.

[sharthun]

you can buy pre-wired connectors, with jack power adapters, which you just slot onto the strip, adding a little silicone to ensure it stays waterproof. do a search on ebay for ''8mm 3528 LED strip power connectors'', they are cheap as chips

alternatively you can buy the 8mm connectors, black and red wire, and jack adapters seperatly and build your own, you will save money, but considering the ready made ones are only about £1 each, its not really worth it unless you are making allot.

I found these but don't know if it will work with my 8mm strip. It's waterproof and don't know if the clamp on connector will work with the thickness of the silicone on the strip. I want something to connect directly to my ir receiver box.

RGB LED Strip Connect to 4 Pin LED Strip Controller Plug [C4P-RGB] - $3.25 : LED Strip Dream (http://www.ledstripdream.com/rgb-led-strip-connect-to-4-pin-led-strip-controller-plug-p-807.html)

Thanks btw!

[formica]

I found these but don't know if it will work with my 8mm strip. It's waterproof and don't know if the clamp on connector will work with the thickness of the silicone on the strip. I want something to connect directly to my ir receiver box.

RGB LED Strip Connect to 4 Pin LED Strip Controller Plug [C4P-RGB] - $3.25 : LED Strip Dream (http://www.ledstripdream.com/rgb-led-strip-connect-to-4-pin-led-strip-controller-plug-p-807.html)

Thanks btw!

they must match the strip type and size

and $3.25 for a connector is a total rip off anyway! additionally those connectors require a specific type of power block, rather than a standard 12 or 24V wall adapter

also RGB connectors, are only suitable for RGB led's, the ones which change color (red-green-blue), if you are using single color LED strips, you need connectors for single color LED's, they have only 2 wires and pins, not 4

[sharthun]

they must match the strip type and size

and $3.25 for a connector is a total rip off anyway! additionally those connectors require a specific type of power block, rather than a standard 12 or 24V wall adapter

also RGB connectors, are only suitable for RGB led's, the ones which change color (red-green-blue), if you are using single color LED strips, you need connectors for single color LED's, they have only 2 wires and pins, not 4

Yeah, I'm using rgb. I have lots to learn! thanks again!

[sharthun]

5M New 3528 SMD RGB Waterproof IP44 300 LED Light Strip 24 Key Free IR Remote | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/390757364876)

try this...power supply is listed separate in the description...

FYI, One of the power supplies I ordered went south. I guess you get what you pay for lol

[Sharlynn93]

ouch..mine are ok (so far)...but like you said, if you go with discounted equipment, you get discounted quality...we will see how ours go...

[sharthun]

ouch..mine are ok (so far)...but like you said, if you go with discounted equipment, you get discounted quality...we will see how ours go...

Orderd some of these for my extra led strip:

4-Pin Connector Pack for Multicolored LED Strip Lights (http://www.hitlights.com/4pin)


Found a good reference as well:

http://www.usledsupply.com/LED/files/how-to/How-to%20Handbook.pdf

[Sharlynn93]

I will keep that in mind...thanks!

[sharthun]

I will keep that in mind...thanks!

If you aren't into soldering this should work for connecting led strip to IR controllers.

HitLights Strip-to-Control Receiver Connector For Multicolor Changing LED Strip Lights - Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/HitLights-Control-Receiver-Connector-Multicolor/dp/B00GAC4UXA)

[Sharlynn93]

i will present the options to the hubs...he is skilled at pretty much anything, but he may opt for the easier fix...LOL

[sharthun]

i will present the options to the hubs...he is skilled at pretty much anything, but he may opt for the easier fix...LOL

Lol, I'm going to give the soldering a shot.

[dbank999]

Lol, I'm going to give the soldering a shot.


Make sure when soldering that you heat the wire leads and then apply the solder. This allows for the solder to penetrate and secure the leads better than if you were to heat the solder and let it drip on to the wires.

(If you have soldering experience disregard this :rolleyes:)

Not sure if you will follow what I'm saying or not, but it makes sense in my head LOL

[sharthun]

Make sure when soldering that you heat the wire leads and then apply the solder. This allows for the solder to penetrate and secure the leads better than if you were to heat the solder and let it drip on to the wires.

(If you have soldering experience disregard this :rolleyes:)

Not sure if you will follow what I'm saying or not, but it makes sense in my head LOL

Yep, had that experience before lol I just hate soldering. I have a friend that's really good at which helps!

[formica]

FYI, One of the power supplies I ordered went south. I guess you get what you pay for lol

dont buy cheap power supplies, a failed power supply is a minor issue, an electrical fire isnt, buy only power supplies which are certified to US, UK or EU saftey standards

for the actual LED strip itself, it doesn't matter, its low voltage, but mains voltage is a different story

[sharthun]

dont buy cheap power supplies, a failed power supply is a minor issue, an electrical fire isnt, buy only power supplies which are certified to US, UK or EU saftey standards

for the actual LED strip itself, it doesn't matter, its low voltage, but mains voltage is a different story

Yep, learned the hard way. Ordered a UL listed supply.:cool:

[sharthun]

ouch..mine are ok (so far)...but like you said, if you go with discounted equipment, you get discounted quality...we will see how ours go...

For yours and my peace of mind, I would get another UL listed power supply for your led lights. I don't feel secure with the other one that I have on now. The one that failed started buzzing before it went out. I would hate to see any fire hazards around. I know you are stressed with a sick snake!;)

[Sharlynn93]

I will tell the hubs to look online tonight...thanks! We only turn ours in when we need to see in there, but would like the peace of mind...

[sharthun]

I will tell the hubs to look online tonight...thanks! We only turn ours in when we need to see in there, but would like the peace of mind...

Yeah as long as there is someone to monitor. I wanted a little peace of mind myself . Didn't mean to stress you out about it.

[Sharlynn93]

You didn't stress me...I will just let Jason deal with that part of it...he knows all that electrical hokey...im clueless on that stuff... ;)

[sharthun]

You didn't stress me...I will just let Jason deal with that part of it...he knows all that electrical hokey...im clueless on that stuff... ;)

Cool, I definitely had to inform you what happened to one of my power supplies . Must be nice having an electrician in the house lol:cool:

[Sharlynn93]

Yeah, its great! He rewired my bathroom and put a heater in, and a light in my shower...plus all the electrical needs for our hot tub 2 yrs ago...much better than paying thru the nose!

[shaunyboy]

i use 2.0 Natural Sunlight UVB bulbs with a dimming thermosat and a bulb guard with most (soon to be all) my Carpet Pythons

i don't mist their enclosures as Carpets do just fine at UK room humidity (40% to 60%)


cheers shaun