lighting

[oakley]

can i use metal halide hydroponic lights for reptiles? 400 watt ... in an 8 foot by 4 foot enclosure ...

[DragnDrop]

The only reason not to would be the heat output. If it doesn't overheat the enclosure, then go for it. I'm inclined to think 400 Watts would put out a lot of heat. If it doesn't cook the animals in the enclosure, it's still a bit of a fire hazard, so make sure it's securely fastened to prevent it falling or touching anything.

[oakley]

The enclosures are open top, much like a pen ... so over heating is not a problem. I just want to make sure they get the right nutrients from the bulb and that its not bad for them ...

[DragnDrop]

I don't know of any 'nutrients' you can get from a light bulb. If you're thinking UV-B so they can make Vitamin D3, than you'll have to check the UV output range for hte bulbs. There's no other nutrients you could possibly get from lightbulbs.