Please post pictures of your homemade light stand/hanger

kaia

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May 8, 2015
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Skopje, Macedonia
Hey everyone. Greek spur-thighed baby tort owner here.
I need lighting advice. As I mentioned before, (and I'm getting annoying mentioning it all the time) there are no pet shops for reptiles in my counrty. Now at first that doesn't seem that bad, but not being able to find a UVB lamp and a heat lamp is just part of the problem. The only ones I could get my hands on (Getting them was a nightmare, a cousin's friend coming from the US and half of them broke, don't even ask), were these two:
image.jpg
^exoterra uvb200
image.jpg

I know a coil UVB light bulb is a BAD idea, but I have NO alternative whatsoever. There is just no place to buy them from, this summer I will be going to Greece and Bulgaria so I hope I will find some there.
Anyway my problem is this - I don't know how to set up the light fixture (if that is the right word for it). The UV one is on a clip, I know it is a risky solution but I tested it several times and it is absolutely safely fixed. Now about the heat lamp. What do I do? How do I place it? Can I use a regular lamp with a clip? I just don't know what to do. I cannot find lamps like in the photos in this thread ANYWHERE. Just regular plastic ceiling lamps. Any suggestions? I swear to God I will move out of this country as there should be no place on earth with no reptile pet shop (and don't even dream about a vet).
 

JoesMum

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The coil bulb is a definite non starter.

You need tube UVB and a separate basking bulb (a conventional 75W home reflector bulb that you can buy in any homeware store does the job nicely)... It must be a reflector for basking. The blue one you show is not a reflector.

The alternative is an MVB which combines UVB and basking in one bulb.

Or if the weather is good enough, there's natural UVB from the sun. But that must be outdoors not through glass - an hour every day even on cloudy days will do it. And then you only need a basking lamp as above.
 

kaia

Member
Joined
May 8, 2015
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Skopje, Macedonia
The coil bulb is a definite non starter.

You need tube UVB and a separate basking bulb (a conventional 75W home reflector bulb that you can buy in any homeware store does the job nicely)... It must be a reflector for basking. The blue one you show is not a reflector.

The alternative is an MVB which combines UVB and basking in one bulb.

Or if the weather is good enough, there's natural UVB from the sun. But that must be outdoors not through glass - an hour every day even on cloudy days will do it. And then you only need a basking lamp as above.
Thanks for the advice! I found this one by the way, is it any good?
image.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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That one's better, but really the only way to know if it gives off UVB is to buy a meter and test it.
 
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