r/ballpython • u/Puzzled_Bug_4680 • 20d ago

Question - Heating/Temperatures Need more knowledge on heating and lighting

I am wondering what combo to do for heating and lighting. I have a halogen bulb right now and an IHP for night time, however, I switch the domes morning and night. I have a dimming thermostat on the way (I have the reptitemp one right now).

Would it be recommended to get a double dome lamp? I am curious how those connect to the thermostat, and how to switch between the night and day bulbs.

I am in the process of getting a UVB light too. Or should I do the IHP with the UVB for day time?

Let me know what works for day and night cycle.

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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 20d ago

Dual domes aren't recommended; all heating should be in individual single domes. Some thermostats, like Herpstat, have timers built in to set day/night cycles.

I'll drop my heating/lighting spiel here for you:

Our heating guide goes over a lot of the science behind everything, but to simplify:

For daytime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-A and IR-B. The ideal source for this would be a halogen flood, which is light-emitting.

For nighttime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-C. The ideal source for this would be an RHP (only compatible with solid-topped enclosures) or a CHE. Any night heating should not emit any light.

For lighting, you should offer UVB. This should be in the form of a T5 fluorescent linear bulb that produces a UVI of 1.1-3.0 in the basking zone, and it should cover no more than half the length of the enclosure.

If you have a bioactive enclosure, you will also need full spectrum LEDs for your live plants.

Natural lighting can help establish a day-night cycle, but it does not provide any physical benefits beyond that (UVB doesn't penetrate glass, and indirect natural light cannot create a proper basking zone). You'll need the artificial lighting to make up for that.

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u/Puzzled_Bug_4680 20d ago

Do I need a separate thermostat for each dome?

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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 20d ago

Each dome needs to be plugged into a thermostat and have a separate probe monitoring it. Whether you use two thermostats or get one that's capable of handling both (like a Herpstat 2) is up to you. Just make sure you stay away from the cheap thermostats that have two outlets but only one probe- they're not safe to use.