Energy efficient reptile keeping?

[drache]

about the supplements for basking species . . .
isn't the UVB needed for absorption?
if that's the case, adding supplements will do nothing without exposure to UVB

[tikichick]

The supplements are adding vitamin D3 which aids in the absorpsion of calcium. A basking species will create D3 on it's own from the UVB rays. All the supplement is really doing is assisting the process, but it is by no means a substitute for UVB lighting.

[infernalis]

Here is another clever thread worth ressurecting..

I think the most energy efficient method is provide a good ambient 'background' temperature in a well insulated reptile room. Thus minimising the need for supplementary heating.

We have a single heater keeping the room just above 80, and supplimental heat in the "tropical" cages.

The python, Limon and Chomper all need high temps.

supplement lighting with LEDs if necessary.

One cage has (Limon's) L.E.D. lighting, cheap to run, almost no heat, 12 volts (very safe) Planning on getting more.

Stefan raises another good point in that wooden vivs retain the heat better.

Chomp, Limon & Carmella are in wooden vivs, A wooden box 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall, 2 feet deep can raise up to 95 degrees F. with as little as 40 watts lamp.

[reptile3]

2 reptiles with basking light(regular household light bulb) & UVB strip light.
another reptile with light bulb
5 heating pads
another strip light

Hubby told me that my pets cost an extra $25 a month for their lights & heat.
I use timers, & thermostats.

[olive oil]

We just put in a wood burning stove and the snakies are loving it.
We are to!

[Stefan-A]

We just put in a wood burning stove and the snakies are loving it.
We are to!

Yeah, there's nothing snakes like more than the smell of wood burning.

[Loren]

My reptile room is insulated very well. I try to keep it 78-82, and definietely 72-85. I have flexwatt heat tape(some thermostat controlled, some dimmer controlled) running under most of the cages. Other snakes do well just at ambient, although I am eventually hoping to have flexwatt under every cage. I have actually had colubrids lay fertile eggs with nothing but ambient temp- although I agree a hot spot is definitely recommended for gravid females.
Several of my garters are at ambient only- and still eating in january.

The only light in the room comes from the 4 basking(heat) lights and 1 flourecent (uv)that are over my desert lizards. For lizard bulbs, I use GE 45 watt R-20 flood bulbs (walmart). Just 45 watts, but they give a basking spot well over 100 degrees at 12" distance, and very little wasted heat. The circle of heat is small, so the cage doesnt overheat. The aluminum light fixtures arent even too hot to touch.

I dont personally know anything about uv drops. I dont use supplements other than occasional calcium for a few animals. I know this- I would deprive my desert lizards of uv long before I would deprive them of basking temps that are over 100.
My diurnal desert lizards like 110-115 f. With this temp, they can heat up quickly- then run around and eat and breed. With 90-100, they have to sit there and bask all day.

As for snakes- I have never given a snake special lighting of any kind(other than for heat, but I dont use bulbs for snakes anymore), and if I did, it would be for viewing pleasure only.

As for ways to save- remember, there are 2 ways to get higher temps from a bulb- you can raise the wattage- or you can raise the reptile. Get the animal closer to the bulb- just dont let them get burnt. Use a thermometer first.
And as others said- use cages that hold in the heat. You can always run down to a home improvement store and get foam sheets to wrap the back 3 sides of your tanks.

Heat mats are definitely more effecient than bulbs- but the ready-mades like zoo-med often get much hotter than needed for a snake and would be better off with a thermostat. Thats part of why I just use flexwatt (2 bucks a foot, one foot per cage) and a 4 dollar dimmer. You can run many sections hooked to one dimmer. You do need basic electricity skills to hook up flexwatt.

[gregmonsta]

I've got 12m of 100watt heatcable heating four wooden tanks and use 11watt r63 spotbulbs ... so thats 144watts which is pretty good going compared to my old setups where I was using over 300watts for heating. The bigger tank on my set up also has 100watt spot as a backup but it never runs at full power. I'm a big fan of heatcable now

[Loren]

I do use a section of heat cable for one rack as well.

My big power suckers are actually in my house- my chuckwallas have over 200 watts of halogens on most of the day, then I have another 5 basking bulbs running for my other lizards in the house. My only savings plan there is to start picking who's gonna stay in the collection long term.

[infernalis]

Yeah, there's nothing snakes like more than the smell of wood burning.

Lets go over there and get warm...