Are halogen bulbs suitable for garters?

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I'm thinking about using halogen spot bulbs to heat my snake's adult tank.I'd like to use them because I'd only need a small wattage bulb to give enough heat and it would be bright enough to light the entire terrarium.I am unsure weather the beam they give out is to concentrated for garters.Does anyone know if I could use halogen?

[chris-uk]

What type of halogen are you looking at?
G4 or G9 capsules chuck out a lot of heat and the focus comes from the fixing. The MR11 type capsules may be a better bet. With the right guard and reflectors I can't see why halogen wouldn't work.

An idea I'm toying with is actually using E14 LED lamps, I got a couple of lamps from Ikea and am using them for light only. The reason I mention this is because the outside of the spotlights gets to about 32C (the inside of the spotlight next to the lamp gets to 44C). They're 5W LED bulbs so reasonably efficient. What I need to work out is how to make use of the heat because they don't radiate so they'd need to be used inside the viv to raise the ambient heat, and they aren't dimmable.

[ConcinusMan]

NO! Don't use halogens. BAD.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

What type of halogen are you looking at?
G4 or G9 capsules chuck out a lot of heat and the focus comes from the fixing. The MR11 type capsules may be a better bet. With the right guard and reflectors I can't see why halogen wouldn't work.

An idea I'm toying with is actually using E14 LED lamps, I got a couple of lamps from Ikea and am using them for light only. The reason I mention this is because the outside of the spotlights gets to about 32C (the inside of the spotlight next to the lamp gets to 44C). They're 5W LED bulbs so reasonably efficient. What I need to work out is how to make use of the heat because they don't radiate so they'd need to be used inside the viv to raise the ambient heat, and they aren't dimmable.

This sort with built in reflector Halogen Spot Lamp

[chris-uk]

NO! Don't use halogens. BAD.

Useful answer Richard. Care to explain why they are BAD, or should we just accept your statement on faith?

[Invisible Snake]

I think it depends on what type of halogen bulbs you use. Here in the states, if memory serves me correct, halogen bulbs tend to get extremely hot and have been responsible for starting a lot of house fires.

I would also advise against using them.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I think it depends on what type of halogen bulbs you use. Here in the states, if memory serves me correct, halogen bulbs tend to get extremely hot and have been responsible for starting a lot of house fires.

I would also advise against using them.

I plan to use a small wattage one probably 35-40 watt and it would be connected to a dimming thermostat to stop it from over heating.Also I will buy a ceramic holder to prevent melting.

[infernalis]

Halogen flood lights = good

Halogen spot lights = bad

Flood lights spread out the heat more evenly.

Spot lights focus all of the energy into a small spot (like a magnifying glass, when burning ants)

a modest 30-40 watt lamp will make plenty of basking for a garter snake.

[chris-uk]

Thanks Wayne. That probably means that a pre-focused GU10 bulb would be a bad bet, but the G4/G9 halogen capsules may be OK depending on the reflectors they're used with. Essentially, each light bulb would need to be tested individually and the fact that a bulb is halogen is secondary to the focus of the bulb.

[ConcinusMan]

Useful answer Richard. Care to explain why they are BAD, or should we just accept your statement on faith?

Well, years ago they were causing all kinds of problems for reptile keepers including blindness and burns. The spectrums were harmful, there is high fire risk, etc. and they just weren't suitable for anything but ridiculously large enclosures where the snakes could get no closer than say, 6 feet from the bulb. However, apparently the technology has improved and Zilla now makes halogens specifically for reptiles. If you're going to use them I would stick with those. Not just any halogen will do.

I believe they still have UV output. Not suitable for albinos. Heck, halogens are used in some school gymnasiums. A few years ago a teacher and some students suffered partial blindness and severe retina burns when a protective filter on one of the lamps failed.

I still think there are better choices.