Basking bulb opinions

[Uri]

Now I’ve had no problems with mike but of course I want to get some spares lined up for any emergency. I currently use the 100w zoomed bulb I have a montaine species but the room he is kept in is very cold to where even with that powerful a bulb the warmest is 82 F on his basking branch. But let’s say I wanted to switch it up or just have spares would a flood light or spot light be better? And if I go with a halogen how much stronger are those compared to incandescent ones? My current one is one of those rounded ones it doesn’t even have that reflector shape would a reflector shape be better? My fixture is one of those dual dome fixtures but I have a t5 ho 5.0 uvb separately and the extra slot I use a grow light for my plants and the last slot on my dual dome is for the basking bulb

 

[JuniorC]

Now I’ve had no problems with mike but of course I want to get some spares lined up for any emergency. I currently use the 100w zoomed bulb I have a montaine species but the room he is kept in is very cold to where even with that powerful a bulb the warmest is 82 F on his basking branch. But let’s say I wanted to switch it up or just have spares would a flood light or spot light be better? And if I go with a halogen how much stronger are those compared to incandescent ones? My current one is one of those rounded ones it doesn’t even have that reflector shape would a reflector shape be better? My fixture is one of those dual dome fixtures but I have a t5 ho 5.0 uvb separately and the extra slot I use a grow light for my plants and the last slot on my dual dome is for the basking bulb

You need a linear bulb for uvb. Those dual coil ones won't do it. You'll need a linear reptisun 5.0 or arcadia 6%

 

[Uri]

You need a linear bulb for uvb. Those dual coil ones won't do it. You'll need a linear reptisun 5.0 or arcadia 6%

I have one a reptisun 5.0 linear I have never used coiled sorry I shoulda made that clear

 

[Mendez]

But let’s say I wanted to switch it up or just have spares would a flood light or spot light be better?

I like floodlights better. This way the heat is distributed in a wider area, as opposed to a spotlight which concentrates the majority of light into a single beam. I think it's best to have a wide beam of light so the cham can get his or her's whole body under the light. Less likely to cause burns IMO and more natural. Imagine trying to cook a hamburger over a small concentrated flame. If you leave it in one spot, the hamburger will have a charred spot while still remaining uncooked elsewhere (this is the equivalent of a spotlight). Now imagine a wider flame that's about the same size as the hamburger patty; the hamburger will cook uniformly (this is equivalent to a floodlight). While the analogy isn't perfect since a hamburger only burns if you let it, I think it demonstrates that a wider basking light is better.

And if I go with a halogen how much stronger are those compared to incandescent ones?

Halogens get way hotter than incandescents. It's been a while since I used a halogen, but if I recall correctly, a 45-watt halogen emits a similar amount of heat, if not more, to a 65-watt incandescent.

My current one is one of those rounded ones it doesn’t even have that reflector shape would a reflector shape be better? My fixture is one of those dual dome fixtures but I have a t5 ho 5.0 uvb separately and the extra slot I use a grow light for my plants and the last slot on my dual dome is for the basking bulb

I personally enjoy using R and BR bulbs. The R stands for reflector. These bulbs are floodlights (--the wider flame...if you are following my analogy).

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Now I’ve had no problems with mike but of course I want to get some spares lined up for any emergency. I currently use the 100w zoomed bulb I have a montaine species but the room he is kept in is very cold to where even with that powerful a bulb the warmest is 82 F on his basking branch. But let’s say I wanted to switch it up or just have spares would a flood light or spot light be better?

Definitely a flood. I'd never use a spot; the heat is too concentrated and boom—you go from ambient 70 to 80+ in one step.

The types of bulb—in order of preference—are (IMO):

1. No LEDs
2. Incandescent household bulb
3. Incandescent flood light (NOT spot)
4. Halogen flood light (NOT spot)
5. Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE, which can be used in conjunction with an LED)

And if I go with a halogen how much stronger are those compared to incandescent ones?

Unless you're replacing the current bulb with the exact same thing, it's going to be trial & error; you'll have to re-balance everything—distance from basking site, angle, type & wattage of bulb—to get things right again.

My current one is one of those rounded ones it doesn’t even have that reflector shape would a reflector shape be better?

For something like a household incandescent that radiates in all directions, yes.
Something like this:

For something like a flood that has a more aimed beam, no; a reflector is usually integral.

To review, basking bulbs should be mounted at an angle to the basking site. This will provide an ellipse rather than a circle, which inherently produces a gradient of temperatures rather than a constant. The gradient allows for the [reptile] to seek the temperature it desires, and helps make up for small fluctuations in some of the other variables.