LED Lighting and vivarium-like planting

[mattmak_09]

Hello there,
I was wondering if anyone uses LED lights in addition to UVB and heating ? If so, has there been any downfalls/setbacks or benefits? I've kept a panther many years ago, and now I am considering on getting another panther or Jackson and having it in a well planted near vivarium-like set up. Thought ? Thank you.

 

[broderp]

From my limited knowledge, I'm also building up a terrarium and have been dabbling in LED lights, as long as you are using full spectrum 6000K LED's it should be fine for plants. I've also read that red LEDS are also helpful for plant growth. I made a small LED light and its about as bright as my 4 lamp T5 hood. I was quite impressed. I will be making a much larger one this evening to see if I can go to an all LED setup.

There are some nice hoods that are LED and UVB such as:https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Rept...e=UTF8&qid=1487289599&sr=8-1&keywords=LED+UVB

If I am incorrect in my statement above, hopefully a true expert will chime in.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

I'm not a true expert by any means! But I have several bioactive vivs... The only thing I recommend is that the occupancy needs to be first and foremost, then build the lights and plants around whomever you are building a house for. I have used LEDs, but only to rehad or grow plants out before I put them in the tanks.

 

[Alexander1]

The zoomed led lights are not bright enough to light up an enclosure, I use the led lights with a Arcadia double ho t5 fixture but alone, no way. As long as you have uvb, heat, and the lights are not blindingly bright I don't see why not, I would definitely provide plants that reach the top so there's shade at every level.

 

[broderp]

The zoomed led lights are not bright enough to light up an enclosure, I use the led lights with a Arcadia double ho t5 fixture but alone, no way. As long as you have uvb, heat, and the lights are not blindingly bright I don't see why not, I would definitely provide plants that reach the top so there's shade at every level.

Well crap, I just bought that hood. The price dropped to like $87 (currently at $105) a few hours ago and I bought it. Will have it Saturday. What type enclosure do you have yours in? What size? I bought the 24" one to fit my 24" wide glass terrarium.

Perhaps the light will behave differently in a glass terrarium (mine is 18D x 24W x 36T) than in a screened enclosure. The images and video I saw appear pretty positive in both light output and customer satisfaction.

I hope I fair better than you did

 

[Alexander1]

Well crap, I just bought that hood. The price dropped to like $87 (currently at $105) a few hours ago and I bought it. Will have it Saturday. What type enclosure do you have yours in? What size? I bought the 24" one to fit my 24" wide glass terrarium.

Perhaps the light will behave differently in a glass terrarium (mine is 18D x 24W x 36T) than in a screened enclosure. The images and video I saw appear pretty positive in both light output and customer satisfaction.

I hope I fair better than you did

Lol, if you look around the site I've warned keepers of this, but it's not horrible but our set ups are just too tall for that amount of light, sorry I didn't catch your post earlier I would of told you, if you get a Arcadia HO fixture the t5 easily produce more light but also more heat, using a glass enclosure I would think that's not a good thing.

 

[Calval24]

In my experience the Jungle Dawn Led from
Light your reptiles is excellent for plant growth. I use two of them in my enclosure. And my plants grow like crazy. Check them out!

 

[mattmak_09]

In my experience the Jungle Dawn Led from
Light your reptiles is excellent for plant growth. I use two of them in my enclosure. And my plants grow like crazy. Check them out!

Is it used in the same enclosure as your cham? Do plants experience issues when both UVB and LED are on them ?

 

[Mtnlaurel]

I've hear a lot of great things about those Jungle Dawn lights. I was actually checking those out this morning because Im planning a large enclosure and looking at light options.

 

[Venutus1]

I've hear a lot of great things about those Jungle Dawn lights. I was actually checking those out this morning because Im planning a large enclosure and looking at light options.

These are nice, but then... I am a bit bias since I designed them myself with the help of the Jungle Dawn® crew.

http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/jungle-dawn-40w-mega-plant-grow-spotlight/

 

[Chameleomom]

You need to talk with Todd from LightYourReptiles.. He will tell you right lights you need for your encloser and animal. Awesome guy

 

[Twitchet]

Jungle dawns all the way- they are unbelievable- the plants i have are strong and healthy with perfect colour, not yellow or struggling- I have live plants in all my enclosures and the plants are swamping them. Totally excellent!

 

[Calval24]

Is it used in the same enclosure as your cham? Do plants experience issues when both UVB and LED are on them ?

I use 2 jungle dawn and a zoo med t5 5.0 UVB no issues with my plants.

 

[Mtnlaurel]

These are nice, but then... I am a bit bias since I designed them myself with the help of the Jungle Dawn® crew.

Yeah, you will be hearing from me before too long...

 

[mattmak_09]

Jungle dawns all the way- they are unbelievable- the plants i have are strong and healthy with perfect colour, not yellow or struggling- I have live plants in all my enclosures and the plants are swamping them. Totally excellent!

Where did you buy them, online or store front?

 

[Big Gulp]

Where did you buy them, online or store front?

Lightyourreptiles.com

 

[mattmak_09]

I use 2 jungle dawn and a zoo med t5 5.0 UVB no issues with my plants.

any chance you can throw up some pics?would love to see whats on the top of your enclosure and whats living inside, thanks =)

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I use the 40 watt Jungle Dawn Spots and they are wonderful for a larger set-up and if filtered through a screen top. They will burn foliage, not with temperature, but with light intensity, if the foliage is too close. This is not a flaw in the product, but a testament to just how powerful the lights are. They are safe fore chameleons and make great basking spots for montane species, in some cases.

On another note, I was using 8 HO T5 bulbs for each side of my large parsonii cage, for a total of 16 bulbs.
I just swapped out the T5s for T8 LED retrofits, in 4 6tube fixtures that cost $90 each, with built in reflectors. The result is a more natural light (LEDs are 5000k) and far less wattage consumption and heat output, with 24 bulbs to the former 16. I get better coverage, because of the configuration of the fixtures, spreading the tubes and the light output over a wider area.

Lighting depends on the species and enclosure. Screen filters out 30% and even up to 70% of light, in the case of reptariums, so the extra lumens given by the HO T5s are needed. In my case, I don't have fine screen between the lights and the plants, so I could get away with half the lumen output of the T5s. I also only rely on the linear bulbs to light the canopy and use the Jungle Dawns to get light down to the lower growing plants. Lighting is a subject that could have its very own forum and I've had everything, from aquariums with live corals, to competitive horticulture to test and expand my knowledge.
When you start getting into red and blue LEDs, they are great for plant growth, but can have unintended consequences on a chameleon. The spectrum needs to be balanced and come out to around 5000k, overall, for chameleons to see things in a natural way and to feel properly stimulated. Overly red, blue, or yellow lights can impact their appetite and behavior, especially in wild caught animals.
Below are before and after of the enclosure, with the first photos being T5 lighting and the last being the new LED retrofits. Unfortunately, there is a yellow ceiling fan light on, but even so, the light is visible less yellow and more natural.

 

[broderp]

I use the 40 watt Jungle Dawn Spots and they are wonderful for a larger set-up and if filtered through a screen top. They will burn foliage, not with temperature, but with light intensity, if the foliage is too close. This is not a flaw in the product, but a testament to just how powerful the lights are. They are safe fore chameleons and make great basking spots for montane species, in some cases.

On another note, I was using 8 HO T5 bulbs for each side of my large parsonii cage, for a total of 16 bulbs.
I just swapped out the T5s for T8 LED retrofits, in 4 6tube fixtures that cost $90 each, with built in reflectors. The result is a more natural light (LEDs are 5000k) and far less wattage consumption and heat output, with 24 bulbs to the former 16. I get better coverage, because of the configuration of the fixtures, spreading the tubes and the light output over a wider area.

Lighting depends on the species and enclosure. Screen filters out 30% and even up to 70% of light, in the case of reptariums, so the extra lumens given by the HO T5s are needed. In my case, I don't have fine screen between the lights and the plants, so I could get away with half the lumen output of the T5s. I also only rely on the linear bulbs to light the canopy and use the Jungle Dawns to get light down to the lower growing plants. Lighting is a subject that could have its very own forum and I've had everything, from aquariums with live corals, to competitive horticulture to test and expand my knowledge.
When you start getting into red and blue LEDs, they are great for plant growth, but can have unintended consequences on a chameleon. The spectrum needs to be balanced and come out to around 5000k, overall, for chameleons to see things in a natural way and to feel properly stimulated. Overly red, blue, or yellow lights can impact their appetite and behavior, especially in wild caught animals.
Below are before and after of the enclosure, with the first photos being T5 lighting and the last being the new LED retrofits. Unfortunately, there is a yellow ceiling fan light on, but even so, the light is visible less yellow and more natural.

I believe I followed and or read about your setup. Very inspiring, but very costly for most and very labor and space intense. I don't have any of the requirements needed to have one that nice...

I'll have to settle for the name brand-not as good lights for now.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

48" LED retrofits cost $17.99 a 2 pack and a 6 tube T8 fixture that accepts the retrofits and comes with a built in reflector is $90. That's pretty inexpensive, compared to what you'd pay from a pet store.