Went into Lighting Panic Mode Today...

[alonnamarie2216]

I shouldn't use past tense, as I'm still kind of in panic mode.
(My first cham, and I feel like I'm failing as a parent.)
Went to turn on my lights today and pop, there went my heat bulb. I currently have the zoomed tropical uvb & heat lighting kit that came with my reptibreeze startup kit. It has a 13W 5.0 Reptisun UVB and a 60W daylight blue heating bulb. I've heard these bulbs like to blow pretty quickly (every three weeks or so).
Help on if these are an okay setup, or if I should upgrade, and what I should upgrade to. I'd like to do a little upgrade anyways, just don't know anything about lighting!!!! I can control the temperature in my room alone right now, so my little girl should be okay without that bulb till the end of the week shouldn't she, as long as I roast myself out to keep her comfortable? Since it's not the UVB? I have to drive an hour to the closest pet shop and am on a pretty strict work/sleep schedule during the week. If I have to I will lose three hours of sleep to make sure that she's okay, just would like to know if it's absolutely necessary.
Thanks so much for all the help!!

 

[Gavinsons]

If you take her outside to get a couple or 3 hours of light a day I'd say your fine til the end of the week, if not you should get a new bulb asap. They will be ok for a couple days without uvb but 4 or 5, I wouldn't chance it. I always keep a couple extra bulbs around in case of emergencies. If you want to upgrade you should check out lightyourreptiles.com everything you need will be there. And if you have questions email him and he will teach you more than you need to know.

 

[MelissaB]

Since it was the heating bulb that burnt out, you can use a regular incandescent household bulb. I'd start with a 60 watt, since that's what you were using before.

 

[mvad]

No panic necessary, as stated above, use regular household 60w bulbs. Don't waste money on a fancy packaged bulb that does exactly the same thing as a cheap 4 pack of incandescent bulbs.

 

[alonnamarie2216]

Thanks so much guys!! I got myself one Quick question when it comes to the difference between incandescent and halogen? Finding incandescent was kind of a pain.

 

[MelissaB]

I'm not 100% sure what the temp differences are between halogen and incandescent. I think it can vary. I would check (and double check) the basking spot temp, just to make sure it's where you need it.

 

[Lathis]

It can vary. Here's a gross generalization.

• Generally, incandescents are the most inefficient bulbs - a lot of the energy they use gets wasted as heat. Hence, they make great basking bulbs but are very wasteful for lighting.
  
• Halogens are a type of incandescent bulb but are more energy efficient - less energy is wasted as heat, so you can use a lower watt bulb, but they still do produce heat.
  
• LEDs are even more efficient and put out virtually no heat.
  
• Fluorescents are somewhere in the middle, I think. The only fluorescents I have are my UVB and plants lights.
  
• There are other, specialty bulbs like sodium vapor and mercury vapor, too, that can produce heat and UV. They are expensive and are made for the pet trade. I've never used them, but I'm sure many people here have.

FYI, old-style incandescent bulbs are on their way out in the US for non-specialty lighting. The phase out started a year or two back and will be done by the end of this year or next. We are used to buying 60W, 75W, and 100W bulbs in the US. Most bulbs that you find are still labeled this way - they are actually halogens that are "65W" equivalent, etc, for light output. I have found that where I used a 60W or 75W incandescent before, I now use a "100W" equivalent halogen AND had to adjust the basking spot to get the temperature right.

Whatever lamp you use, MelissaB is right - you do need to periodically monitoring the basking site. I usually have to adjust it a few times a year just because the seasons. You wouldn't think that a steady temperature in the house would change that much, but it does. The new halogens seem to last longer than the old style bulbs, and I have noticed maybe a $5 drop in electricity across the last several months. Part of that is probably due to the halogens?

Edit: Here is what I was looking for: https://www.chameleonforums.com/definitive-lighting-thread-everything-you-really-need-know-80869/

This is a great resource. It seems intimidating, but it will give you a great basis on reptile lighting. Lots of good questions and discussions on the comment pages, too.