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Thread: cheap and dirty way to light a work area

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    mid michigan
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    Default cheap and dirty way to light a work area

    I was given a brand new 400watt metal halide lamp on a project i was doing and being the creature that i am i had to find a way to use it, so i got a m59 magnetic ballast from flea bay and visited one of the many grow shops in my area and got a 35 dollar reflector, flipped it upside down so i get a more diffused light from the lamp and it's ugly but works quite well for what i need and at a distance that does not heat the ceiling to an unsafe level
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    under the mess is a work space i am in process of weeding out the crap and i used brass chain to support it and still need to find a home for the ballast, i had to cover my bearded dragons from the light since they where sleeping at the time of the install, i also angled the fixture a but so the lamps core of not visible from the living room and still makes plenty of light for both rooms when needed and only operate it when i am home, running a metal halide in an open fixture has it's problems, not uv but as it ages they can explode but i figure i will have atlest 10 years of service from it, my bearded dragons use a metal halide as well but keep track of the hours and use an explosion protected lamp, it has a second shield around the quartz tube
    Remember Remember The 8th of November, When No One Stood, but Kneel, In Surrender
    In a popular government when the laws have ceased to be executed, as this can come only from the corruption of the republic, the state is already lost. Montesquieu

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    172

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    What are your beardies names ? I have one myself she's quite the trooper! Ha. Digging the light setup, can never really have too much of it especially in a workspace.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Cleveland Ohio
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    I find it better to heat with an oil filled heater and then add regular lights for basking with a uv bulb mixed in. Works for my panther chams for 20 years.

  4. #4
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    Nov 2014
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    mid michigan
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    the on the bottom is Ruby and the one on top is Draka Long tail, Draka is about 7 years old and ruby about 5. The metal halide they bask under is for uv light as well, i keep that spot just above 100F and i have under tank heaters to keep them warm at night, I have never seen oil based heaters for reptiles? i am curious about that, where did you find one?
    what i use are large panels that glue onto the underside of the glass enclosure and clean sand on the other side of the glass.
    just incase i run into a calcium problem i do have two uv florescent lamps that run most of the length and give them supplements when i feed them with crickets. One time i used to order them in bulk but cant stand the smell of crickets so now i use super worms, greens and crickets as treats
    Remember Remember The 8th of November, When No One Stood, but Kneel, In Surrender
    In a popular government when the laws have ceased to be executed, as this can come only from the corruption of the republic, the state is already lost. Montesquieu

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Cleveland Ohio
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    2,613

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    He has his own room so it's a room heater. Very cute pic. I'm lucky if they reach 5 years old. That's old for chams I feed hornworms and crickets. Try kitty litter makes smell go away.




    Quote Originally Posted by Draco View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	100_0014.jpg 
Views:	11 
Size:	81.4 KB 
ID:	49695
    the on the bottom is Ruby and the one on top is Draka Long tail, Draka is about 7 years old and ruby about 5. The metal halide they bask under is for uv light as well, i keep that spot just above 100F and i have under tank heaters to keep them warm at night, I have never seen oil based heaters for reptiles? i am curious about that, where did you find one?
    what i use are large panels that glue onto the underside of the glass enclosure and clean sand on the other side of the glass.
    just incase i run into a calcium problem i do have two uv florescent lamps that run most of the length and give them supplements when i feed them with crickets. One time i used to order them in bulk but cant stand the smell of crickets so now i use super worms, greens and crickets as treats
    - - - Updated - - -

    He has his own room so it's a room heater. Very cute pic. I'm lucky if they reach 5 years old. That's old for chams I feed hornworms and crickets. Try kitty litter makes smell go away.




    Quote Originally Posted by Draco View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	100_0014.jpg 
Views:	11 
Size:	81.4 KB 
ID:	49695
    the on the bottom is Ruby and the one on top is Draka Long tail, Draka is about 7 years old and ruby about 5. The metal halide they bask under is for uv light as well, i keep that spot just above 100F and i have under tank heaters to keep them warm at night, I have never seen oil based heaters for reptiles? i am curious about that, where did you find one?
    what i use are large panels that glue onto the underside of the glass enclosure and clean sand on the other side of the glass.
    just incase i run into a calcium problem i do have two uv florescent lamps that run most of the length and give them supplements when i feed them with crickets. One time i used to order them in bulk but cant stand the smell of crickets so now i use super worms, greens and crickets as treats

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