Lamp on top of enclosure

[Maddison1955]

Hi everyone, hoping someone can help with quite a specific question! I have a 4ftx4ftx2ft viv which I'm modifying for a panther (additional screen ventilation, waterproofing etc). I have a 100w basking lamp on a dimming stat to go in but I've decided I'd prefer it outside so as to not take up so much room. It has a solid top so I'll need to cut a hole to accommodate. I am cladding the inside with non-slip, non toxic wet room cladding so the hole will have to go through that too. My question is whether to get a lamp without a cage and insert a sheet of metal cage between the cladding and wood and sit it on there (Not sure if heat would be absorbed by the metal or would escape) or if it would be safe to sit the reflector lamp I already have which is caged in on top of a smaller hole directly on the wood. This would focus all the heat and light into the viv but I'm not sure whether it will be safe with the lamp shade touching the wood. Any other suggestions would be more than welcome, the more inventive the better!!! Thank you.

 

[amfire125]

I'm no expert on a lot of what you're talking about, but from what I gather, you're talking about a light fixture that has a bulb encased in a cover/shade type thing with a metal cage around it, and this is so that the entire thing is waterproof? If that's the case, why the need for the wood at all? Is the entire enclosure structure made from wood or is it for support? I would avoid wood because if your bulb is in a casing like this it's going to have to get really hot to create the proper basking temperature...which also sounds dangerous in case your cham tries to climb up onto this fixture. Again, I'm no expert, but if I'm understanding this correctly, it kind of scares me in terms of burning the wood and creating a fire hazard, and it's definitely not conventionally what people do with their setups, not to say that this won't, or can't work!

 

[Goose502]

I have had a cage fire due to the heating element touching wood. Why not have a screen top? You will need that for a proper t5 fluorescent fixture anyway.

 

[Carlton]

Hi everyone, hoping someone can help with quite a specific question! I have a 4ftx4ftx2ft viv which I'm modifying for a panther (additional screen ventilation, waterproofing etc). I have a 100w basking lamp on a dimming stat to go in but I've decided I'd prefer it outside so as to not take up so much room. It has a solid top so I'll need to cut a hole to accommodate. I am cladding the inside with non-slip, non toxic wet room cladding so the hole will have to go through that too. My question is whether to get a lamp without a cage and insert a sheet of metal cage between the cladding and wood and sit it on there (Not sure if heat would be absorbed by the metal or would escape) or if it would be safe to sit the reflector lamp I already have which is caged in on top of a smaller hole directly on the wood. This would focus all the heat and light into the viv but I'm not sure whether it will be safe with the lamp shade touching the wood. Any other suggestions would be more than welcome, the more inventive the better!!! Thank you.

The metal will absorb and transfer heat. So will the wood. Much safer to use a mesh top cage. The other problem with a heavily-built solid-sided enclosure is too much heat buildup in the entire thing. Can't tell from your description of the entire viv is wood or not. Chams don't need nearly the steady warmth many other terrestrial herps want. They need a gradient of temps during the days and a definite cool down at night. A solid-sided enclosure will make it harder to provide that unless you have vents everywhere. At some point you will be trying to re-create the benefits of a screen enclosure...kind of suggesting to just use one of those right off the bat.