Reptile Habitat Heating & Lighting

Heat Light for Lizards: Choosing the Right Reptile Lamp

When it comes to reptile habitats, one of the most essential elements to creating a happy home for your pet is including the appropriate type of lighting. Zoo Med helps outline which lights are right for your pet.

Updated on July 17th, 2026

Home & Habitat

Reptile UVB Light Guide: What Every Pet Parent Needs to Know

Learn the importance of UVB light for your reptiles and the right reptile lights for your pet’s habitat.

Updated on July 17th, 2026

New Pet

Reptile Habitat Setup Guide | Petco

Learn how to setup your reptiles terrarium to ensure your reptile lives a wholesome & happy life. Shop at your local Petco for all reptile terrarium needs.

Updated on July 17th, 2026

Home & Habitat

Heating & Lighting for Bearded Dragons: Full Guide

Bearded dragons have specific lighting requirements that emulate their natural warm and dry habitat. Learn about their lighting needs at Petco.

Updated on June 19th, 2026

Home & Habitat

How to Keep Your Reptile Warm During a Power Outage

Learn some tips and strategies that can be used to get your pet reptiles safely through a power outage regardless of the time of year.

Updated on July 17th, 2026

Home & Habitat

Overhead vs. under tank heating: What's best for my reptile?

Thanks for reaching out. Heat rocks are bad. One recommendation is to utilize under tank heat as the background heat source, keeping the environment at 70-75 F 24-hours a day, then an overheat lamp can be set up as a timer to turn on for 12-14 hours/day and raise the day time heat to the appropriate level. Timers work great for the UVB bulb and extra heat. Good luck.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Vet Q & A

Best lighting for red eared sliders: UVA, UVB, and heat explained?

A RES requires full spectrum lighting (UVA and UVB) and lighting that provides heat. The dry dock, or basking area, should be completely out of the water. Basking temps should range between 90F and 95F (32-35C). You should place the UVA/UVB bulb as close to the heat lamp as possible. It should be no more than 12" away from your RES and should not have a barrier between it and your turtle. Glass, acrylic and plastic block UVB while screens with grids under 1/2" can obstruct a good portion of UVB rays negating the health benefits. Lighting should be on for around 12 hours a day, depending on the time of year. Full UVA/UVB bulbs need replacing every 6 months. The simplest combination for adequate lighting is a UVA/UVB fluorescent bulb and an incandescent light bulb (for heat). Incandescent light bulbs are standard household lights easily purchased at stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. Make sure your RES cannot splash water on it or come into contact with it. You can also consider halogen lights and red heat bulbs for supplemental heat. You can buy the UVA/UVB bulbs at most pet stores. Search in the Reptile section. They can also be purchased online for around $30-$40. ReptiSun 10.0 (by ZooMed) or ReptiGlo lights are quality full spectrum bulbs.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Home & Habitat

How can I improve my reptile's tank setup for safety and comfort?

Ideally, the UVB light source should run the entire length of the tank. A thermometer/hygrometer should be on each end of the tank to confirm cool and warm sides. Use a digital thermometer to verify temps. Those little ones you have can be inaccurate. Provide a hide on both sides as well. Personally, I would remove the fake grass as it has the potential to cause eye injuries. Your tank looks good otherwise.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Food & Nutrition

How to feed a red ear slider with pyramiding & choose a heat lamp?

A proper diet for red-eared sliders includes a complete pellet, such as those made by ReptoMin, and dark leafy green vegetables. This can be fed once per day, and the amount should be based on how many pellets Cooper can eat in 5-7 minutes. This is just a guideline, and your veterinarian can help you to determine if this is appropriate based on Cooper's body condition score (i.e. whether she is overweight or not). For a heat lamp - photo 1 just looks like the dome, and there doesn't appear to be a bulb in it. The second lamp looks like it is a daytime only heat lamp - it is often beneficial to have a heat source that can be used during the day or at night, and if that is what you are looking for, I would recommend a ceramic heat bulb. If you are looking for only a daytime basking bulb, there are many brands that would be appropriate. The key words that you should look for are "daytime basking bulb." For watts - it depends on how far the bulb is away from your turtle - there are some brands that have a chart on the side of the box that will give you distances and temperatures that correlate with the distance. This information, combined with your desired temperature for the basking area will help you to decide on what wattage to get. I hope that gives you more information!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Vet Q & A

My power is out! How do I keep my pet reptile warm and safe?

Here are some tips on how to care for pets who require continuous heat, such as reptiles and snakes: - Before a power outage, if possible, buy a generator. This will allow you to keep your reptiles warm during the outage. - Amphibians will do okay without heat for a period of time. Try to limit the number of times you open the habitat. - For a heat source, you can go to your local sporting goods store and purchase the heat packs used to warm feet and hands. These can be placed underneath the habitat (just like you would place an electric heating pad). This will allow your reptile to get heat. Do not put the pack into habitat with the reptile. - Another way to warm cold reptiles is to use a pillowcase. Place the reptile gently in the case and place the pillowcase next to your body under your shirt for warmth. - Pillow cases can also be used to transport reptiles if needed. - Do not feed your reptile as they need heat to digest their food. - You can save plastic milk containers and put warm water in them and place in the habitat for warmth. You can heat water on a BBQ grill or your hot water heater. Be careful not to use hot water, as it could burn your reptile. - Be advised that most reptiles will do fine with cooler temperatures; they go into a body slow down, so the temperature change won't hurt them for a short period of time: 24 - 48 hours. - Contact friends that have power and see if you can move your animals to their homes. - It is important to plan ahead of a power outage and have these items on hand to care for your reptiles. Additionally: Usually, IF a reptile needs to be kept warm during a short outage (few days or less), it is recommended that you place them into a small cooler (those little $5 styro ones can work) in a small container. A plastic shoebox or sandwich container can work, with some air holes. Hand warmers, hot water bottles, etc. can be placed into the cooler as well. This will form a very insulated area with a small amount of volume to heat. Be sure there is ventilation provided, though, as the hand warmers can suck oxygen from the air for the chemical reaction. This is a method that can be carried out for a relatively long period of time if necessary, and a digital thermometer with a probe can be placed in with the reptile and monitored from the outside, so you don't have to open the cooler and let out the warmth to check that the heat packs are still working. In all honesty, though, all but the most tropical reptiles can go a few days with temperatures into the 50's or 60's.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Reptile Habitat Heating & Lighting

Reptile Heat Lamps

Reptile Light Fixtures

Reptile Under Tank Heaters & Rocks

Reptile Thermostats & Thermometers

Reptile Light Timers & Terrarium Controllers

Fluker's Clamp Lamps

Fluker's Clamp Lamp with Dimmer

Zoo Med Digital Thermometer

Zoo Med Moonlite Bulb for Reptiles

Make pet care easier and more affordable

Zoo Med Tropical Lighting Combo Pack

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