CF lighting for CP's

[bouncer67]

I have been recently shopping around for proper lighting for my terrarium. I have found that "proper" grow lights such as Ott-Lite's compact fluroscent are too #### expensive and I am looking for a quick fix. I bought a clip-on table lamp and a CF (compact fluorescent) bulb. Unfortunately, the only bulbs I could find were "soft-white" or "warm-white." Does anyone know of any "cool-white" CF's? Will the "warm-white" pose a signifigant health problem with my VFT and Cape Sundew? The lamp holds only one bulb and the terrarium is 20"x10" (10 gallon fish tank).

 

[bouncer67]

I have found that the bulb I bought is at 2700K.  What is the proper color, in Kelvin, that I need for good photosysthesis?

 

[Capslock]

The best color temp is around 5000K. And yes, you can find them in CF bulbs. Look for "daylight" and "cool white" varieties.

However, a single one of these bulbs is not going to be enough for your terrarium. Either get a few, or go with the reasonably priced "fluorex" floodlight fixtures. For about 30 bucks, you can have a ton of good light for your terrarium. Check ebay, Home Depot, or others for this brand of light. I use them and think they're great!

Capslock