I am planning on purchasing a 40 gal breeder (36" x 18" x 17") to use as a terrarium. Now, what I'm most confused about is how to set up the lighting. I googled a few sites and none of them really had what I was looking for. I was thinking of just getting a pair of 4' fixtures or something and using two 40 W T12 bulbs. The overhang of the fixtures over the side of the tank is ok. Would this setup work well?
Also, I was reading http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq6010c.html and it mentioned something about replacing the cheap ballast that the fixtures come with with "electronic" ballasts because those use less energy. And it also has a section on optimizing the fixture so that more energy is converted into light instead of heat. Okay, I barely know a thing about electrical-related stuff, so all this sounds overly complex to me for a simple lighting setup. Anyways, I was wondering if all this is really that necessary, or if I could just get by without all those modifications. Or whether there's an even better setup than the two T12s?
Also, I was reading http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq6010c.html and it mentioned something about replacing the cheap ballast that the fixtures come with with "electronic" ballasts because those use less energy. And it also has a section on optimizing the fixture so that more energy is converted into light instead of heat. Okay, I barely know a thing about electrical-related stuff, so all this sounds overly complex to me for a simple lighting setup. Anyways, I was wondering if all this is really that necessary, or if I could just get by without all those modifications. Or whether there's an even better setup than the two T12s?
