the right lights for the right temps

hello all im about to get a retic an am thinking about putting it in a 40 gal breeder tank the light fixtures are rated for up to 200 watts but i need to know at how many watts should i put in the fixtures to get the right temps and also what would be the best bulbs to use im about to get an albino lavender retic and wanna take care of it the best i can ok ty all please send feedback

After your performance in chat the other night, it is pretty hard to take you seriously...but, just in case -
There is no "straight" answer to your question. It would depend on variables such as room temperature and just how many light fixtures you are using. The real answer is to get everything set up and check temps to see where they are, make adjustments til they are right, and do the whole thing over again once the snake is in the tank just to be sure. If there are seasonal variations in the room temp, be prepared to make adjustments to your heating.

i can understand your point but to be honest ive had alot of boas n pythons before but never kept them long bc before i didnt have the time i needed to work with them but my 1st retic was 10 ft when i bought it they told me id get bit by it but i never did but i really love retics i know how to keep them alive but thats not enough i wanna learn how to take care of them better and keep it happy n healthy

I HAVE 2 LIGHT FIXTURES RATED FOR UP TO 200 WATTS AND WAS THINKING ABOUT PUTTIM A RED LIGHT IN 1 OF THEM IS THIS A GOOD IDEA IN YOUR OPIONS

I already told you, there is no blanket answer to your question. If you are asking about using a red light vs white or blue or black...well, I don't particularly like lights as heat sources for snakes, but they work. Using a red light in an effort to maintain light cycles is acceptable, as long as suitable temps are maintained. The room temperature, and the corresponding enclosure temperatures are what dictate whether you need to do that

I wouldn't use a light at all use under tank heat and did I read that right you have a 10 footer in a 40 gallon tank?? Must be pretty tight in there...Randy

NO I USED TO HAVE A 10 FT RETIC YEARS AGO N IT WAS IN A 55 BUT I GOT RID OF IT BC I DIDNT HAVE THE ROOM FOR IT BUT IT WAS MY 1ST RETIC ID EVER HAD

I agree with the under cage heat assesment. I used to use lights years ago and it was a constant battle maintaining temps, especially in tanks that in my opinion are the absolute worst thing you can put a snake in short of a plastic bag. If you are going to use a light I recommend a vision cage or similar that holds heat. Glass does a very poor job of holding heat, and also screen tops allow all of the heat to go right out the top(as well as humidity). They also allow drafts to pass through, and before you know it you could have a snake with a resp. infection. Also retics tend to be apt to push ALOT, especially if unhappy, under fed, not in adequate space, or because they enjoy it(who really knows) ect. So even if you have enough weight and such to prevent escape, they can still mess there faces up pretty bad quite often. Also then you have to worry about them pushing and breaking teeth which can lead to infections, mouthrot and other awesome things to treat. To me, without coming off like a jerk, I dont think you are ready for a retic if you plan on keeping it in a tank with lights, its not practical and certainly isnt best for the animal, which should be your utmost concern. If you must use a tank they sell products to help insulate the glass, and there are some things you can put on the screen top to prevent rubs, but you cant use those with a light, so it still wouldnt work. If you have the money to spend (which if you are getting a retic I assume you do) I would get a thermostat and some heat tape with a compatible cage(RBI has some that comes ready to plug in to your thermostat) so that you can better control the temperature in the cage and maintain the health of your snake in the long run. I hope you find this information helpful. Also be mindful of having to buy several cages over the course of your retics life, and understand there will be some money and time involved to keep this animal healthy and happy. I wish you luck! Dan M.

TY FOR YOUR ADVICE BUT THE TANK IS ONLY TEMPORARY TILL I BUILD A CAGE FOR IT MY UTMOST CARE IS TOWARDS KEPPIN IT HAPPY AND HEALTY BTW IN YOUR OPINION WHATS A GOOD SIZE CAGE THAT I CAN BUILD

It all depends on the size of the Retic. Of course the more space you can give an adult the better, but on the other hand you have to consider what you can keep up with as far as temps and humidity go. Lets say its a female and she is 18' you want something a good size. At that size its not reasonable to have the snake out to allow for some exersize, so you want a cage that will allow her to stretch a bit. Something like 10 x 4 would be cool, or even 12 x 4 if you could keep temps/humidity appropriate. If they get huge 20 + feet, there own room would be even better. Height for an adult retic isnt really important, the more height the harder it is to maintain the right heat/humidity. You dont ever need more than 2 feet height(and thats alot). Good luck! Dan M.