Monthly Archives: October 2020

Buying reptile lamps is a science of its own. There are not only different lamp technologies, different wattages and sizes. But some manufacturers also distinguish between "desert" and "jungle". Actually self-explanatory designations, but what does it really mean? The difference is the light color in the visible range. Desert stands for 6000 Kelvin (which is pure white) and jungle for 4000 Kelvin (a warmer, yellowish white). So it is not about the intensity of the light, not about the brightness, not about the amount of UV radiation or the heat development - it is purely about differences in the color of light.

In our opinion the main factors for the selection of a terrarium lamp are how much UV light, how much visible light and how much heat this lamp emits. All this depends on the lamp technology, the wattage and the distance of the lamp from the animal. The more watts, the brighter the visible light, the more UV light and the warmer the place in the sun - at the same distance...

We are often asked what the difference is between the 70 Watt Flood and the 70 Watt Spot. Is it the brightness? What does PAR mean anyway?

Here is the answer:

It is simply different reflector sizes or spotlight sizes. These glass reflectors are standardised and bear designations such as PAR 38, PAR 30 or PAR 20.

PAR stands for "parabolic aluminized reflector" and the number behind it indicates the size. The most common reflector sizes in the terrarium are PAR 38 = Flood, PAR 30 = Spot and PAR 20 = Mini.

A larger reflector (e.g.: Flood / PAR 38) has a larger diffusing glass-lens and a wider beam angle. Therefore the illuminated area is larger at the same distance - that is the main reason why this type of construction is used.

The Spot or PAR 30 is the standard size and sells best. The Mini or PAR 20 is very small and is especially suitable for breeding or if you have little space due to a low height of the terrarium.

The...