Help your reptiles thrive by providing the right heat and light. Our range of heat lamps, UVB bulbs and thermostats makes it easier to maintain proper temperature gradients and lighting cycles. Essential for digestion, activity and overall health in many reptile species.
🔥 Heating + lighting
Reptiles are ectotherms — they regulate body temperature and immune function via heat + UVB light. Ireland's climate gives them neither. Wrong heating = metabolic crash. No UVB = metabolic bone disease (MBD), an avoidable but devastating crippling condition. Here's the kit per species + the thermostat rule that prevents fires.
Critical for daytime species (bearded dragon, leopard gecko ambient, tortoise, day gecko). Arcadia T5, Reptisun T5 are the gold standards — replace every 12 months even if still glowing (UV output drops while visible light stays on). Distance matters: too far = useless.
Standard halogen flood lamp creates the basking hot spot. Sized to enclosure (50–150 W). Always on a thermostat. Position so animal can warm up at one end + cool at the other. Day-only — switch off at night.
Heat without light. Used for night-time warmth (snakes, leopard geckos) or 24h heat in cold rooms. Always thermostat-controlled. NEVER touch — stays surface-hot for 30 min after switching off.
Modern alternative to CHE — emits infrared similar to sunlight, no visible light. Better for animal's skin + bones than CHE. Arcadia DHP, JBL ProTemp B100. €45–€60 — worth it for any heat-needing reptile.
For snakes + nocturnal species (corn snakes, leopard geckos). Provides belly heat. ALWAYS thermostat-controlled — unregulated heat mats have caused enclosure fires + thermal burns. Position outside the tank, on the underside of the glass.
EVERY heat source must be on a thermostat. Microclimate B1ME (basic on/off), Habistat (pulse for ceramic), Arcadia. The €40–€70 controller stops a stuck-heater killing your reptile + reduces fire risk. NEVER plug a heater straight into the wall.
Reptiles MUST be able to move between temperatures to regulate. Heat lamp + heat mat at ONE end of enclosure, with cool end 8–10 °C lower. Bearded dragon: basking 40 °C, cool end 25 °C. Snakes: 30 °C / 22 °C. Tortoises: 35 °C / 18 °C. Without gradient = animal cooks or chills.
Tube positioned within manufacturer's "useful UVB" distance — typically 25–30 cm for T5 tubes. UVB doesn't penetrate glass + plastic mesh blocks 50%. Replace every 12 months — UV output decays while bulb still lights. Mark the date on tube with marker.
12 hours day / 12 hours night for most species (some seasonal variation). UVB + basking on timer. Night heat ONLY if room drops below species safe minimum — most reptiles tolerate 10 °C cooler at night, mimicking nature.
One digital thermometer at each end of the enclosure. Stick-on dials + cheap digital alike — one is for the species' "hot" temp, one for "cool" temp. Without monitoring you're flying blind. Add a humidity gauge if your species needs it (snakes shedding, etc.).
Coloured "moonlight" / "night" bulbs (interfere with circadian rhythm — reptiles see those wavelengths). Hot rocks (cause severe contact burns). Compact spiral UVB bulbs sold in cheap pet shops (most don't emit useful UVB; some have caused eye damage). Stick with linear T5/T8 UVB tubes.
Our heating & lighting range goes live as we vet suppliers — we won't list anything we wouldn't use ourselves. In the meantime, our calculators, breed guides and AI vet tools below are free and don't need stock.
For most diurnal species (bearded dragons, tortoises, day geckos): yes, UVB is essential. Oral D3 helps but doesn't fully replace it — animals on no UVB still develop metabolic bone disease over years. Snakes + nocturnal species (leopard geckos, corn snakes): UVB is debated but increasingly recommended at low intensity for general health.
Every 12 months minimum, regardless of whether the bulb still lights. UV output drops 50%+ within a year while visible light stays on. Mark the install date on the tube with a permanent marker. €25 yearly to prevent painful, life-shortening MBD = bargain.
Often yes. Bearded dragons want 38–42 °C basking; tortoises 32–35 °C; bearded dragons over 45 °C = heat stress. ALWAYS thermostat-control + measure with an infrared temperature gun (€20). Adjust bulb height up to reduce heat on basking spot.
No — rocks marketed as "heat rocks" or "sizzle rocks" are linked to severe burns in reptiles + several pet deaths. The animal lies on it longer than is safe (cold-blooded — can't feel they're burning until tissue damage is done). Use overhead basking bulbs + under-tank heat mats with thermostats only.
