Re: Terrariums - where to get?

From: ERTELTJB at ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu on 1997.11.10 at 21:18:58(1601) Les - Your 4-bulb fixture sounds excellent for the 36x18 tank. My only caution would be that a fixture like that could produce a lot of heat for the plants - for some certainly more than they would prefer. I would offer several suggestions. Even though you wrote suggesting your lack of interest in constructing anything yourself, 4 pieces of 1x3 or 1x4 could easily be put together to form a rectangular "stand," raising the lights up and supported by the aquarium/terrarium walls. This alone would put the heat source further from the plants, and likely still provide enough light for most tropicals you would have in a terrarium that size. Another option would be to get into the fixture and remove the ballast (of course keeping the wiring correct) so that the ballast can be located a bit further away - the ballast being the main heat source with flourescent fixtures. A third alternative whaich was suggested on this or another of the plant list-serves to whichI belong is the possible introduction of one of the small square electronics cooling fans used in computers and such to keep the equiptment cool. This might be difficult to install into this set-up without doing a raised stand i.e. my first suggestion. I recently put one into a large plexi terrarium I have, and I have it hooked into a 24 hour x 1/2 hour increments timer, and it comes on 4 times a day. After some initial adjusting on the part of the plants, I think that all are doing better now, with minimal reduction in humidity levels. +More Good luck, and Good Growing. - Jonathan Ertelt

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