Quote Originally Posted by Nathan Tetzlaff View Post
I haven't bought anything yet, but I'm currently looking at buying an 18x18x18 Zoo Med terrarium. I'll likely be getting a fantasy pacman frog to be housed in it, but would like to have everything setup before I get him. Looking around the forum, it seems most people use the domed-bulbs on top of their terrariums, but I don't like the way it looks....Is there a reason people seem to prefer the domes over the hoods designed to fit the terrarium? I'm looking at the Zoo Med 18" hood. It can house 2 bulbs and has separate switches for each light. Assuming the hood isn't a bad choice, which bulbs would be appropriate to use for a green fantasy, and would it be possible to use just the bulbs for heating an 18x18x18? My house is usually cooled around 71-73 degrees.
Hello Nathan!

I actually have the Exo Terra version of the tank you speak of and it is much to large for a baby frog if that is what you plan on purchaing. I'm housing a 5.25" female C. cranwelli in it.

As for the Dome heat lamps. They handle higher wattage bulbs because these lamps have ceramic sockets and afe designed for incandescent basking bulbs. These lamps also can come with a dimmer switch that will allow you to accurately tweak the amount of heat and light coming from the bulb. You never want to exceed 50 watts. Look for Fluker's 5.5" Clamp Lamp With Dimmer and the 8.5" version. You can buy a lamp stand and position them above the tank.

The light hoods don't handle much wattage and do not have ceramic sockets. The made for bulbs tbat produce light and very low heat like Fluorescent bulbs with UVB output that is unnecessary. These types of bulbs are really bright and can be stressful for nocturnal frogs like Pacman Frogs. You can use low power Fluorescent bulbs in the hood, but they need to be around 13 watts and very low UVB. Around 2.0 UVB is ok, but really not necessary.

You can also place a UTH appropriately sized for the tank you have on the side to add a small amount of ambient heat. Zoo Med makes very good UTHs in varying sizes.

Now as for recomended bulbs. I use Exo Terra 75% intense Basking Spotlight bulbs for day because you do not have to dial the dimmer up high for them to produce the amount of heat needed. 50 watt strength. Night time I use Infrared bulbs by Exo Terra called Heat Glo. Also 50 watts.

Anything else you need?