Can anyone recommend a good light source (smallish)

[jdc]

I am researching at this time into getting some zeb or soc. finches.

my proposed flight cage will be about 36" wide................So I am looking for a 24" 'stick' or maybe smaller..............

I am wondering if i can find a 'natural' or 'full spectrum' fluorescent stick or something that i could use above the flight cage.

can anyone recommend one that i could get NOT online, but at a lowes or home depot or pet store....i am looking for not an expensive thing, as you might imagine..

tx

[Sally]

I used to be able to get 24" shop light fixtures at Walmart, but they no longer carry them. You can get an undercabinet light fixture, but with many of them, you can't find full-spectrum bulbs for them. I would look for a fixture that will work, and that also will take full-spectrum replacement bulbs.

I am just replacing all my lights on my HQ quad stacks. The space between cages is so small that most lights willl not fit, so I had ziptied lights on the back of the cage. I didn't like that, because the light would shine in my face, and it didn't help show off the birds at all. I found some ultra-thin undercabinet light fixtures for $10 at Walmart. These will just barely slide in between cages. I can't find full-spectrum bulbs, so I will just supplement the birds with vitamins.

[Lisa]

I've bought the 18" fixtures (with regular fluorescent light) from Home Depot. They are only $10.97 each and put off a little bit of heat so the birds love to sit under them too.

I had to special order the full spectrum lights but these can be used in the same fixtures.

[finchandlovebird]

Are the "grow lights" just as good as full spectrum?

[finchmix22]

I use the small UVB bulbs from PetSmart, in the reptile section by Zoo Med. They fit a standard socket and I put them in my ceiling fan in the bird room. Those bulbs also can go into a small dome light fixture, like many take to bird marts.

[debbie276]

I use the small UVB bulbs from PetSmart, in the reptile section by Zoo Med. They fit a standard socket and I put them in my ceiling fan in the bird room. Those bulbs also can go into a small dome light fixture, like many take to bird marts.

If your talking about the Zoo Med PowerSun UV Bulb, you should ONLY be using that bulb in a ceramic socket to prevent a fire hazard. Not only does it have increased intensity of UVB but it gives off heat that reptiles need.
Not saying you can't use them but please be careful with the fixture you use. Of course if that's not the one you use disregard all I just typed.

[jdc]

I've bought the 18" fixtures (with regular fluorescent light) from Home Depot. They are only $10.97 each and put off a little bit of heat so the birds love to sit under them too.

I had to special order the full spectrum lights but these can be used in the same fixtures.

So, Lisa, do you only use the full spec. lights then?
May i ask where you got those little lights from. Do you have a link, perhaps............?

[jdc]

I use the small UVB bulbs from PetSmart, in the reptile section by Zoo Med. They fit a standard socket and I put them in my ceiling fan in the bird room. Those bulbs also can go into a small dome light fixture, like many take to bird marts.

If your talking about the Zoo Med PowerSun UV Bulb, you should ONLY be using that bulb in a ceramic socket to prevent a fire hazard. Not only does it have increased intensity of UVB but it gives off heat that reptiles need.
Not saying you can't use them but please be careful with the fixture you use. Of course if that's not the one you use disregard all I just typed.

Hmmm..........I have read some concerns expressed about reptile lights used for birds.............But i don't know nothin'. I don't even have any boids yet!

[Sally]

I have been trying out some Repti-sun 2.0 bulbs made for reptiles. Hagen, the company that is selling them, says that this strength is OK for birds. I have the fluorescent tubes in shop light fixtures. So far, I don't really see enough benefit from them to justify the cost.

I'm really leaning towards using mostly inexpensive 'sunlight' bulbs, and depending on diet and vitamin supplements to give them what they would get from lights. Of course, I have a lot of cages and a lot of lights, so expense is definitely a consideration. If I had only a few cages, I might go a different route completely.

[jdc]

I have been trying out some Repti-sun 2.0 bulbs made for reptiles. Hagen, the company that is selling them, says that this strength is OK for birds. I have the fluorescent tubes in shop light fixtures. So far, I don't really see enough benefit from them to justify the cost.

I'm really leaning towards using mostly inexpensive 'sunlight' bulbs, and depending on diet and vitamin supplements to give them what they would get from lights. Of course, I have a lot of cages and a lot of lights, so expense is definitely a consideration. If I had only a few cages, I might go a different route completely.

thanks for the input, Sally. Always nice to hear the thoughts/plans of others.

May I ask what you mean by 'inexpensive sunlight' bulbs?

BTW, one finch raising source i found on the net said that unless you are breeding, lights are not necessary at all--assuming of course, your birds aren't in the dark!

[Angeldov222]

i have a reptile light on the top of one of my cages..........my little cordon blue loves it!! she is always under it!!

[Lisa]

These are the fixtures I purchased from Home Depot. They light up the cages very well (and despite some of the bad reviews, I haven't had a single problem with any of them). They put off a small amount of heat (nothing dangerous in the slightest) and the birds love to sit right under them.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... GOxII38tI4

The full spectrum bulbs were pretty expensive - this was the place I found them at cheapest, but it still ran me over $100 for 10. In fact, I think I paid closer to $140 for them. I have 16 cages in all so I don't have them for all cages - though all cages have some sort of lighting - some just regular fluorescent. For whatever reason, this site is saying "online store closed currently" - not sure what that's about. I ordered these back in July. It did take the company about 2 weeks to special order them in but was able to buy them in bulk once they got them.

http://www.northwesternlighting.com/sto ... &pg=splash

[lou]

Here's an online source for bulbs
1000bulbs.com
lou

[carlamay]

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Hi, thought I could give a little info on what I use. I use 4' shoplight fixtures and get my bulbs from the local electrical supply shop, as they carry much more variety than home depot. Ask them for a 5000K bulb with a CRI (color rendering index) as close to 100 as possible, the best I Can get is 98, but it's more than u get at home depot / lowes.

I also like to direct light from the top as it's more natural than side lighting, and u get better coverage that way too. I use timers on them all too, so the birds are on a regular schedule of lighting.

I DO use night lights for all my cages, I think it is a good idea for them.

Good luck to you!
Jeannine

Excuse me Jeannine for copying you from one of our similar threads on this forum but your info is so spot on! I have been on a mission for proper lighting and I was referred to the 10watt screw in flourescent bulb in the fish area at Petsmart but it just was not enough. I called around DFW and found a place "Just Bulbs" which has the full UV with high color index in 20 watt (same as 60 watt regular) and 100 watt. In addition, I bought 4' bulbs 5100 with 98 color index. They ran me about 9-10 for the long bulbs and 6-7 for the screw in type. I have not gotten my big aviary done and am in a cage 40"x18"x20" and use a floor lamp directly over one end of cage..remember that the lighting is to be about 18" max from top of cages...when I get home, I will look up a link to a great fact sheet done by Zoo Med about avian lighting - they now sell it as well.

[carlamay]

Just found the site:
zoomed.com/library/productDBfiles/birdsanduvb.pdf