Lighting, Hood and Fans, and one more little thing...

[Janglin Jack]

Ok, I have a 35 ga Hex tank and was wondering about this stuff... I'm planning on newts and snails with a lot of moss cover...

A) What kind of lighting is best suited for the above
B) I know everyone says glass is best for the top, does plexi work as well? Also as far as air circulation goes is a fan needed or can I get away without it?


When I made my land structure I made it so I can just drop in and out I used egg crate as the back walls with the GS. My problem is between the back glass and the egg crate is a big gap... Not too sure what to do with it, If I should pack it with substrate, or what...

[froggsong]

Across the top of the tank, how big is it? Do you already have a hood or a fixture? You need lights that aren't going to heat the tank, newts need it cool, and the moss will appreciate it too. 6500K or 6700K daylight CFL bulbs work well. Is the tank a flatback hex or an actual hexagon? If it's an actual hexagon, you can put a CFL into a clamp lamp (get a shoplight with a metal or ceramic fixture) that has a wide reflector. You can either paint the inside of the reflector white or leave it metal. OR, you can build a hood if you don't already have one and just install some sockets into the top for whatever bulb type you choose. In that case, fans would be necessary to vent the hood so that the lights don't heat the tank.

EDIT: I can't really advise on your FB problem without a picture.

[Janglin Jack]

Its is an actual hex, I know I'm slacking in the picture department... I'll try to shoot some tonight.