What wattage light bulb/heat lamp do I need?

[Susann]

We see this question a lot, and the answer is usually the same: It is almost impossible to say.
Because there are so many things that factor into the equation, like:
• what the temperatures are like where you live
• what you keep the temperature at in your home
• how close your tank is to a heat register or an air-conditioning outlet
• what size the tank is
• if your tank is fully enclosed or has a screen top
• how much ventilation the tank has
• what other type of lighting/heat you have (plan on having) in the tank
• how high up from the tank’s surface the lamp/bulb is

Since regular light bulbs are fairly inexpensive, and as long as you save the packaging and receipt, and the lamp still works, just start somewhere and return it if you need to go higher or lower. This is why it is so important to have your habitat set up before you bring home your BTS, because it can take a few trips and some time to get it all running right.