The right setup of a terrarium, which includes flooring, plants and lighting, of course, depends primarily on the individual needs of the residents.
Turtles have different requirements than snakes or geckos; the terrarium for spiders should look different from that for lizards.
But no matter who lives in the terrarium:
The right lighting plays a decisive role in designing a living space that is as species-appropriate as possible.
The cold-blooded reptiles that can only survive in the wild with solar radiation are on good UV lamps to survive – this is especially true for diurnal animals.
If this lighting, which mimics sunlight, is missing, the immune system suffers, and in the long term, the animals become sick and even die.
Good lighting is, of course, not only essential for the health and well-being of the terrarium inhabitants, but it also enhances the appearance of the terrarium and enables the owner to observe his animals better.
Since the correct lighting of the terrarium depends so much on the type, number, and size of the inhabitants and the size and planting of the terrarium, it is best to seek advice from an expert, for example, an experienced breeder or a specialist shop.
In addition to the basic lighting with special reptile fluorescent lamps, which illuminate the entire terrarium evenly, so-called sun islands are particularly popular with reptiles.
These shine particularly brightly and generate so much radiant heat that they can warm up reptiles.
Also, most species need a UVB lamp so that they can produce their own vitamin D.