lack of sunlight

[meepmeeps]

hi i keep gouldians in a 8ft flight indoors. its dimentions are 17 inches from rear to front, 8ft long and 2ft high. its basically 2x 4ft cages fixed together with a huge hole between them. there are 8 gouldians in there and im not sure how many i can fit in there without over crouding. also i live in a flat(appartment) in the uk and this tie of the year the sun doesnt hit the cage at all and appears quite dark in comparison to the general room. they are in a box type care with only the front that is wired.
i bought a 2ft strip light which is a uvb 20watt to give it a little alumination but i feel it isnt good enough for them and often think about their well being as well as happiness. the cage is about 2ft from a window but to me i think it still looks dark in the cage. is there anything better i can do for these little guys? what lights do you recomend for gouldians if you recomend lights at all?
ive only been keeping them a little over a year and to be honist i know little about them but i want to know as much as i can so i can keep them all in good health. thanks

[vettepilot_6]

Hi.... 8 Gouldians in a flight that size IMO is already overcrowded....regarding lighting if you already have flouro talk to your local Aquarium place they probably will have full spectrum lights that will work much better for them..

[meepmeeps]

im not sure how many birds i should keep in a cage of that size but two pairs are now in breeding cages and have built nests so soon there will be more i really dont want to part with any of them either. they all have their own character and im too attached to them all. i do let them out to fly freely around my living room on a regular basis and i know they really enjoy that. i have a couple of full spectrum lights that burn at 6400k but those are huge bulbs with an E40 fitting and run at 125watt. it would light the street up lol. i will pop into my local aquarium and see what they can do, i need something for them. thanks

[finchbreeder]

Can you extend the cages up or down to give more upward flight?
LML

[meepmeeps]

there is plenty of room to make it higher. i am now thinking about building an 8ft long by 3ft aviary now and will probably build it at about 6ft high. since i have plenty of cage wire its really just a matter of building a decent frame. i dont know how many birds i could keep in a aviary of that size comfortably though. i dont want to sell, give or trade any of my new born birds because i worry about where they will end up. nothing worse than putting all that hard work in to producing good quality beautiful birds only to see them end up in a tiny cage comewhere and never getting out or just spending the rest of their little lives in some old ladys flat living on just seed and water

[Myzomela]

Forget the aquarium shop.
If you want to add full spectrum lighting you need to buy full spectrum lights designed for birds, not fish or aquatic plants or even reptiles. These need to be placed within 2feet from your birds at the most to be effective. If the area appears too dark you can also supplement with conventional lighting to increase the overall brightness of the room.