Used a UV Reader, does this seem right?

[tedbubz]

Hi,

Was hoping someone could let me know if I'm reading it correctly.

Seems like the UVI Index is 2 - correct me if I'm wrong but for bearded dragons it's supposed to be between 2.9 - 7.4?

My UVB is Arcadia 12% t5 and is 14cm/5.5 inches from basking spot with wide mesh holes as pictured belowed:

Please let me know what you think. Thank you!!

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi,

Was hoping someone could let me know if I'm reading it correctly.

View attachment 74718

Seems like the UVI Index is 2 - correct me if I'm wrong but for bearded dragons it's supposed to be between 2.9 - 7.4?

My UVB is Arcadia 12% t5 and is 14cm/5.5 inches from basking spot with wide mesh holes as pictured belowed:

View attachment 74719

Please let me know what you think. Thank you!!

We need Claudiusx or CooperDragon to respond
@Claudiusx
@CooperDragon

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm not familiar with that reader. Interesting that it measures UV Index and uw/cm2. Based on my experience with that light, the UV Index sounds low at that distance. The chicken wire shouldn't intercept much. The radiation output seems a bit closer to what I'd expect and is within a good basking range. Given that, I'd probably ignore the UVI reading and go with the UV Radiation reading which should be in the general range of about 125-200 in the basking area. I would keep a record of your current measurements so that you can periodically check the bulb and see if the output is decreasing over time. If the output starts to drop significantly, that will tell you when it's time to replace the bulb. These Arcadia bulbs typically last longer than a year (mine is about 4-5 years old or so) and having a way to check the output will help you get the most out of the bulb.

 

[tedbubz]

I'm not familiar with that reader. Interesting that it measures UV Index and uw/cm2. Based on my experience with that light, the UV Index sounds low at that distance. The chicken wire shouldn't intercept much. The radiation output seems a bit closer to what I'd expect and is within a good basking range. Given that, I'd probably ignore the UVI reading and go with the UV Radiation reading which should be in the general range of about 125-200 in the basking area. I would keep a record of your current measurements so that you can periodically check the bulb and see if the output is decreasing over time. If the output starts to drop significantly, that will tell you when it's time to replace the bulb. These Arcadia bulbs typically last longer than a year (mine is about 4-5 years old or so) and having a way to check the output will help you get the most out of the bulb.

Got it! That was very helpful and yes I will definitely keep track of the readings. Thank you very much for your input and advice