Is my beardie sick?

Status
Not open for further replies.

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
I agree, you can buy a slip-on metal reflector on Amazon.com that matches the length of your UVB tube, or you can try to make one with that heavy'duty tin foil...OR, if you have some tin-snips or shears, just go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a cheap sheet of the flexible aluminum/tin and cut it/shape it to go around the back of (behind) the tube and attach it. It's exactly the same thing that the commercially sold slip-on reflectors are made of.

It's very important though, because right now you're losing 50% of the UVb light off of the back glass, since it's not centered in the middle of the top of the tank, and then in order for him to get any UVB light he has to be right directly underneath the tube right now. Try to move the tube fixture away from the back of the tank and more towards the center, and then do either buy or make a metal reflector that goes behind the tube and then wraps around the back of it, about 1/2 inch away from it. This will reflect the UVb light all throughout his tank, rather than losing it off of the back glass and him having to be right underneath it to get any.
 

pferrell

Member
Original Poster
The light looks like its on the back wall in the picture, but it's attached to the screen top with zip ties about five or six inches off the back. I will for sure try and get a reflector in there though. Thanks for the tip
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
pferrell":233zhc22 said:
The light looks like its on the back wall in the picture, but it's attached to the screen top with zip ties about five or six inches off the back. I will for sure try and get a reflector in there though. Thanks for the tip

Gotcha...that's good, it does look like it's right against the back glass, which actually is pretty common to see people do. So that's awesome.

Yes, please do get some type of metal reflector ASAP, I know it seems like such a little, insignificant thing, but it's not. There have been controlled studies done on the levels of UVB light throughout tanks with and without just a simple piece of the "Heavy Duty" Tin Foil that you can buy at any grocery store or Walmart, simply placed behind the UVB tube and wrapped around the back of it. It's crazy but it makes sense.

I have one UVB tube fixture that is like yours, where it's not a square/rectangular fixture that the UVB tube actually sits inside and has the metal reflector built inside it, but rather the fixture just holds the UVB tube as it hangs down underneath the fixture, and they never come with a metal reflector because there's no where to put it in this kind of fixture. I just ordered a slip-on reflector the length of the UVB tube on Amazon.com for I think $10. It just clips onto the UVB tube at both ends, and then you just rotate it so that it's behind the tube, they come already shaped to wrap around the back of the tube.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

No members online now.

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,899
Messages
1,255,678
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom