UVB levels

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Shaye

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Hi, I recently replaced my two reptisun 10.0 bulbs with two Arcadia 14% bulbs and was wondering if anyone could give me some input on distance, the coverage it should have on the basking area, if I should have a shaded area that still gets in the 95+ range, and any other advice based on knowledge or experience. Basically my main question is if this light can provide “too much” uvb exposure if too close. At 14inches the specs rate it at 6.00. From the limited knowledge I’ve gathered Australian summertime uvb ratings regularly reach 12-14+ in the uv index, but I have no clue how much of that is uvb exposure. So should I keep it at 14’ away from the bulb at the highest spot as recommended? Or is it generally better to provide more if they choose to go up there? Thank you to any and all replies!
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Those are great questions.
Are the two Arcadia D3 14% tube bulbs the T8 or the T5 bulbs?
Are you using the Solarmeter 6.5 to measure the UVI levels? I agree, it isn't unusual for them to
be exposed to higher UVB & UVI levels when in nature, but normally they don't stay in the sun
light under those intensities for prolonged periods of time They seek refuge from those types of
levels.
When being exposed to those levels in a closed environment, it is harder for them to get out of the
exposure because it bounces around the tank. At 14 inches, is it on top of or underneath of the
screen top? A reading of 6 UVI at 12-14 inches is good. What is the closest distance your dragon
can get to it?
With regards to how much UVB/cm2 that would be, it varies from bulb to bulb. Just speculating, it
would likely be at least 85cm2 since Arcadia usually has strong bulbs. They normally have a very
balanced UVB:UVI ratio of about 18-20:1. Be sure the basking light is directly beside the tubes,
also for brightness.
If you have pictures of your setup, definitely post them so we can see the placement, etc.
I hope this helps out.

Tracie
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
I aim for 180 - 200 microW UVB / sq.cm , and I find my dragons have enjoyed this level , staying under the UVB several hours per day.

I check the levels ever few months using a model 6.2 Solarmeter. I also have a model 6.5 and a model 4.2 but prefer direct measurement of UVB flux.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I usually shoot for the main basking area to be between 3-6 UVI which corresponds to mid morning and late afternoon levels. They can certainly handle more and you can build branches to allow closer access if they want it. They tend to have their own preferences so you can watch them and adjust based on how they react. It's good to offer as much variety as possible so they can choose what they want. If they hide from the UVB or stay to the side, then it may be a bit too much. If they're basking a lot directly under the light, then they might want a little more. 3-6 UVI is a good starting point though and kind of a happy medium for steady exposure throughout the day in a relatively small space (compared to their habitat). If you're using a Solarmeter 6.2 rather than 6.5, then this pretty much corresponds to the levels that Kingofnobbys mentioned.
 

Shaye

Member
Original Poster
Oh, goodness I’m so sorry I took this long to respond. I actually went to a reptile shop the day after posting this and they had the bulbs (and a uv meter!) for their bearded dragon enclosures. They were incredibly helpful, and even were so kind as to use their meter right there and then to help me gauge the distances. I ended up buying a new screen that I had tested the Arcadia bulb through since I needed one, and a bunch of crickets and miscellaneous items since I wanted to help their little shop. I don’t have a working camera right now because the one on my phone is broken, and I never had a need for a plain old camera on its own before. Their enclosure is fairly plain right now because there has been issues with the crickets being such good hiders. I’ll have to custom make a few hides and more climbing branches.

It has:
- a plain brown towel that I cut to size and fitted to the bottom
- 1 roughly 20x26” hammock under the basking spot that I made to keep them from possibly fighting in the future for a basking spot. This way the temperature gradient is perfectly even spreading from the corner which I keep at 113 and goes to a nice 108 in the circle around it where they actually prefer to bask. Occasionally after sitting somewhere else they’ll go right to the corner to warm up faster, then move.
- a decent sized log (as a step to the hammock) that I have suspended above-ground to keep crickets from hiding in or on it, and also serves as a “step” to the hammock
- Pyramid hiding home (they never use it and prefer sleeping on the floor, log, hammock, or just on top of the pyramid itself :/)
- and of course water dish. The water dish I plan on soon replacing with some type of flowing fountain I’m going to make to catch their eye and ears because they seem to constantly forget they have water in the cool corner.

I also put the tube next to the basking light as Drache suggested because the pet store had mentioned the same thing, and ended up moving the tube a little closer than I had it originally as they were basking for over half the day straight sometimes. Now they seem a bit happier with it overall, and their appetites have grown.

ps. I do have one issue however with my bigger baby females nasal shedding (I think it’s shed related), but I will make a new post as it is a health topic.
 
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