UV Exposure vs. Basking Spot Problems

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ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
I am a bit anxious because I don't think Figment is getting the UV rays he needs to stay healthy.

My Reptisun 10.0 is mounted inside my 40BR tank just under the screen on the back wall of the hab. There is no way to move it to the middle of the screen, as it's a sliding lid. I probably should have gone with the T5 and just let it sit on top, but I thought I was doing the right thing at the time... :(

At any rate, I used to have a hammock in the tank right under the UV, easily inside the desired UV 6" - 9" inches away spacing, and Figment would spend a good bit of time every day there. The trouble was, I was getting nervous that he wasn't spending enough time under his basking light in the target hot spot, which is about 10-12 inches away from the UV strip. On the recommendation of one of the frequent posters here, I removed the hammock and Figment is now basking under his lamp a good portion of each day.

But now he's out of that target UV range.

I can't move the basking spot any closer to the UV strip than it already is. To get the two to overlap is virtually impossible, given the size of my basking lamp fixture (10"), the location of the UV strip on the back wall of the tank, and the configuration of the basking branch.

Should I return the hammock to the tank, and let him make up his mind where to spend his time? Will he move between the two spots as he needs to? I don't want to risk his digestion, if he doesn't bask enough under the heat lamp... but I don't want to risk MBD if he's not getting enough UV.

Thanks in advance for the advice.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Yes he will sit where he needs to so dont worry- if you want to put the hammock back do so --- let him sit where he wants to -- Blazes UVB is toward the front of tank and his basking spot is to the back - in the morning he sits and basks and late morning he moves to his UVB area
Karrie
 

CooperDragon

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I agree that while it’s best if the most intense UVB and heat are together over the basking zone, he will move around to get what he needs as long as the options are available.
 

Claudiusx

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CooperDragon":g5jiocb3 said:
I agree that while it’s best if the most intense UVB and heat are together over the basking zone, he will move around to get what he needs as long as the options are available.
Agreed. :)

-Brandon
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
Nice to know. I recently measured the UVI at Zardoz' basking spot: 1.3
He moves around, but it seems he's temp-regulating rather than UVB-regulating. Sometimes he crawls under the basking rock, sticking out halfway. (I have no way of getting a reading at ground level due to the height of the unit). Today I'm building a higher basking choice out of some bricks.
 

ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Thanks, folks... I'll put the hammock back in tonight, which I'm sure will make him happy, and just trust that he will self-regulate heatwise. I'll also slide the heat lamp as close to the UV strip fixture as I can without risking damage to the unit; I don't want it overheating, melting, etc. I was worried originally that he wasn't getting warm enough on the hammock, but I think he's a better judge of his comfort than I am, and he'll have plenty of choices of where to bask. I'll just keep an eye on his poops to make sure he's digesting properly.
 

CooperDragon

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I found that foil works pretty well as a heat shield for plastic parts. Before I had stands for my lights I put foil on the plastic cross pieces on top of the tank and it kept them from being melted by the hot basking light fixture. Might be something worth testing out.
 

ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
CooperDragon":1qo7o47d said:
I found that foil works pretty well as a heat shield for plastic parts. Before I had stands for my lights I put foil on the plastic cross pieces on top of the tank and it kept them from being melted by the hot basking light fixture. Might be something worth testing out.

Thanks for the tip - I'll give it a go!

As I check this message, I've put the hammock back in place and Figment promptly crawled into it and is snoozing away. I don't know about the UV, but he loves his hammock!
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
ComicBookMama":21ekizji said:
I've put the hammock back in place and Figment promptly crawled into it and is snoozing away. I don't know about the UV, but he loves his hammock!
That's what it's all about in the end. Keeping them happy. They have a limited time on this earth, and we really should do what we can to make it as good a time as possible for them :)

-Brandon
 

ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
claudiusx":m3ucxwua said:
That's what it's all about in the end. Keeping them happy. They have a limited time on this earth, and we really should do what we can to make it as good a time as possible for them :)

In complete agreement with this. :)
 
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