Another light question please help

[AstridsFam]

Hi . Last night my husband bought a tube bulb for our little ones viv. It's a 24 inch tube bulb exo terra repti glo 10.0 . It's the only one the pet store had. Is it as good as the repti sun brand? Has there been known problems with it? Also the fixture has a plastic cover for it, do I need to use it or will it block uvb rays? I've been using a CHE all day long and all night long for basking and heat, temps have been 75 cool side and 109 basking. Is that good or does she need light for basking. The last couple nights she's been sleeping on basking branch. Not sure on tank size, think it's 30 gallon. We have been using a coil, but wanted to move to tube, does she still need the coil and the tube, it just tube? Sorry for so many questions, just want the best home for Astrid. Thanks for help!

 

[Blind]

The Repti-Glo does not put off a sufficient amount of UVB. The ReptiSUN does. Night time temps should be cooler than day time temps, to allow thermo-regulation. 75 is a little cool, it should be closer to 85. 109 is too hot, it should be closer to 98-100. I would recommend a bulb instead of the CHE. 30 gallons is too small, it should be a 40 gallon breeder, minimum. Compact bulbs can cause eye damage, I would get rid of it.

 

[AstridsFam]

She is 6 weeks old, does that make a difference in basking temps? We will be moving her to bigger tank when she gets bigger, we are just starting out. Thanks for your help.

 

[catUK]

at 6 weeks old there temps should be 105-110 so your temps are fine. I would recommend having a basking bulb as they are attracted to the light and so it encourages them to bask. i used to only have CHE and my beardie didn't bask. I put in a basking bulb and she moves from basking to cool area throughout the day, which they are supposed to do. I put my CHE on a thermostat to keep temps up- the bulbs also have the bonus of making the cage look brighter and nicer. I used a repti-glo too at first but changed when i heard they weren't any good, although it didn't (luckily0 cause any health problems. The repti-sun and arcadia 12% are the bests UVBs. Like Blind said, get rid of the coil and just use the tube (without the plastic- your right it does block UVB) Also make sure the temps drop at night- keep them between 60-70 (best on the 70 side)- not sure if you already do this

 

[FBradshaw]

A basking light is required for proper food digestion, so definitely look into a basking lamp(a standard house bulb will work). The Repti-GLO used to be alot more inconsistent with it's output, however they are alot better than they were and should be suitable. The CHE should only be used if additional heating is needed after the proper bulbs are in place. 100 - 110 for a basking spot is normal, 85 for a cool side, with an overall ambient temp of around 95. At night the temps can drop to around 65 with no problems what so ever. And yes the plastic cover on your fixture will filter out most of the UV light, so it's not needed on the fixture. Your 30 gal is plenty adequate for your baby and should suffice for an adult, but a little more room would never hurt.

 

[AstridsFam]

Thanks so much every body