I was planning on getting a 48" x 24" x 18" white melamine cage with Repti Sun 10. :study: But I have been reading great things about Arcadia so I'm going to get Arcadia instead. I also can get the 48" x 24" x 24" cage instead because it's the same price as the 18".
What should I get?
a) 48" x 24" x 18" white melamine cage with 24" T8 Arcadia 12%. With no reflector.
b) 48" x 24" x 24" white melamine cage with 24" T8 Arcadia 12%. With no reflector.
c) 48" x 24" x 18" white melamine cage with 24" T8 Arcadia 12%. With reflector.
d) 48" x 24" x 24" white melamine cage with 24" T8 Arcadia 12%. With reflector.
e) 48" x 24" x 18" white melamine cage with 22" T5 Arcadia 12% with Arcadia fixture (it has a reflector)
f) 48" x 24" x 24" white melamine cage with 22" T5 Arcadia 12% with Arcadia fixture (it has a reflector)
I'm leaning towards (f). Is it too much? I have not bought any decor yet and I'm thinking a 6" tall hubba hut for basking and a hammock on the cool side. But I'm pretty open. I can get a branch or a platform, too.
I think if you go for the 24" tall enclosure, you should get one of the options with a reflector, because I think it might be hard to get your basking spot close enough to the UVB bulb, so the reflector would help concentrate the UVB better.
I'd skip the T-5 size since the Arcadia is imported, if they ever stop importation you'll have to switch to reptisun which comes in T-8. You can go with the 24" tall cage and mount the UVB on the back wall about midway down. Whether or not you get the reflector doesn't really matter. I'd actually just buy a 24" fixture from walmart for $8 and get the T8 24" Arcadia 12% and install it myself with command hooks.