Arcadia 12% vs 14% for a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure ! Maybe repeated post but I am going crazy

Hey everyone ! I am really really sorry for this post , but I really want to prepare a very good environment for my beardie which will come around mid january.
I've read almost all posts regarding the UVB lighting from this forum , I kinda understand the differences between the 12% and 14% Arcadia bulbs , but I still have some questions :
note: the enclosure is a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft vivarium from PAL

- if I will go with the 14% + reflector attached to the ceiling then => my basking spot should be 10cm maximum 15cm high , right ?
- if I will go with 12% + reflector attache to the ceiling then => basking spot should be 20 - 25 cm high , right ?

*** until yesterday I wanted to go with 14% Dragon 39w but I am concerned that I will have to restrict his options of climbing etc .

If I will go with the 14% means that my beardie won't have enough vertical climbing options , correct ? I should encourage vertical climbing options for him or it doesn't matter too much ?
Another thing is the length of the tube :
- 24w & 22" is 55cm
- 39w & 34" is 85 cm

4ft = 121 cm .
I've read that the UVB should tube should be 2/3 from enclosure length , so it is ok to go with the 39watts and 85cm tube for my setup ?



Maybe I am overthinking this and I am worried too much , but I really want to provide him a nice setup and a healthy habitat !

After the holidays , when I return home I will get the enclosure and start installing the lights, substrate, decor and work on temperatures.

Will try to post a picture with him also :)
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hey everyone ! I am really really sorry for this post , but I really want to prepare a very good environment for my beardie which will come around mid january.
I've read almost all posts regarding the UVB lighting from this forum , I kinda understand the differences between the 12% and 14% Arcadia bulbs , but I still have some questions :
note: the enclosure is a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft vivarium from PAL

- if I will go with the 14% + reflector attached to the ceiling then => my basking spot should be 10cm maximum 15cm high , right ?
- if I will go with 12% + reflector attache to the ceiling then => basking spot should be 20 - 25 cm high , right ?

*** until yesterday I wanted to go with 14% Dragon 39w but I am concerned that I will have to restrict his options of climbing etc .

If I will go with the 14% means that my beardie won't have enough vertical climbing options , correct ? I should encourage vertical climbing options for him or it doesn't matter too much ?
Another thing is the length of the tube :
- 24w & 22" is 55cm
- 39w & 34" is 85 cm

4ft = 121 cm .
I've read that the UVB should tube should be 2/3 from enclosure length , so it is ok to go with the 39watts and 85cm tube for my setup ?



Maybe I am overthinking this and I am worried too much , but I really want to provide him a nice setup and a healthy habitat !

After the holidays , when I return home I will get the enclosure and start installing the lights, substrate, decor and work on temperatures.

Will try to post a picture with him also :)
@CooperDragon -- he can help you w/ the tank set up
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
You could probably go either way and be OK. The 14% is a pretty strong bulb and might be overkill for a 4x2x2 really. The 12% should be (very roughly) 30cm above the main basking spot. There can be branches that allow closer access and provide some higher UVB levels. You also want to make sure to have some low UVB areas/shade. With the 14% you want the main basking area to be more like 45-60cm away which would put the basking spot on the floor of a 2ft tall enclosure. As far as the width goes, the 24w will be enough because it is long enough to allow for even basking. I use a 34'' (12%) and just set it along the front of the enclosure to give some gradient along the depth of the tank. It is visually much brighter than using a 22'' which is nice, but either one can work well. It really comes down to providing plenty of options and letting your dragon choose what they want at any given time (what they want varies).
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
The only true way to know exact placement is by using a uvb meter to measure the strength of uvb at any given distance, otherwise it's all just rule of thumb anyways. As long as you have a quality bulb and give your dragon options for distance, he will figure it out 😀
 

liviu_s_tudor

Member
Original Poster
You could probably go either way and be OK. The 14% is a pretty strong bulb and might be overkill for a 4x2x2 really. The 12% should be (very roughly) 30cm above the main basking spot. There can be branches that allow closer access and provide some higher UVB levels. You also want to make sure to have some low UVB areas/shade. With the 14% you want the main basking area to be more like 45-60cm away which would put the basking spot on the floor of a 2ft tall enclosure. As far as the width goes, the 24w will be enough because it is long enough to allow for even basking. I use a 34'' (12%) and just set it along the front of the enclosure to give some gradient along the depth of the tank. It is visually much brighter than using a 22'' which is nice, but either one can work well. It really comes down to providing plenty of options and letting your dragon choose what they want at any given time (what they want varies).
Thank you very much for the detailed answer, also as @xp29 mentioned the best will be to get a Solar Meter (it's not the case now , but I will do it in the future - I will make another custom enclosure with floors etc). Thanks everyone for the answers.
It is kinda tricky for me right now , since I don't have the enclosure at the moment, as I said I will buy it in the 1st week of January when I will get back but I am trying to look online for basking ramps / woods etc etc to create a mental model of how I should arrange it.
I think I will go with 12% Desert - 39w - 85cm and I will try to have UVB light crossed with the basking heat bulb on top of the basking spot in that way 2/3 of the enclosure will have UVB ( different levels of course) .
 

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