Arcadia 14% UVB question

[Whyitsdonut]

Hey everyone,

My beardie is currently in a 40 breeder and I usually use an Arcadia 12% mounted to the inside of her tank lid which is about 10 inches from her usual hangout spot.

However it came time to get a new bulb and all I could find was a 14%. They recommend 17" from the basking spot but I can't get that distance. Should I leave it mounted inside the tank or should I put it on top of the metal mesh lid and let the kids filter out some of the UVB? I don't want to give her too much exposure if that's possible.

 

[Claudiusx]

The 14 is a really strong bulb.
You could use the reptisun 10.0 in place of the 12%. I still see lots of reptisun t5s around.

The recommend distance for the 14% is actually 18-24 inches according to arcadia. I wouldn't use it if you can't get it at least 18 inches from the basking site.
I use a 22inch 14% in my 4x2x2s, with basking spots around 18-20 inches away.

-Brandon

 

[Whyitsdonut]

The 14 is a really strong bulb.
You could use the reptisun 10.0 in place of the 12%. I still see lots of reptisun t5s around.

The recommend distance for the 14% is actually 18-24 inches according to arcadia. I wouldn't use it if you can't get it at least 18 inches from the basking site.
I use a 22inch 14% in my 4x2x2s, with basking spots around 18-20 inches away.

-Brandon

Their website States 15" from the basking spot and the container the light comes in states 17".

I don't really have much of an option with all the stuff going on. It's either run no UVB or run a 14%. I can't get 12% anywhere right now. That's why I'm thinking putting it on top of the mesh would work since it is known to filter out a good amount of the UVB

 

[Claudiusx]

You must be looking at the wrong website:

https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/full-sun-baskers/

From the manufacturer themselves. Specifically for bearded dragons.
Note that these bulbs can be used with multiple creatures all with differeing UVI requirements. So it's best to base your distances on what UVI level your specific creature needs, in this case, bearded dragons.

Why are you opposed to using the reptisun? It's basically the same as the 12%.

Your mesh at best would only filter out around 30%. Depending on the mesh it could be around 20%. But lets just say it was 30%.
Even at 30% blockage, you'd need to have the 14% at least 12 and a half inches away from the basking site.

I'd just use the reptisun t5 if you can't find yourself a 12%

-Brandon

 

[Whyitsdonut]

You must be looking at the wrong website:

https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/full-sun-baskers/

From the manufacturer themselves. Specifically for bearded dragons.
Note that these bulbs can be used with multiple creatures all with differeing UVI requirements. So it's best to base your distances on what UVI level your specific creature needs, in this case, bearded dragons.

Why are you opposed to using the reptisun? It's basically the same as the 12%.

Your mesh at best would only filter out around 30%. Depending on the mesh it could be around 20%. But lets just say it was 30%.
Even at 30% blockage, you'd need to have the 14% at least 12 and a half inches away from the basking site.

I'd just use the reptisun t5 if you can't find yourself a 12%

-Brandon

I've had multiple issues with the reptisuns. My girl started to show early signs of mbd while using one after nothing else had changed and she had been fine her entire lift before then. I also had 2 that stopped working within a month of buying them. That's why I switched to Arcadia as I never had issues with them.

Her lid is 16.5 inches from the floor and 14.5 inches from her basking spot. So if it was on her lid that should be fine then, right?

 

[Claudiusx]

Ok fair enough

I just thought of another potential solution for you.
Depending on the type of fixture you have, you could simply remove your reflector. This should halve the output effectively. What fixture do you use?

FWIW, I just measured one of my 14% and at 12 inches, I was getting a 8.1. And the bulb is probably 6 months old at this point. So, if I were to remove the reflector, it would give a reading of around 4 at 12 inches, which is about perfect.

So you could get the 14% and just run no reflector.

How long is your fixture and how long is your tank?

16 inches from the floor of the tank is pretty close too, as you want there to be a gradient of UVI and an escape. That's why I only run 22 inch fixtures in my 4x2x2 tanks. I can't stress enough how strong the 14% is. Even with a 22 inch long bulb, I don't get a reading of 0 until the last 2 or 3 inches of the edge of my tank. So that's 23~ inches down, and 2 feet further past the end of the bulb.

Of course, if you had hides and such that could provide and escape, that would work too. I just hesitate to confidently recommend the 14% for that size of a tank without first making sure you are aware of it's strength and what you might need to do to keep your dragon safe.

Remember, UV is important, but it's also dangerous.

-Brandon