arcadia vs reptisun 10.0?

[Pleaides]

hello
ok i know there are loads of topics with these sorts of questions but cannot find any to answer my questions and i need an answer asap as my Venus' UV was due to be changed beginning of february!

now i can get the arcadia d3 tube but have found its cheaper than the reptisun 10.0 tube and the reptisun 5.0, why is this if its meant to be such a better tube?
so would it still be best to get the arcadid d3 tube?
this is it here, its the 5th one down the list, i did try posting just the tube but the link doesnt work for some reason. http://www.livefoods.co.uk/index.php?cPath=50


also i use Calypso calcium monday to friday and nutrabol saturday and sunday so will these still be ok to use with the arcadia?
my viv's are 5x2x2 foot and the other is 5x1.5x1.5 foot so will the 48" arcadia be ok in these size vivariums?
how long does the arcadia last before it gets changed? is it the same as the reptisuns, 6 months?
also ive noticed theres a 6%, 12% and 2% for forest, desert and natural sunlight, which one inparticular do i need?

please try to answer all questions if possible i need an answer real quick.
thanx all!

anny, mischief and venus

 

[zebraflavencs]

Pliades, this is the one you want.
http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=50&products_id=988
Janie.

 

[Pleaides]

hey
ok this is written along the top line of that bulb

Desert reptile species are naturally exposed to strong sunlight and require relatively high concentrations of UV-B light and so should be kept under a 12% UV-B D3+ Reptile Lamp

what does that mean? do i need a particular white light in conjunction with this uv? all i normally use is a 60 watt white household bulb, will this still be ok? do you know about the calcium and vitamins also that i asked bout before?

oh also i just noticed theres no length to chose, how long is it?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Though I live in the states, this is the vitamins and calcium I use, not quite sure if they are available to you there.
Rep-cal Herptivite (blue label) 2 days a week on first prey feeding and on salad.
Rep-cal Phosphorous free Calcium with D3 (pink label) 5 days a week on first prey feeding and on salad.
I hope this helps out !
Janie.

 

[Pleaides]

sorry janie that dont really make sense to me, lol
im not sure if the calypso calcium has d3 or not, does the reptisun have d3 because i know with some tubes you need to give calcium without the d3 so im confused at the mo?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Ah, no worries, this can be terribly confusing, can't it. The only bulbs I know NOT to use calcium with D3 are the Mercury Vapor bulbs, and the Arcadia is not one of those.
As for the length, you want the one that covers the most linear space, lengthwise across the enclosure. If your enclosure is 36" then you will want the 24" unless you know how to take apart the fixture itself and screw what is needed without the reflectors into your viv.
Does that clear things up a bit ? If not, I am watching this, so keep asking !
Janie.

 

[beardie parents]

Hi, all I know about this is what I've read on this site. I am guessing you live in the UK as from what Tracie (drache613) says that the arcadia d3 is a better bulb than the reptisun 10 is. I know that we in the US can't get the arcadia bulb. My guess is that why the arcadia is cheaper is maybe because the Reptisun's must be imported and the arcadia is made there? That's a possibility. I would buy the strongest uvb you can get. However, since you need to change anyway, you could go for either the mega ray or the trex as they are even stronger than both the arcadia and the reptisun 10. I don't use either one, yet.

From what I understand, if you are using the tube lights you need the calcium with d3. You could double check with Tracie on that one though if you want. From what Tracie and others have said, the calcium you get is the one that can be found in the UK and not in the US and the ones we can get here, you can't get there. That's why I don't know much about the calipso calcium, except that what Tracie says it's a good calcium. You should be able to use that with the arcadia and I would go with the 12% one as I think that's the highest one and I've read that it's a little stronger than the reptisun but not much. As I said before, if you want the strongest uvb, and have a tank the right size, go with the mega rays.

 

[Pleaides]

right ok let me get this right, so with the reptisun or arcadia i need to use calcium with the d3, correct?

also on the link you gave me theres no choice of length i need a 48" and both my vivs are 5 foot?
you can get the 48" in the reptisuns and the one i pointed out in the first link have the 48" also?


edit: dont worry bout the length i found the 48", lol, silly me.


beardie parents - where do i get the mega ray? yes im from the uk, yep tracie suggested the calypso thats why i use it, lol, i always take on board what she says. could you maybe tell me more about the mega ray? how far do the dragons need to be from it? do i use the same supplements i already am? so its better than the arcadia and reptisun? how loing does it last for?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Pleaides, the first link you showed me does indeed have a 48". I would go ahead and get that one.
Yes with either of those tubes you need calcium with D3.
Janie.

 

[Pleaides]

well thank you ever so much janie!
but now im not sure whether to get the mega ray or that arcadia one? lol, decisions, decisions ay. blasted uvs, lol
do you know how often the arcadia needs to be changed?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Every 5-6 months, and you do have a large enough enclosure to get the Megarays. The beauty of those, is the output continues 11-13 months before changing out.
Hold on, let me see if I can find a site for those MVB and a price.
Janie.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Here you are, they ship to the UK too !
Janie
http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-products.php

 

[Pleaides]

ok now that seems even more confusing, lol, so the mega rays would be the ones without the d3 in the calciium?
hmm think im going to order the arcadia for now then, so the arcadia is the same as the reptisun when it comes to lasting 5-6 months? so the mega rays last just over a year then, wow so much longer? is there any particlar mega ray i would need to be getting? so i know for next time then? and how far away do my dragons need to sit from it?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Yes. With the MVB's no D3 is needed. 12" away from the dragons too.
And yes again, the MVB's will last around a year before changing out. I am in the process of building a stacked enclosure for my two babies, bottom one is 48" x 24" x 24" , top one is 48" x 15" x 24 ", and I will be getting the MVB's for those. I will use the Reptisuns in the mean time as I found out that some of the MVBs are on back order.
I am happy you have the information you need, though if you do go with the MVBs somewhere down the line, ask Tracy which calcium is available to you without the D3.
Janie.

 

[Pleaides]

ok thats fantastic janie, thank you very much for all your help, now have the arcadia on its way.
yea i wish now i built my own viv's as i had mine specially made because you cant just buy them at the size ive got, ones 60x24x24 and the other is 60x20x20. very big, take up near enough my whole room, but my babies are worth it!

anny, mischief and venus