Bought A Rept sun 10 ... What now??

[cath1024]

Hi everyone,
We just bought another Baby 4 months old and she is soooo cute!

We already have a male who is about 9 months old who is in his own viv.

My daughter has named this new one Belle .... anyways Belle is going to start off in our smaller 20 gallon long for now and then move upto a larger one later on once she becomes a big girl.

We have all kinds of lights and domes from when we started out with our first dragon and decided to set up her viv using what we had around here for lighting.

Now i have been reading that the dual uvb and heat all in one light was not the best and i personall dont like it myself - just isnt bright enough and rather confined to one small area.

Our male has the Mega Ray but that bulb would be too strong for the baby in the smaller tank so i bought the repi sun 10 24" length .... ok so here is where im stumped - dont laugh but i have never used a long tube light before and when i took it out of the box i was like ok so how do i make this thing work??? Could someone tell me what i need to get to hold this bulb? Do i just need some sort of a holder that the bulb screws into or what?

Thanks for your help on this!

 

[beardie parents]

I have a reptisun 10 the 18" strip. I decided to use the light holders that go above the fish tanks. Others go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get one of the strip fixtures.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Yes, you can buy the fixtures at Lowes or Home Depot. Try to get the type with reflective backing on the inside of the fixture as that helps to improve the UVB output. The Reptisun 10 tube bulb should fit the conventional T8 fixture.
Also, make sure to place it directly beside the basking light so your dragon can get heating & UVB all in one focused area. It also helps to protect the eyes with the bright light. It should be 6-8 inches from her, as well.


Tracie

 

[cath1024]

Thanks guys for your replies ... the lady at the store said it should say T12 ... i dont know what those numbers mean ... does it make any difference between T12 and T8?

 

[slantedii]

t8 and t12 are 2 different types of bulbs. The t stands for tubular i believe, and the number actually refers to the number of 1/8's of an inch in diameter, t8 = 1 inch and t12 = 1.5. (you prolly didnt need to know all that) but find out which bulb you have (should say on it) and make sure the fixture you buy will work for that bulb.

 

[cath1024]

Ok the repti sun 10 bulb is T12 ... we went to home depot and all we could find was these metal cover that had all these wires you had to connect and stuff ... we then went to petsmart and they had the fish ones but all were T8 size and will not fit our bulb.

Are all repti sun 10 not the same? I mean are some T12 and some T8?

We just want a thin holder that this bulb can just go into and thats it - no woring and stuff.

Should we try another pet store for the aquarium light covers or are most only T8 smaller bulbs for aquariums?

 

[herpfreak]

Thank you! I am so glad I read this; I am getting a ReptiSun 10.0, and I would have had the exact same problem. :lol:

 

[Woodstock]

I am by no means an expert, but I believe only the smallest Reptisun 10.0 is a T8, and all the others are T12. I believe Drsfostersmith.com has the correct housing, though I don't recall if it's for a 24" bulb or not. At least it's a start. I believe the manufacturer is Perfecto, made through Marineland. I'd check the Marineland website for more details as well. Hope that helps!

 

[cath1024]

I am about ready to take this bulb back and get something else as this is becoming a real headach trying to find a fixture to hold this repti sun 10 ... it is fatter then the T8 bulbs ... we have went to several pet stores and aquarium stores and home depot etc... and all only have fixtures to fit the T8 bulbs!

 

[Woodstock]

This should sum it up and provide you (and me, and others) some closure:

http://www.lightsofamerica.com/sl.htm

Their fixtures are available at wal-mart, home depot, lowes, costco...or online through the company and specifically state that they are T8 AND T12 compatible. Model 8050 at the bottom of the page is for 24" bulbs.

Hope that helps!

 

[Woodstock]

Scracth that...I'm an *****!

Upon reading the manual, it states that the power output will not be maximum for a T12 bulb...meaning it probably won't give out the full dose of UV light.

I think I'm giving up and going to the T8 Reptisun 5.0 as well...I can't find a useable fixture for this light that's not a fortune!!

 

[iguannaman]

hi just go to walmart and get the standard 24in. fixture for 9 bucks and i used pipe straps as hangers to get it the right distance inside the tank