Everything you ever wanted to know about "t5" and "Ho"....

Status
Not open for further replies.

Venutus1

Member
Everything you ever wanted to know about "t5" and "Ho"....But were afraid to ask.

Hi All,

It is me... Todd from lightyourreptiles.com.

Yes, I still exist.
LOL...
But have been so busy I have not had time to post or contribute here of late, (or any forum I am on). :roll:

And it has come to my attention allot of folks my have more technical questions and need help working with these new HO t5 bulbs and fixtures.

So, I figured, why not start a thread and I will check it regularly to see what questions are out there?

Now... please note: this is not "my" thread, and I encourage ANYONE with t5 light experience and "2 cents" to CHIME RIGHT IN HERE! :blob5:

I am going to start today by tossing out some general information:

The terms "t5" (and "t8" or "t10" for that matter) are lighting terms that refer to the Diameter of the particular type of Fluorescent bulb/tube. And the particular fixture(s) that take that tube.

THERE ARE 2 Types of T5 bulbs and fixtures that are common.

There are "NO" ones. (or I have seen them called "HE" sometimes.)
NO = Nominal Out-put and "HE" is sort of the same.... and it stands for "High Efficiency".
THE ZILLA t5 bulbs and the fixtures that ZILLA market are NO. Nominal Out-put.
EXAMPLE:
The 46" inch t5 NO tube that works with the ZIlLA fixtures is ONLY 28 watts. (keep that in mind as you keep reading. :lol: )

Also... MANY of the t5 fixtures sold at Wal-Mart, Home Depot or Lowes ARE also "NO" ...
OR IN OTHER WORDS...
use the lower wattage version of T5 tubes.

This includes those most of those "undercabinet" style t5 fixtures, too.
You know the ones... the slim ones that are perfect hidden up under your kitchen cabinets. :p

There are also some nice looking aquarium t5 lights (IE: the "HE" line from DeepBlue") that SEEM affordable and say the majic words "T5".
BUT...
Those are also of LOWER light out-put and their T5 flo. tubes that work in them are still... as our example... ONLY 28 watts for the 46" inch long tube.

Can you light animals with the above lighting fixtures /products?
SURE!

BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE THE ARCADIA T5 "HO" TUBES.

And that is our segway to the term: "HO"

"HO" = HIGH OUT-PUT
High Out-put t5 bulbs and their corresponding fixtures are just that: HIGH OUT-PUT
They have HIGHER POWER electronic ballasts in them that drive the MORE POWERFUL HO t5 bulbs/tubes.
That is why they are also a bit more expensive.

The Arcadia Brand of t5 tubes are HO and require that more potent ballast to drive them.
They are called the D3 and D3+ bulbs.
The D3 version has a 6% UV out-put and is great for smaller / shallow set-ups.
The D3+ version has a 12% UV out-put and is good for reptiles with higher UV requirements.... or set ups where the light fixture is farther away from the animals.

You see, as an example, the Arcadia 46" HO t5 tube is 54 Watts vs. the 28 watts of the NO ones we talked about above. (ie; Zillie)
And the Arcadia give CONSIDERABLY more visible light & invisible light.
And by "invisible light" I mean UV A and UV B. Since UV A and UV B are invisible to our human eyes. :shock:

This is what we know as "More BANG for your Buck!" :mrgreen:
That is why the HO T5 craze is real and is the way things are going.
(And why yours truly here has been so busy. LOL 8) )

High out-put t5 Flo. fixtures are more commonly used by folks into indoor gardening :wink: and for other horticultural purposes.
And also HO t5 fixtures are a staple in the Marine Aquarium hobby... since live corals and marine plants need that extra "kick" of light that "NO" tubes just cannot provide.

Arcadia has JUST LAUNCHED their new VERY EDUCATIONAL WEB-SITE:
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/
It is a "must visit and book-mark" place for sure!

They also have a t5 section:
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/example/

*** OK .... and before a thousand people ask... their new t5 ho reptile fixture IS NOT available in the US as of yet.That is: as of me writing this on 5.24.2012 *** :blob8:
It is only currently available in the 220v model for the European market.
They do not have the model ready yet in the 110v version for the North American market.
It will be available some day.

However, we can still find MANY suitable t5 HO units here in the US for our herps at the moment. :p

There are some particularly nice units that take a single bulb and have a great reflector available.
They usually cost around only around 40.00 - 65.00 for a fixture depending on length and construction.
As well as some nice (but ususally more expensive) Marine Aquarium HO T5 fixtures.

NOTE: The Marine Aquarium ones usually take 2 bulbs.
IN THOSE DOUBLE BULB MODELS,
YOU WOULD USE ONE ARCADIA HO t5 on one side of those double bulb units >>>> and a Plain Daylight HO t5 bulb on the other side.
**IF YOU USED 2 ARCADIA BULBS IN THEM...that would give you ALLOT OF UV.** :eek: :shock:
And fixtures using 2 Arcadia bulbs would have to be VERY FAR AWAY from the animals ... at least 2 feet or more.
And checked with a Solarmeter.
(BTW, Solarmeters are very valuable tools for anyone serious about their pets.)

Anyway, I hope this gets the ball rolling.

And my hope is folks will be able to use and contribute to this thread as a reference.
We will all be able to use it to bone up on our T5 Savvy. :study:

Cheers!
Sincerely,
Todd
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com
[email protected]
And remember to please also check out: http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/example/
 

scm133

Juvie Member
Todd, thanks for the information. I really like the new website http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/, and noticed you have a custom lighting guide for different species. I did notice under bearded dragons, that you recommend the Arcadia T-5 D3 12% AND the Arcadia D3 Basking Bulb for enclosures that are 24" High. I have a 4x2x2 with the Arcadia T-5 D3 12% mounted at the top front of the viv, and it is 19 inches from the basking spot. Right now, I am using a ZooMed Basking bulb 50 Watts. Should I change to the Arcadia D3 basking bulb? Will that give too much UVB? My solar meter 6.2 reads 49 at the basking spot. Thanks!!
 

Narwhal72

Member
What's the advantage to using an HO T5 lamp over a standard T8?

I mean if the beardie is getting all the UVB it needs from a standard T8 Reptisun 10.0 running at 32 watts (48" length) why would I want to change to a higher wattage (54 watt HO T5) lamp?

If there was no advantage in UVB then wouldn't it seem a step backwards in terms of energy efficiency?
Since the NO T5 lamps produce the same or more UVB than a T8 they would be more energy efficient at least.


Andy
 

Venutus1

Member
Original Poster
scm133":pgfxp5k3 said:
Todd, thanks for the information. I really like the new website http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/, and noticed you have a custom lighting guide for different species. I did notice under bearded dragons, that you recommend the Arcadia T-5 D3 12% AND the Arcadia D3 Basking Bulb for enclosures that are 24" High. I have a 4x2x2 with the Arcadia T-5 D3 12% mounted at the top front of the viv, and it is 19 inches from the basking spot. Right now, I am using a ZooMed Basking bulb 50 Watts. Should I change to the Arcadia D3 basking bulb? Will that give too much UVB? My solar meter 6.2 reads 49 at the basking spot. Thanks!!

Hi SCM133,
The D3 basking bulb is not available in the US (in our 110v) until this Fall.
But it would be like adding a Power Sun merc vapor bulb.
They are along the same lines.
I would NOT use the 2 in conjuction (a merc vapor & a t5 12%) unless it is in a huge cage.
Yes..You have a large cage.. ;) but I do not think it is large enough to add a 100 to 160 watt mercury vapor bulb WITH a 12% t5.
How hot is your basking spot?
In a cage that size... it seems that if your only heat is coming from a 50 watt incandescent bulb.....it at least seems like temps could be a bit low.
(Even though I do see that you live in Florida. :) )

:p
Cheers!!
Todd
LightYourReptiles.com
 

Venutus1

Member
Original Poster
Narwhal72":3cd66oge said:
What's the advantage to using an HO T5 lamp over a standard T8?

I mean if the beardie is getting all the UVB it needs from a standard T8 Reptisun 10.0 running at 32 watts (48" length) why would I want to change to a higher wattage (54 watt HO T5) lamp?

If there was no advantage in UVB then wouldn't it seem a step backwards in terms of energy efficiency?
Since the NO T5 lamps produce the same or more UVB than a T8 they would be more energy efficient at least.


Andy

Hi Andy,
The t5's are a more powerful bulb, not only in terms UV out-put .... but visible light out-put as well.
They go a lot further in approxomating the lumen levels of natural sunlight vs. NO T-8 Tubes, as well.

They go more into details here on the Arcadia web-site.
Including photos of 2 tanks side by side.

http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/example/

And here is Mrs. Baines (the Goddess of all things UV!! :blob5: ) giving a brief overview of the various types of UV emitting bulbs, including the New HO T5's.

http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/video-2/

Thank you, Andy!
Cheers,
Todd
www.lightyourreptiles.com
 

scm133

Juvie Member
Venutus1":5etmvn82 said:
scm133":5etmvn82 said:
Todd, thanks for the information. I really like the new website http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/, and noticed you have a custom lighting guide for different species. I did notice under bearded dragons, that you recommend the Arcadia T-5 D3 12% AND the Arcadia D3 Basking Bulb for enclosures that are 24" High. I have a 4x2x2 with the Arcadia T-5 D3 12% mounted at the top front of the viv, and it is 19 inches from the basking spot. Right now, I am using a ZooMed Basking bulb 50 Watts. Should I change to the Arcadia D3 basking bulb? Will that give too much UVB? My solar meter 6.2 reads 49 at the basking spot. Thanks!!

Hi SCM133,
The D3 basking bulb is not available in the US (in our 110v) until this Fall.
But it would be like adding a Power Sun merc vapor bulb.
They are along the same lines.
I would NOT use the 2 in conjuction (a merc vapor & a t5 12%) unless it is in a huge cage.
Yes..You have a large cage.. ;) but I do not think it is large enough to add a 100 to 160 watt mercury vapor bulb WITH a 12% t5.
How hot is your basking spot?
In a cage that size... it seems that if your only heat is coming from a 50 watt incandescent bulb.....it at least seems like temps could be a bit low.
(Even though I do see that you live in Florida. :) )

:p
Cheers!!
Todd
LightYourReptiles.com
Thanks for your reply, Todd,
I am getting 105-107 temps from the 50 watt ZooMed Basking bulb. There is 11" from the Basking Bulb to the actually basking spot. I am using an infrared gun to check the temps. The ambient temp in the viv runs 78-80. I see what you are saying about adding a 100 watt mercury vapor bulb. The heat, and all. :roll:
 

Narwhal72

Member
Sorry Todd, but you did not really answer the question.
To quote Dr. Baines herself from the compact lamps unsafe thread at the top of this forum...
To my mind there are two ways of providing UVB to a reptile.
The first is the "shade method". You basically create a very large area in the vivarium (inhabited by the reptile for a considerable period of time each day - and including the basking area) with a UVB gradient that resembles UVB outdoors in the shade. (UV Index from zero to about 1.5 to 2.0)
I think this is probably ideal for crepuscular species or those which live in deep shade, and/or non-basking species. I think many sun-basking species such as bearded dragons can also survive quite successfully if they receive this low level of UVB over a large part of their body for long periods each day. I think it is also very wise to supplement occasionally with a vitamin or calcium powder containing vit D3, if using this method.
This sort of "background" UVB is most easily obtained by using long fluorescent tubes, extending halfway across an enclosure, from the warm end towards the cool end. These produce a large footprint of low-level UVB.

The second method is the "patch of sunlight" method. This involves supplying UVB with a steeper gradient, from zero to maybe UV Index 4.0 - 7.0, in the basking zone only. This mimics a beam of morning sunlight. It must of course be bigger than the reptile, so it can expose its whole body to heat, light and UVB all at once. But when not basking, the reptile then moves out of the gradient into shade which may have almost no UVB at all.
I think this method is more appropriate for sun-loving, basking species like bearded dragons, which thermoregulate by warming up in the morning then shuttling from sun to shade all day.
The "patch of sunlight" method requires a high-output UVB mercury vapour flood lamp or UVB-emitting metal halide over the basking spot. Basking temperatures must be adjusted using extra incandescent lamps if necessary, to keep the thermal gradient correct. Because you need a gradient from 100 - 110F under the lamp to 75 - 80F at the cool end, and this is vital for health, you can't use this method in a small tank. The whole thing gets too warm and the cool end loses its cool. I would estimate that it's very difficult to do this in anything smaller than 3ft wide, and you also need large ventilation panels to remove unwanted hot air.

Over a whole day, the total "dose" of UVB received by a reptile may be roughly similar with either method; i.e. a low dose for a long period, or a high dose for several short periods. I know of no scientific evidence for this; maybe someone could set up two vivaria, watch the lizards' basking behaviour and do the experiment, one day. (It would be a great project...) But in humans they use the same concept for UVB irradiation, i.e. dose = intensity x exposure time.

The reason I find compact lamps with "safer" spectra difficult to use in vivaria is because they are not ideal for either "shade" or "patch of sunlight" methods.
They produce a small zone of light with a steep UVB gradient - so unless you are illuminating a very small reptile in a very small vivarium, they do not provide a big enough zone for the "shade" method.
But the output is nowhere near high enough to create a "patch of sunlight" even if placed right next to the basking lamp. You are very unlikely to be able to produce a decent-sized basking zone with UV Index 3.0 or 4.0, for example, under a compact lamp with a safer spectrum.

If a T8 lamp produces an even low level of background UVB suitable for lighting for the shade method. Wouldn't increasing the background level of the UVB now put you into the same realm as a compact fluorescent? I.E. Too much UVB for the shade method and too little and over too large of an area to be suitable as a "Patch of Sunlight". It doesn't matter if the lamp produces more visible light. All that will help with is pupil restriction. Adding a second daylight (nonUVB producing) lamp would accomplish the same thing if it was necessary.

Andy
 

BossLady3

Member
Im constructing a 6x2x2 cage and I am not sure how far away they need to be with THESE particular bulbs... is 20" too close? I also read on a couple threads that if I get the T5 12% I should NOT get reflectors since I will need to place the thing about 3 feet from my beardies lol, so where can I find a balast that will be appropriate? I was looking to buy this: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/46t5hofihouw1.html

but it states "This unit has a great reflector build in... So there is no need to buy an add on reflector". will this not be appropriate, then? I want to set a full spectrum bulb alongside it but how hard is it going to be to find T5 bulbs? worst case, I can buy another ballast for the naturesun full spectrum, but thats not ideal :p

although after reading the quote from Dr. Baines, Im wondering if even at a 6 foot cage I should only get a 2 or three foot ballast for the arcadia, and then get another ballast thats bigger for full spectrum lighting. that way the entire cage has ample UVA, and I will set the heat and arcadia on the "warm" side.

quite confused :s
 

Venutus1

Member
Original Poster
BossLady3":1izng7nm said:
Im constructing a 6x2x2 cage and I am not sure how far away they need to be with THESE particular bulbs... is 20" too close? I also read on a couple threads that if I get the T5 12% I should NOT get reflectors since I will need to place the thing about 3 feet from my beardies lol, so where can I find a balast that will be appropriate? I was looking to buy this: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/46t5hofihouw1.html

but it states "This unit has a great reflector build in... So there is no need to buy an add on reflector". will this not be appropriate, then? I want to set a full spectrum bulb alongside it but how hard is it going to be to find T5 bulbs? worst case, I can buy another ballast for the naturesun full spectrum, but thats not ideal :p

although after reading the quote from Dr. Baines, Im wondering if even at a 6 foot cage I should only get a 2 or three foot ballast for the arcadia, and then get another ballast thats bigger for full spectrum lighting. that way the entire cage has ample UVA, and I will set the heat and arcadia on the "warm" side.

quite confused :s

Hi BossLady3,

You could use a double bulb Ho t5 fixture like a DeepBlue HO Fixture or a Double Bulb Current HO t5, and get say a 36" one so half of the cage is dimmer and half of the cage is brightly lit! :)
20" is not too close if you are using a single 12% Bulb. But it would be good if they had about 1/4 of the cage length unlit... or at least UV free, like shade outside.

There are literally dozens of brands of fixtures to choose from if you want to shop around... just Google " HO t5 ". And then click on images and you will see many fixtures.

HO T5 Fixtures are the most common fixture used for saltwater tanks.
The aquarium Hobbyists are the largest users of t5 fixtures.
And those are perfect for vivariums and terrariums!!
THe vivarium community in Europe has embraced T5 fixtures for reptiles and naturalistic set-ups.(Arcadia in UK , Lucky Reptile in Germany, etc ).

The 2 bulb fixtures work great.. one side with and Arcadia and One 6.5k Daylight.
The light that is given off with that set up has a very good spectrum.
Chameleon keepers are particularly fond of that configuration.


T5 HO "full spectrum" "daylight bulbs" can be purchased through me... as well as many other online retailers who sell more advanced pet products.
Zoo Med Ultra Sun is a particularly good T5 Daylight bulb without UV.
And I think your local Petco even carries those!!
Note: The saltwater "daylight" bulbs that are 10k - 14k (kelvin color temperature) and are TOO too blue /white in color for terrestrial animals.
So don't use.. too un-natural.... but I digress... :shock:

Also, If the bulbs are going to be closer than say 18" and light goes the whole length of the cage.. then one could just use the Arcadia 6% t5 ho bulb instead of the 12%.

The HO t5 6% Bulb is perfect for shallower tanks.
It produces almost exactly half the UV B... BUT the light / lumens are great from it!
And intensity of light is important, too. :idea: :idea:

There are ways you can even fine tune the UV from these, or any UV bulb, for that matter.
Like by using glass to partially block areas of UV (but not light) or the screen method to create shady areas.
THis method is commonly used by chameleon and dart frog keepers, but could be used for beardies too.
But I think a discussion on that would probably warrant its own thread. :)

And it goes without saying ... if you can afford a Solarmeter... or have a friend to borrow one from... then by all means do so!! check the UV in your set-up.

Anyway, I am rambling on a bit, but I hope this helps BossLady3.

Cheers!
Todd
 
Hi Todd,

Thanks for all the information on this topic, it helps sort things out a bit.

In looking on your site at the Arcadia bulbs, I noticed the HO t5 D3+ 12% and then what I assume is a NO t8 D3+ 12% as it shows *fits in all reg fluorescent fixtures*; is that correct? If it is correct, how does the NO D3+ differ from the ReptiSun 10.0?
My next question then is: does the NO t8 D3+ 12% [if it is t8] produce adequate UVA/daylight and UVB light?
Would that eliminate the need for an additional 6.5K daylight bulb, or would I still need a daylight bulb?

I think that is it, for now anyway.

[when I build my new vivs I will have the extra room to switch over to HO t5's but right now I don't have the distance]

Thanks

-Vicki
 

Venutus1

Member
Original Poster
dodgersmom":15vzq12q said:
Hi Todd,

Thanks for all the information on this topic, it helps sort things out a bit.

In looking on your site at the Arcadia bulbs, I noticed the HO t5 D3+ 12% and then what I assume is a NO t8 D3+ 12% as it shows *fits in all reg fluorescent fixtures*; is that correct? If it is correct, how does the NO D3+ differ from the ReptiSun 10.0?
My next question then is: does the NO t8 D3+ 12% [if it is t8] produce adequate UVA/daylight and UVB light?
Would that eliminate the need for an additional 6.5K daylight bulb, or would I still need a daylight bulb?

I think that is it, for now anyway.

[when I build my new vivs I will have the extra room to switch over to HO t5's but right now I don't have the distance]

Thanks

-Vicki

Hi Vicki.
My real answer: no single T8 tube provides enough visible light to match what they get in Nature.
Take a light meter outside and see what the light levels are ... (not talking about UV per se' ... just plain 'ol brightness.)
Then compare to 99.9% of the set-ups.
Our set ups DO NOT COMPARE... or EVEN COME CLOSE!
Outside of maybe the 6" -8" "Bright Spot" under the basking light.
So basically, most folks are keeping their pets like if WE were living in a dim room lit with CANDLES all our lives!
:cry:

Talk about S.A.D. :shock: (Seasonal affective disorder)


So, yes, by all means.... add another Full spectrum daylight bulb or maybe even some Jungle Dawn LED lighting.*
* ok that was a plug. :oops:

The Arcadia is a 12% bulb and the Zoo med is a 10% bulb.
I offer both.

This thread was intended for us to talk about the mechanics and application of T5 lighting.... because it seemed like so folks were saying it was confusing..
Not for me to sell or endorse anything.
Or try not to.. anyway.

But that is what folks seem to be asking me. LOL

Anyway, I am sure you know what bulb I personally feel is the best . 8)
The best made and longest lasting one from jolly old England.
I whole-heartedly favor the one made by the Company that I think is far superior in their philosophy for ADVANCING the hobby, rather than their wallets. :lol:
Like so many of them are.
and FYI...Arcadia is also the company that has been around quite a bit LONGER than the other too boot. They have been big in Europe since the late 60's.

Having said that, both are very good quality products, because ....I would not offer them if they were not. :blob5:
(note: i do not carry much by Zilly... :silent: or any exo teary linear flo. tubes :puke: . lol)

just a side note.. since I DID start the thread.... I guess I can indulge myself a wee bit.
One thing to know ... I am old. :blob8:
I have been keeping reptiles and exotics since 1976.
Another thing to know. I have worked for 5 pet stores from 1975 onward.... and owned one in the 80's (sold it, worst decision of my life) and owned a percentage of one in the 90's.
BUT...
I also must tell you I am NOT a beardie expert. I do not have any! ... yet.
But I have an empty 70 gal. tank and certainly all the lighting I need! :lol: :lol:

Funny story, then I will stop rambling Vicki. :mrgreen:
I first started using UV back in 1979 over leopard and pancake tortoises.
There was NO internet, no UV products to keep reptiles healthy. NOTHING. :banghead:
I knew zoos used UV because I read about it and studied up on it.
Back then you used GE Time a tan mercury vapor bulbs they made to "tan" people. (and they were STRONG)
There were no Solarmeters and no way to effectivly test strength... so I tested exposure time with my own body!
At a distance of 5-6 feet, my arm "tanned" (or burned more like it, LOL) to the equivalent of about 35 min. in mid day sun.
So that was about = to the strength of natural sunlight.
Then I computed exposure time for the tortoises off that ....to great results. :roll:

Anyway, yes, if you have a large cage and an option to add a GOOD full spectrum daylight bulb... then do it.
And you can put it on a morn / noon / night cycle by using a few inexspensive 5.99 timers from wal mart.
And have the light and UV levels vary in an arc of intensity throughout the day- JUST LIKE IN NATURE!

well. I guess we didn't get to talk much about the mechanics of t5's in this post, but I hope I have said something intelligent here that you can use.

Cheers!
Todd
lightyourreptiles.com
e/m
[email protected]
 

Narwhal72

Member
Todd,

Don't take this the wrong way but there are some things that you are stating that don't make any sense.

1.
My real answer: no single T8 tube provides enough visible light to match what they get in Nature.
Take a light meter outside and see what the light levels are ... (not talking about UV per se' ... just plain 'ol brightness.)
Then compare to 99.9% of the set-ups.
Our set ups DO NOT COMPARE... or EVEN COME CLOSE!
Outside of maybe the 6" -8" "Bright Spot" under the basking light.
So basically, most folks are keeping their pets like if WE were living in a dim room lit with CANDLES all our lives!

No single HO T5 or Double HO T5 tube is going to come close to natural sunlight either. Not in terms of intensity or spectral distribution.

2.
The Arcadia is a 12% bulb and the Zoo med is a 10% bulb.
I offer both.
12% and 10% of what? It is an undefined and meaningless value. If you don't know the total output, then knowing how much percentage of that output is UVB is meaningless. A 10% lamp that is brighter than a 12% would be producing more UVB light. Bash Zilla all you want but at least they provided lamps with actual values of UVB at specific distances.

Andy
 

Venutus1

Member
Original Poster
Narwhal72":3q0c0x48 said:
Todd,

Don't take this the wrong way but there are some things that you are stating that don't make any sense.

1.
My real answer: no single T8 tube provides enough visible light to match what they get in Nature.
Take a light meter outside and see what the light levels are ... (not talking about UV per se' ... just plain 'ol brightness.)
Then compare to 99.9% of the set-ups.
Our set ups DO NOT COMPARE... or EVEN COME CLOSE!
Outside of maybe the 6" -8" "Bright Spot" under the basking light.
So basically, most folks are keeping their pets like if WE were living in a dim room lit with CANDLES all our lives!

No single HO T5 or Double HO T5 tube is going to come close to natural sunlight either. Not in terms of intensity or spectral distribution.

2.
The Arcadia is a 12% bulb and the Zoo med is a 10% bulb.
I offer both.
12% and 10% of what? It is an undefined and meaningless value. If you don't know the total output, then knowing how much percentage of that output is UVB is meaningless. A 10% lamp that is brighter than a 12% would be producing more UVB light. Bash Zilla all you want but at least they provided lamps with actual values of UVB at specific distances.

Andy

Ha!... it makes perfect sense, Andy! :lol:

And Arcadia also puts out the data for the output of their t5 lamps.
And the strength at diffent distances!
Why do you think I keep putting these links up?
:lol:
Don't take this the wrong way... but did you bother to click on one? :shock:
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/products/d3-reptile-t5-lamp/

(And I also have a word document of research and photos I have done that I e-mail to any one who needs it.)

I think a thread here is a great opportunity to get the forum to talk about t5 lights and fixtures... PRO's and Con's...
You know why?
Because I get THE MOST personal e-mails from bearded dragon owners asking all about t5 lighting and what it is... and what T5 HO is all about.

Plus, there are going to be many new products introduced over the next year or so.
By many different companies in the area of herp lighting.
Not just the ones I favor.
Many companies right now are rushing to get more t5 and LED out to play "catch up" with the companies that have pioneered it for the herp market in the US and Europe.
Why?
Because there is huge opportunity in that area that is open for development and improvement.
Some of these new products will be great and a hit... and some will be crap.

There will even be "hybrid" lights ... ones that have LED and T5.... to boost lumen for desert dwellers and planted tanks.... as well as the new METAL HALIDE lighting.

So it is important folks know "what is what" and will be able to educate themselves about these differnt options as they become available.
So THEY can CHOOSE for THEMSELVES what is the best lighting application to use for their particular set-ups! :blob5:

Don't you agree, Andy?

Cheers!
Todd
LightYourReptiles.com
http://[email protected]

oh.. PS.
To address what you were saying about 10% & 12%...
10% and 12% refer to the percentage of light from the total overall amount of light energy out-put of a particular lamp.
This was created by the herp lighting industry and not by me.
And I do agree is is a tad bit misleading ....
because a HO T5 6% "Forest" light can put out as much UV as a 10% NO T8 "Desert" Bulb!
That is why it is good to try and educate folks that a Solarmeter is the best investment a serious herp owner can make!
So one can take control of giving their herps the desired amount of UV.
yes... yes... I know they are expensive...
So I suggest that maybe folks pool in with their local herp society to get one that the members can all "sign out" and use.
Or... maybe check around and see if a local reptile friend has one to borrow.
BYW, there is huge potential to start an online Solarmeter rental business :idea: ..... but 'ol Todd here just does not have the time to set one up.... yet.
Cheers!
 

Narwhal72

Member
I did click on the links. But the information they provided was minimal. The charts were unlabeled so I am guessing the values were UVB? or were they UVA+B? Where are the UV Index values? And a couple of pictures of one viv brighter than another? La De Da. I think the dimmer vivs looked better and had more natural color. It's all marketing and not providing any meaningful data.

If the reptile industry started the meaningless percentage system and Arcadia is so concerned about the hobby why don't they change their rating system rather than continue to perpetuate a meaningless system? I can tell you why. It's easier to market and it would make them accountable for producing a product that performs as they say. If the lamps don't perform as they should now they don't have to worry as the performance of the lamps is undefined and can be whatever they want.

I do think there is a place for HO T5 lighting in reptile lighting but it will need to be for enclosures that are taller than the typical 12-18" range that most off the shelf vivs are sized at in order to reduce the amount of UVB the animals are exposed to.

I can foresee people having a lot of problems using these lamps on shorter vivs which could expose the reptiles to much higher than needed levels of UVB. At 12" the Arcadia 12% with a reflector produces more than twice the amount of UVB that a Zilla Desert 50 produces (and I am talking about the post 2008 version with the improved and strength reduced phosphor blend).

LED will be along soon enough and provide visible light in new ways and with greater energy efficiency. But it will need to be combined with fluorescent technology in order to produce UV light as UV LED's that produce UVB do not exist and UVA LED's are extremely expensive.

Metal Halide is old technology and will probably never make it into the reptile industry in a meaningful way.

Every hobbyist should have two Solarmeters so that they can measure the amount of UVB and also the UV Index so they can measure the strength of the UVB. But 98% of people who have reptiles do not have both or even one of these meters and they depend on the information provided to them from the manufacturers.

Andy
 

namrufmot

Hatchling Member
Is there a t5 fixture that can attach to the back wall of an enclosure? Right now I have a t8 bulb in a fixture like this:
LED-T8-FIXTURE-K-024-NWF1.jpg
velcroed to the back wall.

Is there a t5 fixture that would work like this?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

No members online now.

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,897
Messages
1,255,656
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom