Exo-terra terrarium lid/screen & uvb

[goldenboy2421]

Does anyone have experience with the lid/screen for ExoTerra enclosures? I'm planning on getting one but im trying to figure out if it has a mesh screen and if it does what the best uvb/lighting setup i should go with with this particular enclosure. Im wanting to go the mercury bulb route but if the screen blocks the uvb then i might have to go with separate heating and uvb bulbs with the uvb light mounted underneath the screen instead. You think a mercury bulb would be okay just sitting ontop of one of these screens?

 

[kingofnobbys]

Unless the mesh is very course - ie bird mesh , it will block at least 35% of the UV.

The finer the mesh , the more UV is blocked.

 

[daveferns1]

Ive got a exo terra with a screen but I use a t5 10.0 about 10 inches from basking spot and my guy seems to be doing fine. The mesh isn't too fine but id say it probably blocks around 40%

 

[CooperDragon]

I have one and have done several tests with the lighting through the screen top. It's a pretty fine top and does intercept quite a bit of the UVB. I leave mine off most of the time and suspend the lights overhead (it's easy to unclip and remove the top). This isn't really an option with other animals in the house though. I recommend using a high quality T5 for your UVB. That way you can set it at an appropriate distance (about 12'' without the top on and about 8-10'' with the top on for the Arcadia 12% or Reptisun 10 T5 with a reflector). Then you can set up a halogen flood light for basking and will be able to adjust the heat (by raising/lowering the bulb or dimming in most cases) independently from the UVB. I find that MVBs are more useful for travel or for portable basking areas outside the tank where there is more space to move and the UVB strength and temps aren't as critical.

 

[Blackenedsabbath]

Hello,

I have one of the exo-terra terrariums with the mesh lid. I have a T5 10.0 UVB light that sits on top of the mesh with a reflector hood and Pancake seems to do alright with it. Just make sure you get a T5 and not the T8 as it's stronger and can get more UV through the mesh than the T8.

Before I had the tube UVB I used a mercury vapor bulb that hung a little above the mesh, as long as the fixture isn't too close or suspended directly above the plastic bars in the lid it's fine.

 

[kingofnobbys]

You definitely want an MVB either sitting on a steel wire / mesh section, sitting ontop flymesh or shademesh or other plastic meshes of frames is a recipy for a disaster ( at the very least melting the plastic , perhaps starting a fire ).

If you have to have a mesh top ( to try to keep "other" animals out ) serious consideration needs to be given to rethinking the tank , replacing the mesh top with a solid timber lid which has a hole for the MVB to shine though or mounting the MVB in a low profile ceramic e27 fitting and enclosing it in a wire cage.

I STRONGLY recommend mounting any linear UVB source UNDER the lid NEVER ON TOP a mesh lid. The result is a virtual instant doubling in UV.