HOW TO UVB LIGHT FIXTURE AND HOOD

[kawa798]

Thank you SeanFred and TwoBeardieguy! I have some studying to do...

 

[xICooRsYIx]

Very helpful thread indeed.

I am actually in the process of making some prints for my custom enclosure. Like most customs, mine will be accessable through 2 sliding doors in the front. So the top will be wood. My enclosure is going to be 5 feet long, so im thinking of getting the 42inch reptisun bulb. Now i of course will not be getting a hood, instead something like you got from my local hardware store. Can i not just mount it on the side/top? do i need some sort of reflective surface over the bulb? When i look at other peoples custom enclosures, they seem to just have the bulb/fixture mounted by itself. Unless im not looking close enough.

Thanks

-xICooRsYIx

 

[SpitFyre]

You can, but more UVB reaches your beardie if there is a reflector. Therefore, your viv can be taller. (and prettier)

 

[xICooRsYIx]

Well i dont know where i could implement any type of reflection surface.. The top of my enclosure is going to be a solid board. Could i just put reflective tape on the entire ceiling? would that work? lol

-xICooRsYIx

 

[SpitFyre]

Probably. Any thin cardboard box w reflective tape (as shown in the earler tutorial) could work, too. Heck, you could even cut up the box the Reptisuns come in and use that!

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Yup just like Spit said you can use the reflective tape and it does work pretty good. :wink:

 

[iamrandi89]

How do you determine the appropriate length bulb for your viv? I am going to build 48"l x 15"d x 34"h

Is it appropriate to say the UVB lighting should be the length of the tank?

 

[SeanFred]

I went with a 48" in my 6' viv to provide as much UV as possible with two total shade spots to get out of the "sun".

 

[DinoTheDinosaur]

This is great, I just bought the reptisun 10.0 36" bulb and got a fixture from the hardware store. Exactly same set up as you showed. We've been trying to figure out a way to mount it. I'm going to try this out for sure, my only question is do you just take it off everytime you need to open up the screen for feeding/cleaning/socializing? Also since I have a screen on top, is it reccomended that I cut a strip of mesh out so that the UVB isn't being blocked? Thanks very much for this helpful post!

 

[SpitFyre]

What I did was cut 2 pieces of wire, the sort you'd find loos in the inside of a computer. I then put the bulb fixture with the bulb in it upside down on the screen where I wanted it, suspended between 2 chairs. I looped the wire around the underside of the fixture, poked it throught the screen, and twisted it together on top. The screen lifted up. Perfect! (This does not work if your top slides.)

 

[TangoZ]

Hi, new to electrical and creating a lighting setup with these fixtures my problem is I went to a local hardware store and bought a T8 24" 1-light striplight direct-wire light says 75 watt equivalent using only 17 watts of energy 120v the company is called American Fluorescent Model is ST117R8. I have a feeling this fixture is not what I need the more I read. I'm in the process of building a new enclosure and want a correct fixture to mount on the wall in the cage. It will be 4'L 2'W, really am having problems with this. How to know how many amps a fixture supports and if it will put out the correct amount UVA/B Please help and one more thing I also bought a Utilitech 120W Metal Floodlight Model #061985 hoping to angle one in one direction and another the other for possible 2 basking areas or 1 and a heat wave bulb. Tell me if you think this is a good idea or bad any help at all is well appreciated.

 

[SeanFred]

According to manufacturer specs, you have 17W max ballast in that particular fixture.
http://www.hansenwholesale.com/lighting/americanfluorescent/model.asp?Mfg=AF&ModelNo=AF-ST117R8&ItemID=707
ZooMed's website claims the 24" reptisun 10.0 is a 17W bulb but the box says 18W. To upgrade you will need to change the ballast. There are others that will tell you that you do not need to upgrade your fixture, that is up to you.

 

[zacwilliams117]

Thanks for posting this! So useful.

 

[Bdude]

These are awesome instructions on how to get around the direct wire problem. My only suggestion would be to use either a 3/4" or 1/2" strain relief connector around the hole where the new cable comes out of the side of the ballast. You feed the wall plug cable through it and tighten it to the new cable. I had to wrap some electrical tape around mine for a snug fit once tightened. This is more of a safety thing than anything. If for whatever reason something tugs the wire or the ballist falls it keeps those live wires from pulling out of the unit and burning down the house.

 

[owtoty]

I didn't know that the fixture doesn't come with a power cord! I'm glad I saw this post now and not later.