I FOUND ARCADIAS!

[MissT]

No, you need a t5 fixture fr the T5 bulbs

 

[lauraj1055]

No, you need a t5 fixture fr the T5 bulbs

Dammit! Where do you get those?

 

[MissT]

I have no idea. I'm assuming it's the t8 bulbs that these guys have though So that will work out fine

 

[MissT]

Also to point out, if any of you manage to find a t5 fixture And order a t5 bulb do NOT use a reflector unless you need it mounted at 36 inches. Without a reflector, it still needs to be mounted 12-20 inches away

 

[lauraj1055]

I have no idea. I'm assuming it's the t8 bulbs that these guys have though So that will work out fine

Accoring to the website, it's the T5

 

[MissT]

I just looked- they seem to have both. Only the ones that say high output in the pics are t5.

 

[lauraj1055]

I just looked- they seem to have both. Only the ones that say high output in the pics are t5.

ahhhhhhhhh Will have to look again... Or just stick to the reptisun 10.0 LOL

 

[Dalton]

Yeah, he sells 18/24" T8's that will fit into the usual fixtures, that's what I'll be using.

 

[TeethandClaws]

sorry dalton D:
i didnt see you post this D:

anyways, im from the uk so im used to my arcadia XD

arcadias only have to be replaced YEARLY.
the 24 watts are for 2ft vivs
the 39 watts are for 3ft vivs/40 gall breeders
the 54 watts are for 4ft vivs/55 gal breeders

the T5's are the newer range. T8 is older. T8 tubes can go into any uvb (90% sure on that)
the T5's need the t5 fixture for it, as they are slimmer, require more watts and are more energy efficient. the t5 controllers are twin controllers, so 2 uvb tubes can be used per controller.

the t5 controller:

size of the tube fixing thingy. against a cm ruler

about the t5's: http://www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid=97&mid=12&lan=en&sub=&id=4
about the t8's : http://www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid=66&mid=12&lan=en&sub=&id=4

arcadia on facebook (they do reply to questions) http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002607668307

 

[MissT]

arcadias only have to be replaced YEARLY.

Teethandclaws I have spoken to Frances Baines several times about this (she tests the bulbs and writes the reports for www.uvguide.co.uk - I spoke to her recently and she hopes to get back on top of the site soon). Arcadia T8 bulbs need to be replaced every 6 months, just like the reptisun, regardless of what the packaging says. The T5 bule replaced yearly but need to be adjusted to make this possible.

 

[MissT]

the t5 controllers are twin controllers, so 2 uvb tubes can be used per controller.

It is possible to purchase a t5 single controller. I have one, made by arcadia. If you are using a T5 arcadia in a twin controller, it would be best to use a bulb that does not produce uvb in the second fitting.

I should also add that if you are using a T5 bulb it should span NO MORE than 2/3 of the viv as your beardie needs to be able to get away from the high output produced by it if it wishes to do so.

 

[TeethandClaws]

i dont have anything in the 2nd socket at the moment, im just using 1 arcadia tube. doesnt seem to be a problem.

 

[Dalton]

Haha, no problem. Thanks for all the information guys. I'll be replacing it bi annually just to be on the safe side.

 

[lilacdragon]

Hi, everyone.

Miss T happened to PM me just now and told me about the new Arcadia distributor in the USA.
That's good news.
You guys in the USA have got to try out the new T5 tubes. :shock:

OK I think from reading these posts, maybe I need to explain the difference between a T8 and a T5, and what you need to run them, and how long they last, etc.
I'm sorry it's taking so long to update UV Guide UK.. things keep interrupting me!

But anyway...

T8 tubes are the ones we're all really familiar with. They are 1" in diameter, and most brands come in the following sizes:
18 inch long - 15 watts
24 inch long - 18 watts
36 inch long - 30 watts
48 inch long - 36 watts
To run these, you just need a regular fluorescent tube fixture. You can get very cheap ones at Walmart, that's true, but very cheap fixtures are often rather badly made, have heavy magnetic ballasts and the old-fashioned "starters" - they are okay, but are hard on the tubes and wear them out faster, and may not give you such good light and UVB output. If you can afford it, look for better quality fixtures that say "electronic" or "soft start" or words to that effect. These have electronic ballasts and are lightweight, get less hot, use less electricity, and get a longer life and better UVB and light output from your tubes.

If you buy a 12% Arcadia D3+ T8 tube, you won't notice a great deal of difference from a ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 T8 tube. These are very similar, they are both high quality tubes made in Germany. Both have a very good spectrum and good output for a T8 tube. If you use an aluminium reflector with either of these tubes, you will boost the UVB to almost double what you'd get without one, and these have proven very good, reliable sources of UVB over many years.

Yes, both the Arcadia and ZooMed tubes do last a full year (I apologise, Miss T, I seem to have confused you somewhere... it's compact lamps that usually need replacing every 6 months; and some UVB tubes from cheaper brands).
Here is a link to the Arcadia website page showing a T8 Arcadia D3+ Reptile tube:
http://www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid=66&mid=12&lan=en&sub=&id=4

T5 tubes are totally different. They are much slimmer (diameter 5/8ths of an inch) and come in different lengths and wattages. They have been available with no UVB, for human lighting, for a while but I think Arcadia are the first to make ones producing UVB for reptiles. Here is a link to the Arcadia web page for the T5 Arcadia D3+ Reptile tube:
http://www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid=97&mid=12&lan=en&sub=&id=4
These come in the following lengths and wattages:
22 inch long - 24 watts
34 inch long - 39 watts
46 inch long - 54 watts
The wattage isn't a lot higher than a T8 tube, for the same sort of length BUT these, because they are "high output", produce a vast amount more light, UVB and even a bit of heat...they get just too hot to touch! (but not nearly hot enough to be a basking lamp).

And this is the important bit, T5 tubes won't fit ordinary Walmart T8 fixtures. T5 tubes have little narrow pins at each end, and need T5 fixtures designed to match them... in the right wattage, and also these MUST be electronic. T5 tubes won't run on old-style magnetic ballasts.
If you can find good quality, electronic T5 ballasts which say they are for T5 lamps that match the one you're buying (e.g., any good 22", 24watt T5 ballast will run a 22", 24watt T5 tube) - then fine, you can buy that. But I assume the new distributor has a stock of suitable USA fixtures for his T5 tubes? If so, then you should be able to buy them from him, along with the tube...
(The ones Arcadia sell here in the UK would be no good, they are for UK 220-240volt mains voltage only; you have 110-120v in the USA.)

Now, the other thing you need to know about these T5 tubes is that they are REALLY HIGH OUTPUT. I am NOT kidding. You do not want your beardies to get too close to the D3+, in fact there is a warning printed on the box, a little diagram showing, if you have an aluminium reflector in your fixture (and there is no mesh between him and the tube), then you do NOT want him any closer than 8 inches (20cm) from the tube. If you don't have any aluminium reflector, and no mesh, then the minimum distance is given as 6 inches (15cm).

I've tested these T5 tubes quite extensively and I agree with these warnings. The UVB is not hazardous; the spectrum is identical to the T8 tubes. It's very good indeed. But yes, you can have too much of a good thing, and so these T5 tubes need to be taken seriously. They are the first tubes I've ever seen that really can rival mercury vapour lamps for their UVB output. You can create big basking zones with UVI 3 or 4.. that's like full morning sunlight.

Because it is so strong, there are two ways of using a T5 D3+ tube.
The first way is what I call the "Shade Method" of supplying UVB; you aim for levels of UVB that beardies would get when basking first thing in the morning or sitting in light shade on a sunny day - a UVI gradient between about 1.0 - 2.5.
My tests suggest that with a T5 D3+ with no reflector, and no mesh, you get that from about 12" - 20". (UVI 2.4 at 12", 1.1 at 20"). If you're putting the tube on top of a mesh lid, then you lose maybe a third of the UVB, so you will need to have it closer, maybe between 8" - 14" distance, to get the same UVI.
You'll need to hang the tube above the beardies, so it lights up the basking area (have one end as close to the basking lamp as practical) and about half to 2/3rds of the rest of the viv. The idea is to give them UVB while basking and also for some of the time when they are not basking, too.

The other way to use this T5 D3+ tube is the "Sunbeam" method- you create a smaller area of more intense UVB, that is restricted to the basking zone. So it's like a beam of sunlight. He gets more UVB while actually basking, but he can move out of the "sun" quite easily.
If you hang a T5 D3+ closer than 12", you're providing a quite large patch of "sun-strength" UVB, eg. UVI 3 at 10", UVI 4 at 8"... (this is with no aluminium reflector and no mesh) ... so place the tube at those sort of distances, as close to the basking lamp as possible, to create your "sunbeam zone".
Just remember if you do this, though, that it's very important that he also has good areas of shade he can move into if he's had enough "sun" for the day.

If you fit an aluminium reflector, then you can more than TREBLE the UVB under a T5. This is quite astonishing, but true... So then, you can use one of these tubes at much greater distances than we've ever been able to use them before. But because the UVB can become alarmingly strong at close range with a reflector, I'd suggest if you want to use one with a reflector, (in a bigger viv, for example) then get a UVI meter and use it to make sure you don't overdo the UVB. Real sunlight is best of all, but too much will give you a bad sunburn.. likewise too much from one of these could be too much of a good thing.

I hope this helps.... Keep posting your findings with these new lamps.
Best wishes,

Frances

 

[Dalton]

Thank you for that VERY informative post, that helps so much to clear up the confusion. Thanks for your guides/testing, it's helping the herptile community extensively.