Hopefully I can get a better answer then I have. I'm building a background and decor for my baby dragons 40 gallon enclosure and I really want to utilize the height but I don't want her to get to close to the bulbs. Can I use a lower wattage basking bulb so I can raise the basking platform up higher without it getting to hot? What's the closest the T5 uvb10.0 on top of the screen should be?
Depending on the screen you can have it on top but the screen MUST be a wide hole type any fine mesh like a screen door the screen is going to block 30% of the rays --- top of screen for a wide hole 8-10 inches w/ the basking decor directly under it --- inside the tank 12-15 inches directly underneath ' basking bulb you dont want it any closer than 6"
Be sure to post some pictures of your tank so we can have a look at the lighting & the
placement for you. The T5 tube is a great light so as Karrie suggested for the distance,
that would work out well.
Looking forward to seeing pictures.