VenusAndSaturn":3ka68a1r said:Depends on the bulb and uvb percentage, if its a 10.0 or a 12% its completely fine as a t5 bulb to be put in there. If its a t5 14% then its best to have more height, however I've noticed my female beardie likes basking at about 5 inches away from her one week old arcadia T5 HO 14% uvb bulb thats mounted outside on her screen.
Its good to give them a variety of options, high, average, low and barely any uvb levels. So if they want to bask at a higher uvb index they can, and if they want to go to a lower spot they should be able to. < <<< not surprising , if the mesh lid is fine mesh , the mesh is cutting the UVA and UVB flux by 40% (maybe even 45%) and cancelling out the benefit of a parabolic (focusing) reflector hood. So the dragon doesn't sense 14%UVB , it senses more like 6% or 7% UVB and similar with UVA.
UVB flux in summer is over 300 microW UVB / sq.cm for most the day in the natural range of bearded dragons too, and it's very common to dragons backing on termite mound, a tree stump, farm fence post in full sunlight.
from http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm
Note the UVB flux for Alice Springs which is considered prime central bearded dragon native habitat.
Data for Alice Springs
Location 23°42′0″S 133°52′12″E.
Basically the t5 will be fine and honestly better overall for the health of your animal if you only go with a 24" bulb. Make sure to get a 10.0 or a 12% bulb.
if you opt for a 14%UVB tube , increase the UVB flux in the curves for the 12%UVB tube below by 14/12 = 117%
Naked globe or tube
with reflector (hoods/domes) to focus UV :
or shift the basking distance to achieve 180-200 microW UVB/ sq.cm for the 12%UVB tube closer by 12/14 = so 30cm become 30 14/12 = 35cm (14 inches) is now the required distance to the basking spot.
Personally I prefer either a 36" or a 46" bulb for 48" long enclosures however thats just me and I provide areas where my beardies can get out of the uvb if needed.
VenusAndSaturn":1l9bzjmi said:Its not fine mesh, its hard to explain exactly but its definitely not fine mesh like you'd see on an exo terra opening door tank for the screen top of sorts.
Thanks for such detailed info, but I am in the US and looking at a 10% reptisun bulb. If I went with a T8 36" fixture with a reptisun 10.0 bulb, how close would basking spots need to be, and how would that change with a T5 bulb? I think we now have access to the arcadia 12% bulbs in the US as well, so I assume the 12% info would be accurate for that?kingofnobbys":3uitu6wq said:VenusAndSaturn":3uitu6wq said:Depends on the bulb and uvb percentage, if its a 10.0 or a 12% its completely fine as a t5 bulb to be put in there. If its a t5 14% then its best to have more height, however I've noticed my female beardie likes basking at about 5 inches away from her one week old arcadia T5 HO 14% uvb bulb thats mounted outside on her screen.
Its good to give them a variety of options, high, average, low and barely any uvb levels. So if they want to bask at a higher uvb index they can, and if they want to go to a lower spot they should be able to. < <<< not surprising , if the mesh lid is fine mesh , the mesh is cutting the UVA and UVB flux by 40% (maybe even 45%) and cancelling out the benefit of a parabolic (focusing) reflector hood. So the dragon doesn't sense 14%UVB , it senses more like 6% or 7% UVB and similar with UVA.
UVB flux in summer is over 300 microW UVB / sq.cm for most the day in the natural range of bearded dragons too, and it's very common to dragons backing on termite mound, a tree stump, farm fence post in full sunlight.
from http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm
Note the UVB flux for Alice Springs which is considered prime central bearded dragon native habitat.
Data for Alice Springs
Location 23°42′0″S 133°52′12″E.
Basically the t5 will be fine and honestly better overall for the health of your animal if you only go with a 24" bulb. Make sure to get a 10.0 or a 12% bulb.
if you opt for a 14%UVB tube , increase the UVB flux in the curves for the 12%UVB tube below by 14/12 = 117%
Naked globe or tube
with reflector (hoods/domes) to focus UV :
or shift the basking distance to achieve 180-200 microW UVB/ sq.cm for the 12%UVB tube closer by 12/14 = so 30cm become 30 14/12 = 35cm (14 inches) is now the required distance to the basking spot.
Personally I prefer either a 36" or a 46" bulb for 48" long enclosures however thats just me and I provide areas where my beardies can get out of the uvb if needed.
'lizardmom25":1mpc9bd0 said:Thanks for such detailed info, but I am in the US and looking at a 10% reptisun bulb. If I went with a T8 36" fixture with a reptisun 10.0 bulb, how close would basking spots need to be, and how would that change with a T5 bulb? I think we now have access to the arcadia 12% bulbs in the US as well, so I assume the 12% info would be accurate for that?kingofnobbys":1mpc9bd0 said:VenusAndSaturn":1mpc9bd0 said:Depends on the bulb and uvb percentage, if its a 10.0 or a 12% its completely fine as a t5 bulb to be put in there. If its a t5 14% then its best to have more height, however I've noticed my female beardie likes basking at about 5 inches away from her one week old arcadia T5 HO 14% uvb bulb thats mounted outside on her screen.
Its good to give them a variety of options, high, average, low and barely any uvb levels. So if they want to bask at a higher uvb index they can, and if they want to go to a lower spot they should be able to. < <<< not surprising , if the mesh lid is fine mesh , the mesh is cutting the UVA and UVB flux by 40% (maybe even 45%) and cancelling out the benefit of a parabolic (focusing) reflector hood. So the dragon doesn't sense 14%UVB , it senses more like 6% or 7% UVB and similar with UVA.
UVB flux in summer is over 300 microW UVB / sq.cm for most the day in the natural range of bearded dragons too, and it's very common to dragons backing on termite mound, a tree stump, farm fence post in full sunlight.
from http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm
Note the UVB flux for Alice Springs which is considered prime central bearded dragon native habitat.
Data for Alice Springs
Location 23°42′0″S 133°52′12″E.
Basically the t5 will be fine and honestly better overall for the health of your animal if you only go with a 24" bulb. Make sure to get a 10.0 or a 12% bulb.
if you opt for a 14%UVB tube , increase the UVB flux in the curves for the 12%UVB tube below by 14/12 = 117%
Naked globe or tube
with reflector (hoods/domes) to focus UV :
or shift the basking distance to achieve 180-200 microW UVB/ sq.cm for the 12%UVB tube closer by 12/14 = so 30cm become 30 14/12 = 35cm (14 inches) is now the required distance to the basking spot.
Personally I prefer either a 36" or a 46" bulb for 48" long enclosures however thats just me and I provide areas where my beardies can get out of the uvb if needed.
That's the thing, this won't be a mesh lid, but a fully enclosed viv. 48x18x18 The builder is advising T8 because the enclosure is only 16.5 inches high on the inside. He says in that kind of space t5 will be too much UV and harmful to the animal, that I should go with t8 and put a basking perch within 6-8 inches of the light, that by the time a t5 fixture is mounted inside the 16.5 inch tall viv, there won't much room to allow my beardie vertical space and still stay 12 inches from the light. I am considering asking if he can do a 24" tall version, but if not how practical will having a t5 be?kingofnobbys":2fb3demi said:'lizardmom25":2fb3demi said:Thanks for such detailed info, but I am in the US and looking at a 10% reptisun bulb. If I went with a T8 36" fixture with a reptisun 10.0 bulb, how close would basking spots need to be, and how would that change with a T5 bulb? I think we now have access to the arcadia 12% bulbs in the US as well, so I assume the 12% info would be accurate for that?kingofnobbys":2fb3demi said:VenusAndSaturn":2fb3demi said:Depends on the bulb and uvb percentage, if its a 10.0 or a 12% its completely fine as a t5 bulb to be put in there. If its a t5 14% then its best to have more height, however I've noticed my female beardie likes basking at about 5 inches away from her one week old arcadia T5 HO 14% uvb bulb thats mounted outside on her screen.
Its good to give them a variety of options, high, average, low and barely any uvb levels. So if they want to bask at a higher uvb index they can, and if they want to go to a lower spot they should be able to. < <<< not surprising , if the mesh lid is fine mesh , the mesh is cutting the UVA and UVB flux by 40% (maybe even 45%) and cancelling out the benefit of a parabolic (focusing) reflector hood. So the dragon doesn't sense 14%UVB , it senses more like 6% or 7% UVB and similar with UVA.
UVB flux in summer is over 300 microW UVB / sq.cm for most the day in the natural range of bearded dragons too, and it's very common to dragons backing on termite mound, a tree stump, farm fence post in full sunlight.
from http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm
Note the UVB flux for Alice Springs which is considered prime central bearded dragon native habitat.
Data for Alice Springs
Location 23°42′0″S 133°52′12″E.
Basically the t5 will be fine and honestly better overall for the health of your animal if you only go with a 24" bulb. Make sure to get a 10.0 or a 12% bulb.
if you opt for a 14%UVB tube , increase the UVB flux in the curves for the 12%UVB tube below by 14/12 = 117%
Naked globe or tube
with reflector (hoods/domes) to focus UV :
or shift the basking distance to achieve 180-200 microW UVB/ sq.cm for the 12%UVB tube closer by 12/14 = so 30cm become 30 14/12 = 35cm (14 inches) is now the required distance to the basking spot.
Personally I prefer either a 36" or a 46" bulb for 48" long enclosures however thats just me and I provide areas where my beardies can get out of the uvb if needed.
The tube needs to be NO MORE THAN 3/4 the length of the viv, this allows the dragon to get away from the UV when it's absorbed enough.
A t8 10%UVB needs to be NO MORE THAN 5-6 inches from a basking spot (if it's mounted UNDER the mesh lid and in a reflector hood).
T8 tubes are quite weak.
You are better off with T5HO tube rated at LEAST 10% mounted in a reflector hood and I recommend mounting UNDER the mesh lid and about 12 inches from the basking spot.
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