ladyjustice33":vdmorshi said:I have T8 fixtures in my enclosures w/ Reptisun 10.0 36" long 25 watt bulbs. Is there an Arcadia 12% bulb that will work in those fixtures? If not, I'm sticking with the Reptisun. Those slimline fixtures weren't cheap!
diamc":2g1anamk said:I just got off the phone with Todd at http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/ I'm so excited, I have a T5 bulb and HO fixture on the way. What a great guy, so easy to talk to and very informative. Thanks Todd, it was a real pleasure doing business with you.
diamc":35bqaxy7 said:Chris, the T5 bulbs are a LOT stronger than the Repti-Sun's, that's why they can be on top of a screen. In fact, prior to the T5, I always used the Repti-Sun and had it in the tanks at the 6 to 8" distance but had to get the 6% bulb instead of the 12% as those need to be at least a foot away. I discussed all of this with Todd and that's the bulb he recommended. Even on top of the screen and about 8" away, I'm getting a reading of between 5.5 and 6.0 through the screen using a Solar Meter 6.5. As the UVI diminishes, I will be able to move it inside of the tank so this bulb will last a long time, perhaps even 2 yrs if not more.
ChrisMiller":2h88lyly said:I gotcha.... but what about the typical dragon viv then which is completely enclosed? Would mounting one of these inside an enclosure that is only 2' high be a problem? Wouldn't that be putting out too much UVB for a dragon? Then what about if you've already got a light mounted 1/2 way down that 2' high enclosure because you're running a reptisun? Would that not be WAY too much UVB for your dragon?
lilacdragon":1ulsn0ku said:Hi, Chris....
The T5 HO (High-Output) tubes we're describing will not fit in existing fixtures for standard 1" diameter tubes like ZooMed Reptisun 10.0s (these are called T8 tubes). T5s are much thinner, come in slightly different lengths and have little narrow pins. You need to buy "T5 HO" electronic fixtures, to run them.
Because they are so much higher output, you can mount them higher - with a 2ft high tank, it's neat to fix them to the ceiling so they can go right above the basking zone.
The output also depends on whether you have an aluminum reflector with your fixture, as this boosts the UVB up to three times greater (because it reflects "wasted" UV that was going up into the ceiling, down onto the basking zone.) So if the UV is too strong with a reflector... take the reflector off, and it will be much less.
I reckon the ideal way to set this up with a 2ft vivarium, if you have a UV meter, is to fix the tube to the ceiling (or if it has a mesh roof, you don't have much option but to rest it on top of the mesh) at the same end of the viv as the basking zone, right next to the basking lamp. Then using the meter held underneath, inside the viv, work out how high you need his basking log/rock/shelf to be, so that he can climb up, to get his head and shoulders into the UVI 3 - 6 range (Solarmeter 6.5) or total UVB approx 90 - 180 uW/cm2 (Solarmeter 6.2) - those are the typical readings I am looking for with the Arcadia D3 and D3+ series of tubes, for the basking zone.
Then of course you need to adjust the height/wattage of the basking lamp to give the normal 100 - 105F basking temperature in the basking zone. NB: the T5 emits more heat than a regular tube, too, so this will add to the basking zone temperature as well. Not a lot - but in an enclosed area the extra warm air it generates can be significant.
Best wishes
Frances
And yes, YBS0502 mentions something else very important, he must have a shaded area of little or no UVB, as well... ideally, away from the basking zone.
These bulbs CLAIM 51cm at 20" and I haven't found that on ANY of these bulbs. In fact, I did not reach 51cm until I was within 6 inches of any of these 4 bulbs....
In addition, I do not get into the 90-180cm range that you speak of until I was within 3-4 inches of the center of the Reptisun 10.0!!! Everyone swears by reptisun, and I rarely see a viv pic where the owner has got the basking spot within 3-4 inches of the bulb.
Is this what you have found as well?
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