NEED HELP WITH UVB

[EAGOLD23]

http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-light-fixtures/513079/zilla-desert-series-low-profile-t5-fixture.html

will that work? I was recommended to purchase reptisun 10.0, i was just curious if this would save me the trouble of having to pay a lot more.

 

[rpiccione]

I don't know much about that bulb. I do know that the reptisun 10.0 has a 20 inch range from top of tank to the bottom. I have exactly 20 inchs from my bulb to my substrate. The reptisun 10.0 is the only bulb I could find info on for range. If you buy a fixture at Home Depot or Lowes, then buy the reptisun 10.0 Im sure it will be much cheaper. I bought the fixture for $10.00 and the bulb from pet mountain for $18.00 plus shipping. But I had a big order from petmountain so shipping cost is really a non factor.http://picasaweb.google.com/Wolfpack5676/TankLights#
http://picasaweb.google.com/Wolfpack5676/RickyLucy#
Check out my pics.

Very important to know what ever way you go with this, YOU MUST REMOVE THE PLASTIC LENS COVER ON THE FIXTURE. It greatly reduces the effect the UVB's coming off the bulb. Those plastic lens may be clear but cuts down on the uvb's.


Rich

 

[jakeh2009]

i would not recommend the desert series bulb, many people here have had issues with that brand, do a search on desert series up above and you will see posts about that bulb. go with the reptisun 10.0 and get a cheap fixture from walmart. way cheaper to buy the correct things the first time than to experiment with the bad ones... so if i was you just steer clear of that and orderd 10.0 from their site. good luck

 

[EAGOLD23]

Well i just called home depot and lowes, and it seems that they do not have a fixture that only holds one fluorescent 48" light... id have to buy 2 to make it work. would having 2 uvb bulbs be a problem? And im not sure if it would cost the same with a fixture from homedepot + 2 bulbs or just one expensive fixture and one bulb... any thoughts?

where did you get your 10 dollar fixture?

also, what is the size of that tank as a whole and when separated?

how old are your babies?

 

[Amoore311]

If the fixture won't work with just one bulb in it (I don't think it will... my T5 Fixture for my Reef Tank lights up in pairs of 2), why not just get a standard white tube light for the other socket?

 

[rpiccione]

My bd's are around 4 months old. The 125 gallon tank is 6 foot long, 18 inchs deep and 22 inchs high. I put the divider in the middle which gives them 36 inchs each. It resembles a 50 gallon breeder tank for each bd.
I found the fixture at Home Depot, that one I bought was on clearence. But normal price was around $13. How long is your tank that you need a 48 inch bulb?

 

[EAGOLD23]

I have a 48x18x11 and i was going to throw a divider down the middle like you. I thought id kill two birds with one stone and have one strip that covers the whole tank. The problem is if i go for 24 inches, I have to buy 2 bulbs and 2 fixtures. Also the fixture strips are 25" long and would not fit side by side in the tank. Right now i have them together, the male is 4 months (10") the female is about 6 months (also 10"). I got the female from a pet store and she hasnt seem to hit a real growth spurt. However when i got the little guy he was only 7 inches and now hes hit 10 in a month. So i am going to separate them and buy them a new uvb bulb.

 

[rpiccione]

I don't think 24 inchs would be enough for 1 bd. You may want to find a 125 gallon used tank on craigs list like I did. Then split it in half. The lighting will be cheaper and easier to set up that way. I had to seperate my bd's because they were starting to nip at each others front legs. For the time being you can keep your smaller bd in a small aquarium. Everyone tells me that a minimum of 18 inchs is required for the front to back of the tank. A 50 gallon breeder tank is ideal for each bd. They are 36 inch long, 18 inchs deep and 17 inchs high. I use tiles for substrate. I looked for a month on craigs list til I found the proper deal. Good luck

 

[spyder86]

I buy all my fixtures from WalMart they are cheeper than the hardware stores for the exact same fixture.

 

[EAGOLD23]

how much do you pay and what size are the fixtures?

 

[jakeh2009]

i have a 55 gallon tank which is 48long and i use a 24 inch bulb, i have it towards the middle of the tank along the back side, dino has been growing like a weed. you can the a fixture at walmart for like 8 dollars. its white and comes with a plastic lens on it, i think the package says under the counter light fixture or something like that. i didnt know you were dividing your tank. that tank divided would be small for two bds, unless you plan on going bigger in the future. do you have any other tanks that you can use? i would go that route if you could. if not you can get 18 inch bulbs which would cover almost the entire area if you split your tank in two. that might not work bad, walmart may carry 18inch fixtures as well.

 

[EAGOLD23]

so a 24" bulb would work fine on a 48"? I bought this odd custom tank that is 48lx18wx11h, and thought id need something longer than that... Guess ill give it a try? My buddy is giving me a fixture for free that fits 24" so ill put it more towards the basking side of the tank but still in the middleish.