Reptisun 10.0 distance question?

[amyemiline]

I have just purchased a 22 inch reptisun 10.0 tube lamp.

Our Dragon is in a 40 gallon breeder tank with a mvb about 12 inches above his basking spot.

My question is how far above I should mount the new reptisun bulb?

 

[CooperDragon]

You'll get optimal output at around the same distance - 12-14'' above the basking area. You can use this in place of the mercury vapor bulb. Taterbug put together a lighting guide that may be helpful for more information about lighting and optimal distances https://sites.google.com/site/thelizardmadness/lighting-guides

 

[amyemiline]

Well since the mvb is our heat source and does put out UVB we werent going to over lap the reptisun onto his basking spot.

I had messaged Tracie about the MVB and the one I have doesn't put out a huge ammount of UVB so she said that having the mvb and then adding the new reptisun to it would give a good ammount of UVB.

I had just forgotten to ask her about the distance.

So we will mount it 14 inches above. Thank you so much for the quick response

 

[HKzForDayz]

Is it a t5 or t8 fixture?

 

[amyemiline]

T5

 

[HKzForDayz]

T5

Keeping both a t5 fixture and a an MVB both will result in levels of uvb that are too high. UVI of 4-5 is the ideal range for bearding dragons in their basking spot, you will find that both a t5 and mvb within effective distances will create UVI higher then 4-5. I would swap your mvb out for a reptile basking spot lamp, it will allow you to heat up your basking spot while keeping UVB within ideal levels.

If you are going to have multiple UVB sources , its important to create a UVB gradient to avoid situations of too high concentrations, and I think you will find this difficult to do in a 40 gal, although not impossible.

 

[amyemiline]

Hmm well I Tracie said it woyld be ok I had asked her before I purchased it.. She said the powersun mvbs don't have a verry high UVB output and said adding the reptisun would be perfect in the 40 gallon breeder tank.

We have mounted the reptisun about 12 inches above his tank and it isnt over lapping with the basking spot. He has shade spots that dont have any uv exposure by his big log and in his hide we made.

Also being mouted at the back there isnt much light exposure at the front side of his tank.

I will switch my mvb for a regular basking bulb though if that still sounds like my setup is no good.

I just wont have the money for another bulb untill next month. So will my setup suffice for now or should I be switching this asap.

Like I said I am going by what Tracie had told me was ok.

 

[HKzForDayz]

Hmm well I Tracie said it woyld be ok I had asked her before I purchased it.. She said the powersun mvbs don't have a verry high UVB output and said adding the reptisun would be perfect in the 40 gallon breeder tank.

We have mounted the reptisun about 12 inches above his tank and it isnt over lapping with the basking spot. He has shade spots that dont have any uv exposure by his big log and in his hide we made.

Also being mouted at the back there isnt much light exposure at the front side of his tank.

I will switch my mvb for a regular basking bulb though if that still sounds like my setup is no good.

I just wont have the money for another bulb untill next month. So will my setup suffice for now or should I be switching this asap.

Like I said I am going by what Tracie had told me was ok.

Basking spot bulbs cost about 8 bucks . You could use an incadescent flood light for heat as well, as long as temps are alright. You may be okay...but unless you have some kind of solarmeter to double check , personally you are probably better off swapping for a heat bulb. I am sure they got their stuff together , but ive seen a lot of bad stories about powersuns over the years, i wouldnt want my dragons under any kind of MVB other then maybe an arcadia or megaray.

 

[amyemiline]

Ok I wasnt aware basking bulbs were that price.. I thought I was looking at another $100 right now.

 

[HKzForDayz]

Ok I wasnt aware basking bulbs were that price.. I thought I was looking at another $100 right now.

Nope , you can find them very cheap at your local pet store basking lights are cheap, its getting proper UVB yhat can get expensive. You should be able to use the same fixture youve got your mvb in for the bulb, you just may have to move it closer. I like to use the ZooMed 75w basking lights or the exoterra 75w intense basking bulb. Both cost 7 to 8 bucks at petsmart.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree that when using a T5 you should switch the basking light out. I use a 90w PAR38 Halogen Flood Light and it works well along with my T5. I use my MVB as a portable basking light for around the house. It's tough to know for sure without using a solarmeter but there are tests that have been done that provide pretty good estimates of output at various distances.

Which MVB are you using? The 100w PowerSun is relatively weak, throwing out around UVI 3.0 or 47uW/cm2 at around 12'' which is comparable to a T8 light. The 160w is a bit more powerful at that distance with UVI of around 4.7 and uW/cm2 of around 83. These numbers are fine on their own but I wouldn't combine them with another high output bulb. With a reflector, the T5 ReptiSun 10 puts out UVI of around 7.3 and uW/cm2 of over 200 at that distance so even on it's own it's better off at around 14'' unless you can double check your output using a solarmeter. The actual output will vary depending on the fixture and reflector.

 

[amyemiline]

Ok. Yeah I have a 100 watt powersun about 12-14 inches above the basking spot. And yes the t5 is in a reflector hood.

Im just confused im always getting mixed aswers about things. I do appreciate the help but why would Tracie tell me that this would be ok if it wasnt.

 

[HKzForDayz]

Ok. Yeah I have a 100 watt powersun about 12-14 inches above the basking spot. And yes the t5 is in a reflector hood.

Im just confused im always getting mixed aswers about things. I do appreciate the help but why would Tracie tell me that this would be ok if it wasnt.

I am not sure who tracie is , and she may be right , it may be "ok" but why settle for ok when youre less then 10 bucks away from ideal. I think you will find the most universally accepted lighting setup is a t5 uvb tube along with a basking bulb/flood light.

 

[amyemiline]

She is the moderator of this website and the site that sells the medication for beardies, we ordered our probiotics from her.

And from what I understand is the person to contact about these sorts of things

And no I totally see where you are coming from! And will do so.

Thank you.

 

[HKzForDayz]

She is the moderator of this website and the site that sells the medication for beardies, we ordered our probiotics from her.

And from what I understand is the person to contact about these sorts of things

And no I totally see where you are coming from! And will do so.

Thank you.

Ah, Shes is probably right then, you are probably okay. Personally tho, knowing that t5 fixtures for sure provide adequate UVB in the distances you have it at, i just dont see any reason to risk it with extra uvb. Oh how much easier it would be if beardies could speak english and just tell us whats best. I may have to go dig out my solarmeter and play with some diff combos.