Reptisun 10.0 T8 bulb vs T5 bulb and fixtures

[themamaj]

Hi I am the mamaj. I am adopting a 4 year old dragon and will be bringing him home in about 2 weeks. The lady I am adopting from has a 40 gallon breeder with mesh lid I will be getting. I wanted to have my other supplies ready for when he comes home but every article, video and post I have read the lighting recommendations are a bit overwhelming. Can you tell me if it would be better to buy a Reptisun 10.0 T8 and a under the cabinet florescent fixture from Walmart and mount inside tank or a T5 bulb and fixture that would sit on top of tank. Which fixture would have the greatest health benefits for my dragon? Thanks for your help! This is my first time owning a dragon and I want to start out right. I can't wait to bring him home.

 

[CooperDragon]

Definitely the T5. I'd get a 22'' bulb (either ReptiSun 10.0 T5 or Arcadia 12% T5) and put it in a 2ft T5 fixture with reflector like this one https://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ/

 

[themamaj]

Thank you! That is definitely a fixture I had not seen and from looking at it on amazon I really like it. How do I mount it in the tank? Is it better to center the light or to put it more to one side? How do you know the appropriate distance to have between the light and your basking spot? Is the UVI something I need to measure and if so how. I really appreciate your feedback!

 

[CooperDragon]

Do you have a tank with an open or mesh top or is it a wood top? Based on test results the optimal distance is about 12'' or about 10'' through a mesh screen. This creates a UVI between about 3-5 over the basking area. The UVI can be measured using a Solarmeter 6.5 but can be estimated based on previous test results. The light should be next to the basking light so they combine to simulate natural sunlight and project the highest heat and highest UVB concentration over the basking area while creating a gradient down to low/no UVB in another part of the tank to provide some options.

 

[themamaj]

It is a metal mesh lid. If I order the one recommeded should I stall inside tank or sit on top? If inside are there brackets that allow you to hang fixture or do you need to attach with command strips

 

[CooperDragon]

If you can build at least part of the basking area to within about 10-12'' of the light you can put it right on top. If you want to mount it inside you can probably hang it from the top. I haven't used this specific fixture but the ones I've used have clips that can be used to hang them from a solid surface or from a wire. If you don't have any other animals in the house you might be able to just leave the mesh top off and let the light sit on crossbeams of some sort.

 

[themamaj]

What fixture have you used?

 

[CooperDragon]

I have the one that comes with this kit http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/34-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/ but the 22'' version of it is out of stock at the moment. Taterbug uses the Sunblaster I linked to and has good results with it so I trust it.

 

[Taterbug]

Sunblaster do not sit on top of the tank - the reflector isn't long enough so it would be sitting on the bulb which could be an issue.

They do come with hardware for roof mounting and suspension - I'd recommend to build or buy a simple fluorescent lamp stand for it.

 

[CooperDragon]

I have the one that comes with this kit http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/34-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/ but the 22'' version of it is out of stock at the moment. Taterbug uses the Sunblaster I linked to and has good results with it so I trust it. I've also tested the Zoo Med terrarium hood which was OK, not great. And I've tested a cheaper generic Chinese T5 fixture which has a lower output than the rest of the bunch.

 

[themamaj]

Thank you. Will order one recommended.