T5 5.0 or 10.0 UVB?

[melissamott124]

Hello all!

I'm brand new to this community and to lizard-owning in general. I do not have a bearded dragon yet, but I am getting one in the next few weeks so I'm trying to do as much research as I can to make sure his/her new home is perfect.

I've been getting pretty stumped with the lighting. The tank I have now is a 20-gallon tank (the beardie I'm getting is a baby, so I will use the 20-gallon until he/she is big enough for a 40). The dimensions are 30x13x13.

I have a lot of questions, I apologize in advance!

1. I'm planning on getting 24" UVB fixture - is that too long for a 30" wide tank?
2. Does the UVB fixture have to be a name brand (like Zoo Med) or can I purchase a regular T5 fixture from Walmart or Amazon?
3. Am I able to mount the fixture on top of the mesh top, or should I mount it inside the tank?
4. How much space should I leave between the highest perch in the tank and the mesh top? I've been hearing approximately 6 inches.
5. Taking into consideration the dimensions of my current tank, is a T5 5.0 or 10.0 best?
6. Lastly (this is the question I'm most embarrassed about), I've been seeing a lot of people talk about "reflector hoods." What is that, and is it something I should be using as well?

I'm sorry for the many questions - I've done a ton of research but I'm having trouble finding the information and want to make sure my new pet has a comfortable home. Thanks in advanced!

Melissa

 

[Gormagon]

Hello all!

I'm brand new to this community and to lizard-owning in general. I do not have a bearded dragon yet, but I am getting one in the next few weeks so I'm trying to do as much research as I can to make sure his/her new home is perfect.

I've been getting pretty stumped with the lighting. The tank I have now is a 20-gallon tank (the beardie I'm getting is a baby, so I will use the 20-gallon until he/she is big enough for a 40). The dimensions are 30x12x12.

I have a lot of questions, I apologize in advance!

1. I'm planning on getting 24" UVB fixture - is that too long for a 30" wide tank?
No, it will do fine.
2. Does the UVB fixture have to be a name brand (like Zoo Med) or can I purchase a regular T5 fixture from Walmart or Amazon?It is easier to just go with the Reptisun fixture as it comes with a reflector all ready installed and has the instant start feature./b]
3. Am I able to mount the fixture on top of the mesh top, or should I mount it inside the tank?
It depends on if you get a t5 or t8. A t8 will need to be inside the viv with nothing blocking it. A t5 can rest on top because it is much stronger than the t8. Screens will block 35% to 50%
of uvb rays depending on mesh size.
4. How much space should I leave between the highest perch in the tank and the mesh top? I've been hearing approximately 6 inches.
A t5 10.0 can be on top of the screen top as long as the basking spot is within 6 to 10 inches of the screen
5. Taking into consideration the dimensions of my current tank, is a T5 5.0 or 10.0 best?
The 5.0 is for tropical reptiles, the 10.0 is for desert dwelling reptiles. 10.0 is what you will need.
6. Lastly (this is the question I'm most embarrassed about), I've been seeing a lot of people talk about "reflector hoods." What is that, and is it something I should be using as well?
A reflector is used to redirect the light on the backside of the bulb down to where it is needed instead of it being lost.

I'm sorry for the many questions - I've done a ton of research but I'm having trouble finding the information and want to make sure my new pet has a comfortable home. Thanks in advanced!

Melissa

 

[Taterbug]

5.0 vs 10.0 has little to do with forest or dessert and everything to do with how far away the lamp is, what type of screen is used and how well the reflector works.

I prefer a 10.0 mounted further away (10" thru screen) but the 5.0 mounted closet can work for some situations.

With such a small tank make sure to offer plenty of shaded areas since the UV is strong.

 

[melissamott124]

Thank you to you both! I appreciate the answers

 

[melissamott124]

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to resurface this question - I'm ordering the Reptisun T5 HO hood. My tank is 30x13x13, as Cleo is only a baby. Would the 10.0 be too strong for her? I've heard that the UV fixture should be 10-12" away from the highest point in the tank, and obviously with a 13" high tank that isn't possible for me. Should I stick with the 5.0 until I upgrade Cleo's tank to a larger one?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CooperDragon]

I'd stick with the 10.0. You want UVI between about 3-6 in the basking area with a gradient down to less than 1 in other areas of the tank. Here are recent test results using that fixture between the 10.0 and 5.0.

 

[melissamott124]

Hey Cooper,

The visuals really helped! I'll definitely stick with the 10.0. Thanks for the help!

 

[Wolfeden]

I'd stick with the 10.0. You want UVI between about 3-6 in the basking area with a gradient down to less than 1 in other areas of the tank. Here are recent test results using that fixture between the 10.0 and 5.0.

It's been a couple of years since I logged in, it's good to see you (and Taterbug) posting. Both of you were very helpful to me when I was first setting up my enclosure.

Back then I was communicating with Frances Baines & diamc trying to come up with good data on these T8 and T5 Reptisun bulbs through screen.
Thanks to all of you.

Great work on the distance charts.
Can you please tell me what type of screening you used in your UVI testing?
Thanks.

 

[Taterbug]

I'd stick with the 10.0. You want UVI between about 3-6 in the basking area with a gradient down to less than 1 in other areas of the tank. Here are recent test results using that fixture between the 10.0 and 5.0.

It's been a couple of years since I logged in, it's good to see you (and Taterbug) posting. Both of you were very helpful to me when I was first setting up my enclosure.

Back then I was communicating with Frances Baines & diamc trying to come up with good data on these T8 and T5 Reptisun bulbs through screen.
Thanks to all of you.

Great work on the distance charts.

Can you please tell me what type of screening you used in your UVI testing?
Thanks.

Was it you who had the fixture that wasn't preforming as well as you thought it would??

 

[Wolfeden]

When we first adopted the bearded dragon it had a MVB that we felt was not working but couldn't say for sure since we didn't have a meter. But the beardie wasn't very healthy, not active, and didn't eat or poop with much regularity.

Over the last 3 years I dialed in the new enclosure with good temps and gradients and decent UVB with the T5 HO 10.0. Our beardie seems to be much better off now. He moves around the enclosure changing temperature gradients as the day progresses, eats poops and sheds more regularly and has even brumated deeply during the coldest months the last two years. I take all of that as a sign of a healthy life cycle.

To answer your question...
I'm not sure if you're referring to me.

 

[Wolfeden]

Was it you who had the fixture that wasn't preforming as well as you thought it would??

Here's an interesting discussion on T5 distances almost three years ago, you were there.
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=208941

Back then I don't think we had any real UVI measurements, especially through screen, for the Reptisun T5's.
Ultimately I came up with about 10" as the correct distance for the T5 10.0 through screen. Looks like that was in the ball park based on CooperDragons charts, 6-10" is probably better.

It's so nice to come back here to find the real UVI data I was seeking!

 

[CooperDragon]

It seems to vary a bit between light brands and fixtures a bit but yeah 10-12'' through a screen is pretty decent in most situations. The screen I used in my testing is the top from my Exo Terra 36x18x18. It's a pretty fine metal screen mesh so I figured the numbers from it would be slightly conservative

 

[Taterbug]

Ah yeah. Sorry. I recognized your name but not the background

 

[Wolfeden]

It seems to vary a bit between light brands and fixtures a bit but yeah 10-12'' through a screen is pretty decent in most situations. The screen I used in my testing is the top from my Exo Terra 36x18x18. It's a pretty fine metal screen mesh so I figured the numbers from it would be slightly conservative

Thanks again for the great data.

 

[Wolfeden]

Ah yeah. Sorry. I recognized your name but not the background

Three years and thousands of members, no worries.
I'm just happy I found this thread and got the UVI data I was looking for a few years ago.