Too much UVB? T5 5.0 or 10.0?

[halpern07]

Hi,
I am new beardie owner, we purchased him from a local reptile store at 2 months and have had him at 3 weeks. I have learned a lot over the past 3 weeks and have replaced half of what was in our Beardie starter kit. We had the UVB coil and I replaced it two weeks ago with a Reptisun 10.0 T5, I got the T5 because it sits on a Zoo Med Screen top but is in a ZooMed Reptisun T5 hood. The guy at a local LLL reptile store thought the 10.0 would be better than the 5.0, but it seems like it might be close. I got him a branch where it sits lower to the ground to keep him from being too close to the UVB but he is typically anywhere from 9 to 10.5 inches away from it. The tank is only about 12 inches high (20 gallon tank Zoo Med tank). I don't see any signs where it may be bothering him (yet) but the hood came with a 5.0 bulb and so I do have both and could put away the 10.0 for when he is in a bigger tank. I am okay sticking with the 10.0 or should I switch to 5.0?

 

[halpern07]

 

[JessPets]

You defiantly need the 10.0
How far away is he from the bulb?

 

[Gormagon]

I don't see the t5 fixture in your pic, is it the long tube type or the coil type? If it is the tube type the screen top will filter it down to excetable levels being that close. The 10.0 will be fine, just make sure he has a shady spot to retreat to, so he can get out of they uvb rays if he needs to.

If it is the coil type, replace it with the 10.0 t5 ho or the 10.0 t8 asap. The coil type bulbs are not good on their eyes and can cause vision problems.

 

[halpern07]

I don't see the t5 fixture in your pic, is it the long tube type or the coil type? If it is the tube type the screen top will filter it down to excetable levels being that close. The 10.0 will be fine, just make sure he has a shady spot to retreat to, so he can get out of they uvb rays if he needs to.

If it is the coil type, replace it with the 10.0 t5 ho or the 10.0 t8 asap. The coil type bulbs are not good on their eyes and can cause vision problems.

It is the long tube type, it in the back half of the enclosure and the basking is in the front half where the branch is raised a bit. I've seen him occasionally go under the branch to get out of the light, so I was hoping he would know if he is getting too much UVB. If that is the case then I'll keep the 10.0 T5 and not use the 5.0 T5 (that the hood came with). Thanks!

 

[halpern07]

Here is a picture show more of the top of the enclosure.

 

[halpern07]

You defiantly need the 10.0
How far away is he from the bulb?

His branch that he sits on is anywhere from 9 to 10.5 inches away from the light (the light sits in the back half of his enclosure). I know they say at least 12 inches away is ideal, but couldn't tell if that was while the light was sitting on the mesh top or not.

 

[Gormagon]

Now,.... that pic tells me that things are as good as you can get with the viv you have. Good job, you are doing well "Grasshopper", lol!!!

 

[halpern07]

Now,.... that pic tells me that things are as good as you can get with the viv you have. Good job, you are doing well "Grasshopper", lol!!!

Okay thanks, I've been studying up a lot. :study: