UVB Bulb Length

[tdh357]

I recently acquired a 40-gallon terrarium because I figured it was time to upgrade my 3-month-old dragon's living quarters. The tank is 36 inches in length. My question is do I need a UVB that is 34 inches, which would basically run the entire length of the enclosure with a 36-inch hood, or would a 24-inch bulb be preferable? Thanks!

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

Either or works, if you can afford 34" tube and 36" hood then get it, but if you'd rather go a cheaper route you could go with the shorter bulb and hood. Personally i'd go with the longer bulb. Im not entirely sure how big the price difference with the bulbs are as i havent looked in a while however.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Tube 2/3 to 3/4 the length of the viv with one end close to the basking bulb is the best arrangement.

For a 3ft long viv, a 24in tube is idea. Your little spiky child will appreciate being able to escape the UV when he/she' s had enough UV doseage.

 

[tdh357]

Either or works, if you can afford 34" tube and 36" hood then get it, but if you'd rather go a cheaper route you could go with the shorter bulb and hood. Personally i'd go with the longer bulb. Im not entirely sure how big the price difference with the bulbs are as i havent looked in a while however.

From what I have been seeing the bulbs are fairly close on price, but the hoods are where the real money comes in. I actually just found a great deal at petmountain.com. I only paid $52 for a 36" Reptisun hood with the bulb included. Best price I have found so far, but if anyone else knows of any good deals let me know!

 

[kingofnobbys]

Either or works, if you can afford 34" tube and 36" hood then get it, but if you'd rather go a cheaper route you could go with the shorter bulb and hood. Personally i'd go with the longer bulb. Im not entirely sure how big the price difference with the bulbs are as i havent looked in a while however.

From what I have been seeing the bulbs are fairly close on price, but the hoods are where the real money comes in. I actually just found a great deal at petmountain.com. I only paid $52 for a 36" Reptisun hood with the bulb included. Best price I have found so far, but if anyone else knows of any good deals let me know!

Careful with these dodgey deals : chances are they have included a cheap nasty Chinese made tube in the package deal, I'd be checking the tube included to make sure it is not one of these brands :
Not all UVB compacts, tubes and MVBs are created equal or as well.
Many Chain Petshops sell their own brand (
Nomoy Pet,
Zilla,
All Living Things,
Reptile-One,
URS,
MegaRay Brand,
CrawlMiracle,
Nat Geo ,
Sparkzoo reptispar,
Repti-Zoo ,
Natural Selections (in green boxes) ,
all of which are cheap Chinese clones made very cheaply using very poor quality quartz glass and cheap phosphors ==> very poor UV spectrum produced including UVC and bad parts of the UVB band.

 

[tdh357]

The website claims that the bulb is a Reptisun 10.0 T5HO, which I hear is a very reputable bulb. I have also heard good things about this website. But of course I'll keep my eyes open.

 

[CooperDragon]

I like the 22'' (24'' fixture) in most cases. This provides a wide enough beam for an adult to bask under evenly while still providing a good gradient with areas of little to no UVB in other areas of the tank. Providing a gradient of UVB (and heat) allows options for them to self regulate which they're good at. A longer bulb is OK too but it should be in a larger tank or cheated to the front or back of the tank a bit so there is still a good gradient available.

 

[SHBailey]

One other thing to think about is that your beardie may eventually outgrow the 40 gallon tank and need an even larger one, so either size lamp would probably work for now as well as for later. You are also correct that the Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO is one of the best that you can get.

 

[tdh357]

One other thing to think about is that your beardie may eventually outgrow the 40 gallon tank and need an even larger one, so either size lamp would probably work for now as well as for later. You are also correct that the Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO is one of the best that you can get.

Yes, I plan to eventually upgrade him to a 55 gallon when he reaches maturity. That should be big enough, right? I didn't even think about being able to reuse the hood. I was thinking I'd have to get another one eventually.

 

[tdh357]

I like the 22'' (24'' fixture) in most cases. This provides a wide enough beam for an adult to bask under evenly while still providing a good gradient with areas of little to no UVB in other areas of the tank. Providing a gradient of UVB (and heat) allows options for them to self regulate which they're good at. A longer bulb is OK too but it should be in a larger tank or cheated to the front or back of the tank a bit so there is still a good gradient available.

How would you recommend mounting a longer bulb inside the tank? I've read that this is best but I am not sure exactly how to go about it.

 

[CooperDragon]

If it's under a mesh top, you could suspend the fixture from the mesh using picture wire or zip ties or similar. If it's under a hard top, then they can usually either hang from screws in the ceiling directly from the fixture, or suspended from a wire that connects to hooks in the ceiling. If you have an open top, you can either put the bulb across the top or suspend it from a grow light stand.

 

[Drache613]

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