UVB lighting question

[Jeffrey Florez]

Its about that time that I change my UVB bulb so before purchasing the repti-sun 10.0 I was shopping around. I seen exo terra 200 compact intense fluorescent 26 watt bulb. It's said to offer a very high amount of UVB would it be ideal for my tegu ? I've read that it's really intense and can hurt a reptiles eyes but I was wondering if it would hurt my tegu ? I seen exo terra say it's good for monitors so I'm guessing it should be fine for my tegu ? Thanks in advance! Any recommendations would also be great.

 

[snibborsirk]

The question is how far is your UVB from where the tegu is basking? Compact fluorescents are basically worthless if they're more than 8-10" from your tegu. Also, make sure your UVB is mounted or sitting on the top of your enclosure. Tegus and basically all lizards eyes are designed to protect from light coming from above, not at an angle or from the side - this is where you can get damage. If your tegu is still small and in a small tank then the compact would prob be alright. Just find the right UVB source for the distance to your tegu. Here's a good basic link for choosing the right bulb for your enclosure. http://zoomed.com/Library/ProductDBFiles/UVB-Reach.pdf

For a large enclosure I would recommend the high output t5 reptisun 10.0 or a mega Ray mercury vapor bulb. I have 2 of the high output reptisun 10.0 bulbs on my 7.5x3.5 cage and they work great. Hope this helps some.

 

[Jeffrey Florez]

For the t5 reptisun 10.0 what kind of hood do you use? ive read it needs to be a reflector hood to not lose out on uvb, I dont know how true it is but I just want to make sure im not losing out on it. Also can I use a hood I'd find at a local hardware store? thanks for the help I appreciate it

 

[snibborsirk]

Zoomed makes a t5 reptisun hood specifically for these bulbs. I doubt a hardware store will have a t5 fixture that is compatible with the reptisun bulbs. Online stores have the best prices. I got mine here: http://www.bigappleherp.com/Zoo-Med-Reptisun-Terrarium-Hood-T5-HO-High-Output

 

[OEFVet]

For a large enclosure I would recommend the high output t5 reptisun 10.0 or a mega Ray mercury vapor bulb. I have 2 of the high output reptisun 10.0 bulbs on my 7.5x3.5 cage and they work great. Hope this helps some.

You have two Snibb? What lengths? I am debating on getting one 48" for my 7x3x3.

 

[snibborsirk]

OEFVet, I have two of the 24" t5 hoods so I could have flexibility in where I place them. I already had one 24" hood before getting my large enclosure. Got a second 24" figuring I could place them at any angle I wanted and not have to worry about them being too long!