Question about Light Fixture for UVB

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Hello everyone. You were all so helpful to me when I first got my little Hermanns two years ago and I've continued to learn so much from browsing this forum. And now I need help/advice again.... I have used an MV bulb for daytime UVB and heat and am going to switch to a tube UVB and separate basking lamp. My problem is I cannot figure out the tube lighting fixtures! I've found some but they are "hard wired" which is not an option for me (I need one that will plug in), some links I've found here on the forum lead to a plastic fixture without any sort of reflector (do I need a reflector?) and other links that lead me to fixtures that say should be placed on a screen, but I understand that diminishes the UVB rays? I need one I can plug in but that I can also adapt to hang over the enclosure/table. There are so many different lights - T5, T8, 10.0, 5.0 - how do I know which one to choose? Basically I'm totally confused..... Any insight or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks in advance.
 

Markw84

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Go to lightyourreptiles.com

He has ready to go fixtures wired and including reflectors. As a reptile enthusiast himself, he has picked out the best lighting for reptiles in his experience. There is also value in using good quality ballasts and fixtures vs. the cheapest you can find, when talking about getting the maximum useful life out of a fluorescent bulb.

I like to use a reflector with the tube. It does concentrate more of the UV and light downward. This allows for stronger UVB and UVA at a given height. The stronger, means it can be mounted higher with the proper UV intensity with effectively spreads out the circle of proper intensity over a wider footprint of the enclosure. Also, since we are dealing with UVA and UVB, I don't like a bulb I am staring into if I am working over the enclosure.
 
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Go to lightyourreptiles.com

He has ready to go fixtures wired and including reflectors. As a reptile enthusiast himself, he has picked out the best lighting for reptiles in his experience. There is also value in using good quality ballasts and fixtures vs. the cheapest you can find, when talking about getting the maximum useful life out of a fluorescent bulb.

I like to use a reflector with the tube. It does concentrate more of the UV and light downward. This allows for stronger UVB and UVA at a given height. The stronger, means it can be mounted higher with the proper UV intensity with effectively spreads out the circle of proper intensity over a wider footprint of the enclosure. Also, since we are dealing with UVA and UVB, I don't like a bulb I am staring into if I am working over the enclosure.
Thank you - I am going to check out that website right now!!!
 

wellington

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Most of those types of lighting, like the one you found that they say needs to sit on a screen. They need some creative thinking for hanging, that's all.
 

Markw84

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Most of those types of lighting, like the one you found that they say needs to sit on a screen. They need some creative thinking for hanging, that's all.
I've not seen that before. I do see it in reference to CHE's and MVB's because of the heat, and that they don't want you to think you can set the fixture on a Glass or plexiglass cover... Regardless, it is correct that screen will filter a good portion of the UV, so it should not be placed where anything is between the bulb and the tortoise.
 
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I've not seen that before. I do see it in reference to CHE's and MVB's because of the heat, and that they don't want you to think you can set the fixture on a Glass or plexiglass cover... Regardless, it is correct that screen will filter a good portion of the UV, so it should not be placed where anything is between the bulb and the tortoise.

Am I looking at the right thing here?? I found this http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/
but am not sure if that is the right size for a Hermanns (I mean UVB output, not length...)

Thank you again!
 
Joined
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Messages
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I've not seen that before. I do see it in reference to CHE's and MVB's because of the heat, and that they don't want you to think you can set the fixture on a Glass or plexiglass cover... Regardless, it is correct that screen will filter a good portion of the UV, so it should not be placed where anything is between the bulb and the tortoise.
Most of those types of lighting, like the one you found that they say needs to sit on a screen. They need some creative thinking for hanging, that's all.

Yes - that's one issue I'm having - the "creative" part lol.
 

Tom

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Hello everyone. You were all so helpful to me when I first got my little Hermanns two years ago and I've continued to learn so much from browsing this forum. And now I need help/advice again.... I have used an MV bulb for daytime UVB and heat and am going to switch to a tube UVB and separate basking lamp. My problem is I cannot figure out the tube lighting fixtures! I've found some but they are "hard wired" which is not an option for me (I need one that will plug in), some links I've found here on the forum lead to a plastic fixture without any sort of reflector (do I need a reflector?) and other links that lead me to fixtures that say should be placed on a screen, but I understand that diminishes the UVB rays? I need one I can plug in but that I can also adapt to hang over the enclosure/table. There are so many different lights - T5, T8, 10.0, 5.0 - how do I know which one to choose? Basically I'm totally confused..... Any insight or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

Call this guy. He offers great customer service and he will explain everything and help you choose the right bulb and fixture for your situation:
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com

He also sells Arcadia products which are excellent.
 

wellington

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I've not seen that before. I do see it in reference to CHE's and MVB's because of the heat, and that they don't want you to think you can set the fixture on a Glass or plexiglass cover... Regardless, it is correct that screen will filter a good portion of the UV, so it should not be placed where anything is between the bulb and the tortoise.
Many sold and used for reptiles are really for sitting on top of aquariums for fish. Some can still be hung, however, most tortoise enclosures don't have a solid wood top to screw into.
I get creative with rope LOL.
 

wellington

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Yes - that's one issue I'm having - the "creative" part lol.
I use clothes line rope most of the time. Tie a hoop around both ends of the fixture either with one piece of rope or two separate pieces. Then set a piece of wood or something across the enclosure. Tie the other ends of the rope together to fit over the piece of wood to the height needed, or if you used one piece of rope, find the center of the rope and put the wood piece thru it so the light hangs level. It's tricky to get the rope tied evenly on both ends and to hang level, but it's not that hard.
Here is an example in my lizards cage. The lizard, a Uro, had to be in it, camera ham LOL. He's in an old acrylic aquarium, all the scratches are from when it was a marine tank. The light, if you can see it, has the rope on the two ends. Because if the design of the aquarium top, I couldn't put the rope at the very ends.
 

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Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
94
Location (City and/or State)
Newark, DE
I use clothes line rope most of the time. Tie a hoop around both ends of the fixture either with one piece of rope or two separate pieces. Then set a piece of wood or something across the enclosure. Tie the other ends of the rope together to fit over the piece of wood to the height needed, or if you used one piece of rope, find the center of the rope and put the wood piece thru it so the light hangs level. It's tricky to get the rope tied evenly on both ends and to hang level, but it's not that hard.
Here is an example in my lizards cage. The lizard, a Uro, had to be in it, camera ham LOL. He's in an old acrylic aquarium, all the scratches are from when it was a marine tank. The light, if you can see it, has the rope on the two ends. Because if the design of the aquarium top, I couldn't put the rope at the very ends.
thank you!
 

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