Zoo Med Reptisun t5 or t8 Terrarium hood?

richxboy

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Which one do you guys prefer? Im planning on hanging it in the center of my enclosure so it can light up the whole area. my enclosure is 36 in L x 24 in W. I'm planning on hanging it about 18-20 inches from my sulcata. I'm thinking i should get the t5 hood with a 5.0 bulb. what do u guys think?
 

Jay Bagley

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Which one do you guys prefer? Im planning on hanging it in the center of my enclosure so it can light up the whole area. my enclosure is 36 in L x 24 in W. I'm planning on hanging it about 18-20 inches from my sulcata. I'm thinking i should get the t5 hood with a 5.0 bulb. what do u guys think?
I was advised to use T5 10.0 high output for my Sulcata.
 

richxboy

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Also, I emailed somebody on this form who uses the the 10.0 bulb, and he had advised me to hang at 14 to 16 in if going with the Zoo Med.

okay... cause im think the t5 with 10.0 would be too much uvb for them hanging from 18-20 inches. I try to bring out my sulcata everyday out in the sun for 1 hr a day if i have time and if the sun is out.
 

Markw84

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The T5 is a far superior fixture and bulb over the now outdated T8. It is way more intensity of light for the watt so more efficient and almost twice as bright. The T5 runs at 95° peak performance so also does better and lasts longer in our enclosure environment. The T8 runs at 75° for peak performance so it will run hotter than its meant to in our enclosures and will not last as long. The bulb life on a T5 is considerably longer. Keep in mind a reflective hood on the fixture will almost double the UVB level at the same distance. I would think 18” should be just about right for a 10.0.
 

richxboy

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The T5 is a far superior fixture and bulb over the now outdated T8. It is way more intensity of light for the watt so more efficient and almost twice as bright. The T5 runs at 95° peak performance so also does better and lasts longer in our enclosure environment. The T8 runs at 75° for peak performance so it will run hotter than its meant to in our enclosures and will not last as long. The bulb life on a T5 is considerably longer. Keep in mind a reflective hood on the fixture will almost double the UVB level at the same distance. I would think 18” should be just about right for a 10.0.

Thanks for the reply. What can happen if my Sulcatas gets too much uvb if 10.0 is to strong? She’ll birn right?
 

Markw84

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Thanks for the reply. What can happen if my Sulcatas gets too much uvb if 10.0 is to strong? She’ll birn right?
Yes. You need to be careful to ensure the bulb is not too close to the tortoise. I always use a solarmeter 6.5 to check UVB output and ensure proper exposure. There is no way to be totally sure in your application without that meter to check. Without that, you can only go by the guidelines that are printed on the box in which the light comes. Never mount the bulb closer than those guidelines.
 
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