Need help with Enclosure

[Reptilelady86]

I think i am going to go with a melamine enclosure and then customize from there. Is anyone selling one? I live in Southern California

 

[Reptilelady86]

Quick question, if i wanted to mount the lights inside of the melamine cage, is the T5HO bulb that i already have be okay to use? I contacted zoo med and seemed to be advising to use a screen top with the T5HO's i just want to make sure i am very cautious and do not harm the beardie's eye's. What do you use what type of bulb, length, fixture for a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure works best? Thanks just gathering as much possible info.

 

[BeardedHippy]

Ideally your UV needs to cover 2/3s of your viv. I use a 22 inch Arcadia T5 12% tube(with reflector) in a 4x2x2 and it is perfect for that space. Im not sure why your light would be unsuitable so long as it could be mounted securely

 

[Reptilelady86]

Thanks. Is it possible to post a photo of your viv to get a better understanding of how / where the lights go etc?

 

[BeardedHippy]

yeah sure, I put one in dogdayz thread a while back, its a bit blurry but you get the idea of placement:
http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/attachments/sunp0084-jpg.17108/

 

[Reptilelady86]

Thank you for uploading photo. Nice melamine viv. Also, do you have the exact website link to the bulb and reflector?

 

[Reptilelady86]

Heres a photo of his current setup now.

 

[Reptilelady86]

Really such confusion... So i have the T5HO 5.0 linear bulb... which i have contacted zoo med personally and one of the rep said its okay to use this with screen mesh... but i have a feeling this is inaccurate... ?

Quick question regarding your 22 in Arcadia bulb... wondering if i can use my T5 hood from reptisun, this way can still use it and not have to completely get rid of it and use a arcadia bulb? Would that be best suited for my beardie?... i have a feeling that bulb he has now 5.0 is more for tropical species. I just dont want him to develop any MBD or any other issues.

 

[Reptilelady86]

Also, here is a link they attached: https://zoomed.com/wp-content/uploads/ZM_Lighting_Selection.jpg

 

[BeardedHippy]

yeah, that chart they sent you isnt very helpful. Where the t5s outshine the others is their ability to penetrate deep, so they work well above or below a screen. You can most likely use any HOUV bulb with your reptisun, so long as the tube is of the appropriate wattage for your lamp ballast, the fittings on the tube are the same. You can buy arcadia bulbs from ebay/amazon, or this US store stocks them all:
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/

 

[Reptilelady86]

Also, since i will be upgrading him to a larger enclosure couldn't i just get a 10.0 HO reptisun bulb since i already have the T5 hood fixture? Plus the 5.0 is 5% UVB which isnt enough for him anyways. Trying to see which is best way to go about this without ripping a hole in the wallet

 

[Reptilelady86]

FYI since i already have the T5 hood i just ordered on Amazon since it would be cheaper just paying for the bulb and now he will have double UVB for now on top of his screen mesh glass terrarium and then once i get his new melamine cage it will also work too. The tube is 34" and the new viv will be 48" wide so he will have some area if he wants to avoid the UVB plus i have cave for him too. $25 for the bulb vs $60 for the complete hood and bulb with Arcadia.

 

[BeardedHippy]

I think you made a wise choice there. The arcadia tubes are often touted as the best, they are more expensive but they last longer so they are worth the extra imo.

 

[Reptilelady86]

Thanks. Maybe after the year i will get the Arcadia

 

[Reptilelady86]

Here comes the fun questions lol
When i get my melamine enclosure, should i... cut out top and make a screen mesh or... should i mount everything inside and if so, how should it be placed? Never mounted anything inside of enclosure before so totally lost at this. Should it be facing pointed downwards or pointing outwards facing you type of thing? Is one method better than the other? Any information would be very helpful as im completely lost to what to do for mounting lighting inside of an enclosure

 

[BeardedHippy]

well, I dont think you should cut holes unless you really need to, they were designed for internal light placement. Choose which end is to be your cool end, mount the UV from the top centrally going all the way across your cool side. Mount the basking lamp in the space that remains on the hot side, I placed mine towards the back of the enclosure. Move your basking place (log,branch or whatever) slightly off center of the basking light and check surface temps with an IR thermometer and air temps with an ordinary thermometer. Your basking spots should range between 90-115F, if temps exceed that then reposition the basking place again or dim the basking lamp. There really isnt much to it, just takes some playing around with.

 

[Reptilelady86]

Ok thanks. So since this UVB will be a tad smaller for the new enclosure (4ft x 2ft x 2ft) the UVB should be placed on top of ceiling and centered between the hot and cool side, is that correct? That way he can absorb the UVB on either side. And the Basking bulb right beside it? The way i have it now is the long uvb is in the way back and then slightly in front of it is the basking bulb. The tube should be coming in today from Amazon. Once the package arrives going to use it for his 36" x 18" x 18" enclosure and then once im able to get the melamine enclosure try to mount inside and basking bulb. I also have a 75w and 100w basking bulb so ill play around see which bulb works best. Although melamine retains heat so i doubt i will have to use the higher wattage

 

[PatsyB]

You can contact LightYourReptiles, they would be happy to help you figure out what light to use inside your tank.