uv strip placement?

[turtlepunk]

alright so Im expecting my red tegu tomorrow and i got a really great deal on a pretty cool enclosure off of craigslist. my only problem with it is the previous owner installed his own fixtures. he placed the 36" uv strip at the very back of the cage. Will this affect the tegus exposure to the rays? would it be more effective in the middle? does the tegu have to be directly under the uv stip in order to benefit from it?

 

[turtlepunk]

No one has an opinion? =( maybe Bobby will.

 

[james.w]

I would put it in the middle if possible, but it should be effective either way as long as it is within the bulbs effective distance.

 

[Rhetoric]

Are you going to use an MVB for heat? I don't use tube style uvb anymore, just the MVB.

 

[turtlepunk]

no I can't use the mvb bulbs in the summer because I don't have central A/C =/ my apartment stays pretty (uncomfortably) warm (mid 80's) so the enclosures get REALLY hot with those bulbs in. right now I'm using a 50 watt heat bulb in Spartacus' enclosure and the cool side stays 85 while the warm side (basking) gets to around 105-115.
it sucks =/ hate having to use the UV strips.

Thanks James. the enclosure is 15" high so the bulb is about 10-11" from the ground. apparently the previous owner housed a tegu in it just fine, so Im not too worried now i guess.

 

[Vince]

Just curious... how wide is the enclosure (front to back)?

 

[JohnMatthew]

Just read the box your bulb comes in and make sure your GU can get within the desired range. I used a strip light for uvb for a while with a regular bulb for the hot spot and noticed my GUs would spend time basking under both light sources. Before and after eating they'd be under the regular bulb's hot spot but most of their lazy, longterm basking was done under the strip UVB light.

 

[james.w]

I think as long as you use the 10.0 bulbs 20" is the min. Distance.

 

[turtlepunk]

Just curious... how wide is the enclosure (front to back)?

2 feet from front to back, 4 ft wide

crap, if 20" is the minimum distance then Im in another pickle =( the enclosures are made of some type of plastic (holds humidity REALLY well) so that may be another reason for heat building up easily.

 

[Vince]

I will be using a two bulb fixture for my tubes, but the height will be higher than yours. If there's a reflector on the fixture, that helps with the effective range.

My fixture has a plain white reflector and is for dual bulbs. I glued foil (shiny side out) on the reflector. The foil reflector ads a little less than half again to the effective range from the studies I've seen.

In my beardies viv, he spends most of his time on either his basking rock or his drift wood jungle gym. Both sit directly under the fixture, which is in the back of the enclosure. So he's right under it most of the time. Since I'm not sure yet where my future tegu will be spending his days, I plan on mounting them in the center of the viv I'm building for him.

 

[james.w]

Just curious... how wide is the enclosure (front to back)?

2 feet from front to back, 4 ft wide

crap, if 20" is the minimum distance then Im in another pickle =( the enclosures are made of some type of plastic (holds humidity REALLY well) so that may be another reason for heat building up easily.

Sorry meant to say 20" is the maximum distance the bulb can be from the Tegu.

 

[turtlepunk]

ok pheew =D haha sigh of relief!

 

[Toby_H]

I've always used Fluorescent (tuve) UVB lamps/bulbs for my reptiles. I've never had any problems doing so...

I use the 10.0 bulb for my Tegu. Although the fixture is mounted to the bottom of a shelf putting the bulb about 5" away from my Tegus back...

I have nothing against MVB, and I understand they are a great option for some people or in some situations... but if used properly, fluorescent UVB bulbs work just fine...

If there's a reflector on the fixture, that helps with the effective range.

This is not true. UVB erodes as it travels through air. Since the shortest distance between the animal and the bulb is a straight line, going any other path only increases the amount of erosion the UVB experiences.

So using reflective material may increase the UVB ratings within the effective range, it will not extend the effective range.

 

[turtlepunk]

alright well the fixture went dead on me anyways. SOOO since I have to replace the fixture, Ill install it in the middle =) thank you guys for all your input =)

 

[Vince]

If there's a reflector on the fixture, that helps with the effective range.

This is not true. UVB erodes as it travels through air. Since the shortest distance between the animal and the bulb is a straight line, going any other path only increases the amount of erosion the UVB experiences.

So using reflective material may increase the UVB ratings within the effective range, it will not extend the effective range.
[/quote]

Hmmm... I was going by this study. I'm no expert by any stretch.