Flexariums

Shaner

Shaner

New Member
Hello All,

I hear that the UVB is cut down quite a bit in using these flexariums, is this true? If so, how do all of you get around this?

Do you use a UVB 10 reptisun linear tube rather than a 5?

If any of you use a flexarium, how do you get around this?
 
I find it isn't cut down too much, but flexariums aren't really very good. They are flimsy, and break very easily, and fall. If you get one or have one stick it to something.
 
Shaner said:
Hello All,

I hear that the UVB is cut down quite a bit in using these flexariums, is this true? If so, how do all of you get around this?

Do you use a UVB 10 reptisun linear tube rather than a 5?

If any of you use a flexarium, how do you get around this?
Click to expand...

I have one and it is very strong and I have no probs with it standing 6' tall. I love mine and it does what it is suppose to do... :)

I use all my lighting on top just resting where his fav branches are. There are 3 lights...the uvb bulb and tube with a ceramic heat lamp... I hung the lamp from my ceiling and everything works fine together. Have my mistking system running to two tanks...also... :)

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgu...143&prev=/images?q=flexariums&hl=en&sa=N&um=1

Good thread with example pics...
 
DeFishy said:
flexariums aren't really very good. They are flimsy, and break very easily, and fall. If you get one or have one stick it to something.
Click to expand...


I have to strongly disagree with that. They are built just fine. Is it possible you received a defective one, or possibly used it in a manor for which it was not intended?

They are designed well, and if used properly work just fine They have their limitations as does any product. You can't expect the Toyota Corolla to accelerate like the Toyota Supra. The strong points of the cage would include: Easy assembly, light weight, affordable, easy to clean. Do not expect to hang 5-10 lb plants from the frame, nor expect fruit flies to be contained in the coarse mesh. I have had a 260gal flex for almost a year and have had zero problems. They will provide years if service with little or no maintenance, pending you use them properly. There are pictures of mine in my gallery Shaner, if your interested.

-Jay
 
A flexi will cut out 60% of UVB from a tube without a reflector. If you have a deep enclosure, use a 10.0 and a reflector (or a MVB for a really deep enclosure) but a 5.0 with reflector will be adequate for the average enclosure as long as you replace every 6 months! Give this site a read: www.uvguide.co.uk
 
Do you use a UVB 10 reptisun linear tube rather than a 5?
Click to expand...

I do yes, but then I dont totally rely on artificial Uv anyway, I take mine outdoors most days, though my climate is great, this winter is approaching and Im already feeling it. Maybe its me getting old :D
 
Something I see good with these Flexariums or Reptariums is they look to provide more cover for the chameleon. I see this as a good thing with WC or a shy species to give them the perception of being hidden without a lot of plant cover.
 
Thanks Everyone,

I have a 260 gallon but my cham is way too small for that yet.

I also have the assembly for the 100 gallon but I need new meshing...I will have to buy one from LLLreptile.

Jay thanks, I took a look at your getup that is really nice, your veiled must be in heaven there. Also checked out your other chams nice ambilobe looks young should put out some nice colours as he ages..your female is cute lol.
 
you can replace the original black frame with PVC. if you go to ace, you can purchase a more sturdy PVC piping. and use screws to connect them at the joint points.

also you can fill them with the insulation foam to add some extra backbone to the tubing. large tubing if measured right can be EXTREMLY strong. and you could hang differnt size plants in there... pretty heavy ones.


if you were to change the top to be a + or a = so you have extra anchor points for plants being hung inside.
 
i personally am very skeptical of this because even though it is a mesh if the light is flush with the screen the little holes will have 100% strength, but the others wont. just because you cut overall light and it gets darker doesnt mean you still dont have rays that are not 100% some rays that go through the holes will still make it with 100% effectiveness. with any test result i would like to see someone on the forums with a uv meter take this and test it, and measure this through different types of materials and get a accurate reading from it. and for me to believe this it would be best to do it in video, but it could be done in the act IE one from the bulb with the meter under it with the reading clearly visible, and the others under the bulbs in the cage ect giving an active reading as well.
 
very skeptical of this because even though it is a mesh if the light is flush with the screen the little holes will have 100% strength
Click to expand...

I dont think so, even the holes, or rather the fabric that surrounds them has a certain reflectivity. UV rays bounce off everything, some more than other surfaces.
Even up close. Of that percentage of holes, a percentage is lost to reflective bounce,
as the uv passes through it.
If those holes are particularly small (tight weave) you can assume a greater percentage of reflective bounce.
Of the surface area without holes, again, the closer the weave, the more the overall reflection above, Ie less penetration through the holes to begin with. The shinier it is the better it reflects.

Then you have other factors such as chemical absorbtion (treated fabrics/coatings) and so on.

29modmx.jpg


pathetic drawing above, means:

top grid is the mesh from underneath, uv will bounce in all four directions (each side of the hole)
very few rays will make it directly downward.

bottom grid shows the top surface, directly under the light. The closer it is the more it will reflect
if the top surface is shiny, the greater the overall reflection (back upward).
Think of the splatter effect if you hold your hand flat under a fast running tap.

Having the uv light a little above the mesh would somewhat reduce that effect, in the same way, lowering your hand under that waterflow reduces the impact and reflection of water.
A great deal will depend on the type of material and its reflectivity value, color etc.
 
Obviously the manufacturers aren't necessarily accurate in their descriptions, but its pretty simple to visualize what is theoretically going on. A 5.0 Bulb means that 5 percent of the light output of the bulb is in the UVB spectrum. On an 18 watt bulb, that comes out to about .9 watts of UVB light output. (Yes I'm aware that wattage isn't exactly the most appropriate way to measure light output, but it will do for this purpose.

Of that output, without a reflector, 50% of that output will be directed away from the cage. Leaving you with .45 watts of UVB.

Screening is essentially a filter. If "regular" window screen lets 90% of light transmitted through, then you're looking at around .4 watts actually reaching your cage interior. If the flexarium mesh blocks 60% of light transmission, then you'd be seeing around .18 watts of UVB reaching the interior of the cage. If that was a 10.0 bulb, you'd have .36 watts, which is comparable to a 5.0 on a window screen cage.

Obviously I'm pulling half of these numbers out of my butt, they're just to serve an illustrative purpose. Its 1:30AM and I shouldn't be chameleonforming. The appropriate way to determine light output is in lumens, but wattage works to some degree.
 
i have a 165 g and i hang the uvb bulb inside the enclosure with fishing line
and have the heat lights on a bracket on the wall

(the flash makes the light look brighter than it is)
DSC00314.jpg
]
 
moody232002 said:
i have a 165 g and i hang the uvb bulb inside the enclosure with fishing line
and have the heat lights on a bracket on the wall

(the flash makes the light look brighter than it is)
DSC00314.jpg
]
Click to expand...

You may get some pm's about this.... It's kind of looked down upon having a light inside the enclosure that your cham can get to, possibly causing a burn, or something.
 
chamnovice said:
You may get some pm's about this.... It's kind of looked down upon having a light inside the enclosure that your cham can get to, possibly causing a burn, or something.
Click to expand...
it's ok he cant get too close made sure of that;)plus i checked with my vet that he would be ok
 
he is one of the top herp vets in the country so yes he does have a LOT of experience.
not getting into any arguments on this forum just posted my set up.

Mark N Rowland BVSc CertZooMed MRCVS

Mark qualified from Liverpool University in July 1996. Since qualifying he has engaged in all aspects of veterinary medicine especially dog, cat and exotic practice including reptiles, birds and exotic mammals. Mark has had a special interest in exotic animal medicine for over eight years now and in 2007 achieved the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Zoological Medicine. This makes Mark one of the few veterinary surgeons in the UK with a Royal College qualification in this discipline.
The practice sees dogs cats and exotics on a first opinion basis and also takes exotic animal referrals from all over Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
 
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