Lighting advice?

[JamesB88]

Im deciding on what quad fixture to buy but I'm not sure as to what would be best for this setup. I'm deciding on either the quad with 6% Arcadia or 12%

I'm leaning towards 6% as it says the 12% should be sitting off the top of the cage and I don't want that.

The cage I'm setting up is for a male veiled any help would be appreciated

The cage I bought is the Xl breeder from dragonstrand.

 

[Mtnlaurel]

I got the Arcadia 6% double fixture wth a 6500K bulb for the plants as well. I'm happy with it.

The 12% is designed more for desert animals, or very heavily planted tanks. To be honest, I think you can use the 12% as long as you have enough shade AND temperature gradient for them to dodge the UVB.

From my research, the Arcadia bulbs are a little higher powered than the competitive bulbs. There is a great link on here I will look for for you where someone used light meters and got some legit numbers.

I'll see if I can dig it up.

Disclaimer: I've only had my Cham for a couple months, I'm just an obsessive/compulsive reader/researcher and parrot other people's information. ;-) so my info is NOT from personal experience.

 

[Mtnlaurel]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/is-uvb-10-harmful.128206/#post-1121612

 

[JamesB88]

I got the Arcadia 6% double fixture wth a 6500K bulb for the plants as well. I'm happy with it.

The 12% is designed more for desert animals, or very heavily planted tanks. To be honest, I think you can use the 12% as long as you have enough shade AND temperature gradient for them to dodge the UVB.

From my research, the Arcadia bulbs are a little higher powered than the competitive bulbs. There is a great link on here I will look for for you where someone used light meters and got some legit numbers.

I'll see if I can dig it up.

Disclaimer: I've only had my Cham for a couple months, I'm just an obsessive/compulsive reader/researcher and parrot other people's information. ;-) so my info is NOT from personal experience.

Yeah I figured the 12% was more directed for a desert climate, I'm most likely going with the 6%

 

[JamesB88]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/is-uvb-10-harmful.128206/#post-1121612

Great info, I'm actually listening to Cham breeder podcast on lighting now lol

 

[Nursemaia]

I have a 12% on my veileds and panther. A lot is filtered out through the screen. I also have a heavily planted enclosure and I feel like chams should have a heavily planted setup for their mental health

 

[kelly_girl199]

Great info, I'm actually listening to Cham breeder podcast on lighting now lol

6% is equivalent to the 10.0 reptisun bulbs.

 

[nightanole]

6% is equivalent to the 10.0 reptisun bulbs.

Not even close. a 10.0 measures .7uvi at 12", a 6% with reflector measures 1.8uvi. And that was with a new 10.0 and 6 month old 6%.

 

[JamesB88]

I have a 12% on my veileds and panther. A lot is filtered out through the screen. I also have a heavily planted enclosure and I feel like chams should have a heavily planted setup for their mental health

Yeah I plan on setting this cage up very very similar to Bills cage on the advanced setup on the dragonstrand site which he has many hiding glens and plants...so maybe I will go with a 12%... I don't plan on buying this quad fixture until next month so I'm trying to soak in some info on lighting via this forum and Cham breeder podcast!

Thanks for the input, and seeing as you use a 12% with your veiled and panthers I'm probably leaning more towards that direction as well, like you said the screen blocks out uvb so 12% can't hurt if I have hiding spots And hidden glens for my Cham to retreat to.

 

[kelly_girl199]

Not even close. a 10.0 measures .7uvi at 12", a 6% with reflector measures 1.8uvi. And that was with a new 10.0 and 6 month old 6%.

Tags what Todd says in his podcast

 

[Mtnlaurel]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/is-uvb-10-harmful.128206/#post-1121612

 

[Mtnlaurel]

Whoops sorry for the double post. You get the idea

 

[Nursemaia]

At 6 inches away my solarmeter reads 25

 

[nightanole]

At 6 inches away my solarmeter reads 25

That is great considering the sceen filters out over half, and your bulbs are over six months old. That means around 12-18" it starts dipping in the 10-15 range which is the min.

 

[nightanole]

Tags what Todd says in his podcast

It is true IF your 10.0 has a mirror reflector like the 6%'s do. I have never seen a T8 setup with reflectors though, most just have a white or plastic black backing.

 

[Nursemaia]

That is great for a T8 setup that is over six months old. That means around 12-18" it starts dipping in the 10-15 range which is the min.

I have an Arcadia T5 HO 12%

 

[nightanole]

I have an Arcadia T5 HO 12%

I edited my post while you were posting. Surprising though, my 12% is measuring roughly 10x that at 12", with reflector and no screen.

 

[Mtnlaurel]

Which model solar meter are you guys measuring with?

 

[nightanole]

Which model solar meter are you guys measuring with?

Im running a 6.5. It measures UVI, which is what you want to be measuring for vit D production. The 6.2 meters measure µW/cm² and are VERY sensitive in the lower UVB spectrum. They are for measuring harmful UV radiation.

To convert noon day µW/cm² to uvi, its 40:1. It does change throughout the day just like "daylight" color isnt 6500k all day.

You can look up on the website on how and where the sensitivity is on spectrum for each sensor.

I would not want to be checking for a bad deep uvb/c leak using a 6.5.

 

[kelly_girl199]

Tags what Todd says in his podcast

Thats

It is true IF your 10.0 has a mirror reflector like the 6%'s do. I have never seen a T8 setup with reflectors though, most just have a white or plastic black backing.

I have T5 quad with 6% bulb and it has mirror reflectors.