Using Arcadia 12% Bulbs, education is key- 12% not always best option--

[Venutus1]

This post was actually part of another thread, but because it is important- I have put it in its own thread.
Cheers, Todd

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

true and false. no one would recommend the light being inside too much of a risk for burns. but you are correct screen can in fact filter out as much as 50% hence why some people use arcadia 12% and the 10.0 bulbs to accomodate for the lost amounts. I however on my adult cage my guy will be going too has 1/4" hole up top not so much of a worry

I second this response. Don't put the light inside the cage.

so true, so true Devokid and jamjam.
In almost all cases, having light simply setting on top over the screen is just fine.





Now about 12% bulbs.

WE ALWAYS MUST ADVISE PEOPLE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES AND USE THE
12% BULBS WITH CAUTION.

Please see a few things below that are very important to know.

And remember -- we all must work to continue our education on providing UV and correct lighting to our animals... because the "last word" is far from in.
There is so much more to learn for all of us.

If you are using or thinking of using an Arcadia 12% bulb-
the checklist starts here:


1.
ONLY on a large cages (36 - 48H and 24 wide). BIGGER THE BETTER
In a large cage, UV ZONES are created so the animal can move as they choose from one UV ZONE to another as they would in Nature.
2.
on adult chams
3.
Set up properly with lots of plants / shade
4.
And keeping the perches directly under the light a good 12" - 16" away
5.
And using a proper basking/dome light so the Cham will not TRY TO GET TO CLOSE TO THE HO t5 for heat.
We do not want to force the animal to have to use the HO t5 fixtures as its sole heat source and be compelled stay too close to it.
This is important.
Always use a NON UV dome light / heat light in conjunction with any other UV light on a reptile. ( a ceramic heat emitter would be ok too.)
It is important that the animal is not FORCED to soak up more UV rays than they need to just to stay warm and digest their food.
6.
A Solarmeter is VERY HANDY.

An Arcadia 12% can work well IF it is the right light for your set up.
We have customers that have been doing that for 2+ years now with fantastic looking Chams.
But not everyone has the set up to use 12% bulbs.
So don't think the higher percentage makes them better for your particular set-up.

Please read on....

A 12% may NOT BE THE RIGHT CHOICE for your Cham's set up even if ONE of the below is true:

a.
the cage set up is smaller, narrow- so as to NOT ALLOW the Proper UV GRADIENTS
The animal can not get out from under the bulb.
b.
there is not allot of shade-so as to NOT ALLOW the Proper UV GRADIENTS
c.
the animal can climb up (too) close to the light
d.
the animal is a baby or quite young
e.
The species of Cham is one that is very shade loving and does not require or tolerate higher UV.


If even one of the above is true--
then I recommend just sticking with the Arcadia 6% HO T5 Bulb.
Because those are awesome too!



Cheers.
Sincerely,
Todd

Please click on below to see some examples of UV testing with Arcadia bulbs in Tropic Blaze double bulb fixtures.
Distance is noted in pics and so is if it is through screen or not through screen. ENJOY

 

[Venutus1]

UV testing pictures of Arcadia HO t5 bulbs

ooops here are the pics!

You can see both Solarmeter 6.2 and 6.5 readings in these pics.

Enjoy!


Please click on below to see some examples of UV testing with Arcadia bulbs in Tropic Blaze double bulb fixtures.
Distance is noted in pics and so is if it is through screen or not through screen. ENJOY

 

[SaintJimmy]

Wow, great read. Thanks for the warnings and information!

 

[jamjam]

By no means was I implying that from the outside a 12% should be used. I should have gone into a bit more detail believe it was late. Thankks for clearing that up Todd and providing that additional information for everybody. I think I was more so trying to inform people that although for chameleons the 5.0 is suggested. It's simply may not give a suitable amount going through screen and that ppl resort to other options such as 6%, 12% and the 10.0. Depending on individuals set up of course

 

[Olimpia]

Todd, do you have more photo comparisons but through screen? I don't know if you've posted similar things before but I'd love to see it all in one place, so I can link to this thread when I get an email asking about UVB values. Super helpful!

 

[Venutus1]

Wow, great read. Thanks for the warnings and information!

Thank you Saint Jimmy!
I am glad you got something from it.
LOL
Sometimes I fear I ramble on too much!


One thing I want to make sure everyone remembers is that they still need a non UV heat source (ie. incandescent basking light) even if they are upgrading to the new HO (high out-put) t5 flo. light fixtures.

Yes, HO t5 flo. light fixtures do run warmer than a regular flo. light, but they do not project heat well to create a proper basking spot. Animals have to get very close to them to benefit from the heat they are generating. And we do not want them that close for any length of time*.

So you do still need that auxiliary light, even if it is a dome light with a regular household incandescent bulb in it, to create a NON UV heat/basking spot at the proper basking temp.

"5.
And using a proper basking/dome light so the Cham will not TRY TO GET TO CLOSE TO THE HO t5 UVB fixture for heat.

We do not want to force the animal to have to use the HO t5 fixtures as its sole heat source and be compelled stay too close to it.

It is important that the animal is not FORCED to soak up more UV rays than they need to just to stay warm and digest their food."


*I hope this helps readers understand-

So let's look at it this way...

What if you or I were stuck in a large freezing room (in our skiviies ) with just a big warm tanning bed in the corner to climb into as our only heat source?

It would be no big deal to snuggle in it for a half hour or so to stay warm.

But what if we were stuck in this extremely cold room for days and days?

The danger would come if we absolutely had to stay in the tanning bed to avoid freezing and frostbite for any length of time-

because then we would end up with a 3rd degree sunburn for sure!

This is the samer situation that could be created for a cham stuck in a cage that has no other source of heat than from a potent UVB emitting product.

(This is also why I do not believe in only using a Mercury Vapor bulb as a single heat AND and UVB source.
It can create the same situation as described above. But that is a whole other post! )

Anyway, I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Todd

 

[Venutus1]

Todd, do you have more photo comparisons but through screen? I don't know if you've posted similar things before but I'd love to see it all in one place, so I can link to this thread when I get an email asking about UVB values. Super helpful!

I did at one time and then lost the file! arrgh.
Sometime when I have the time I am going to redo it.

 

[Venutus1]

By no means was I implying that from the outside a 12% should be used. I should have gone into a bit more detail believe it was late. Thankks for clearing that up Todd and providing that additional information for everybody. I think I was more so trying to inform people that although for chameleons the 5.0 is suggested. It's simply may not give a suitable amount going through screen and that ppl resort to other options such as 6%, 12% and the 10.0. Depending on individuals set up of course

yes--- I was not finding fault with what you had said at all!

And if anyone though that was what I was implying towards you, jamjam--
I was not at all-- sorry!

You are awesome.

I was actually glad you mentioned it.... because it has come up a few (bazillion LOL) times...

so I was just que-ing off where you were with that and was taking an opportunity to disseminate some more detailed information to the gang here.

Cheers
Todd

 

[Psychobunny]

Todd, I am glad you posted this. I ordered 2 12% bulbs from you to try.
The basking branch directly under the UVB is less then 12''.
Should I lower it?
One of them is going in a 2 x 4' cage and the other is a 36'' tall one, but am expecting to get a 40'' tall from LLL Reptiles, which is where I was planning to put it.

 

[nightanole]

Eh im running all 12% and a 6500k. All perches are in the 18"-36" zone. Got todds hoods with reflectors and no screen. At 6" i can mimic full sun, at 18" its about as good as a 10.0 at 8" (great for beardy). By 24-36 is perfect for cham.

One thing i would point out, the hoods are aluminum, and get warm to the touch. It took my crew (cham, frilly, beardy) about a week to figure out how to just crawl on top of them as a mild heat rock...

 

[Venutus1]

Todd, I am glad you posted this. I ordered 2 12% bulbs from you to try.
The basking branch directly under the UVB is less then 12''.
Should I lower it?
One of them is going in a 2 x 4' cage and the other is a 36'' tall one, but am expecting to get a 40'' tall from LLL Reptiles, which is where I was planning to put it.

Hi There P-bun!

I would drop the perches directly under the light down to 12" - 14".
In your set up, outside of that one "tweak" I that would make, you will be fine.

There is always the variable of the screen to to consider, as you know - some screen will block up to 40% of the light and in others .... maybe only 20%.

That is why I make suggestions always with an eye to err-ing on the side of caution.

At some point I have plans to add Solarmeter Rental to the LYR webside, whereby folks can just rent a Solarmeter for a week for about 15.00 -20.00 ....and then that will take allot of the guesswork out of it.

Thank you!
Todd

 

[johnnycamp5]

12% uv bulb

I have had good luck using a quad lamp (12%) from L.Y.R. and my five month old panther cham loves it!

Of course, he moves in and out of his plant (large schefflera) all day. His enclosure measures 48"tall x 32" wide x 21" deep. He has plenty of shade when he wants.

A lot of times when he goes down to the bottom (shaded from plants and other decor) to eat from his feeder dish, he will take his time coming back up to the top

 

[Psychobunny]

Hi There P-bun!

I would drop the perches directly under the light down to 12" - 14".
In your set up, outside of that one "tweak" I that would make, you will be fine.

There is always the variable of the screen to to consider, as you know - some screen will block up to 40% of the light and in others .... maybe only 20%.

That is why I make suggestions always with an eye to err-ing on the side of caution.

At some point I have plans to add Solarmeter Rental to the LYR webside, whereby folks can just rent a Solarmeter for a week for about 15.00 -20.00 ....and then that will take allot of the guesswork out of it.

Thank you!
Todd

Todd, I do have a Solarmeter 6.5, comes in handy for sure.
Should my UV reading be in the "moderate" (6 or 7) range at the basking spot?

 

[Venutus1]

Todd, I do have a Solarmeter 6.5, comes in handy for sure.
Should my UV reading be in the "moderate" (6 or 7) range at the basking spot?

Hi Psych~
Hmmmm....I actually think that is a bit high if:

you have only one good basking spot--

as opposed to a cage with a few suitable basking spots / some / at least one alternate with lower UV to choose from.

If there are no other basking spots he likes with lower / low UV, then I would adjust that one to 3 - 4.
I always err on the side of caution as you know.

Thank you Psych!
I appreciate your business and support.
Cheers!
Todd