Habitat - Indoor :: UVB Bulb Distance

[Gerstein]

Hello! Just a quick question regarding lighting.

I have been trying to upgrade Shelldon's lamp system, and so far so good.

I now have a zoomed dual lamp system that pairs well with Reptituff Zoomed splashproof heat bulbs as well as REPTILE UVB100 / TROPICAL TERRARIUM BULB (26W). This system allows for a warm but not excessively hot temperature, as well as an appropriate UVI Index (5.0 Range with the screen, right in the middle of the 2.9-7.4 index for Red-Eared Sliders), with the bulbs in the middle offering a spectrum/continuum of UV and warmth throughout her throne

The only question I have is: Is there a minimum distance you would reccomend for the uvbulb and the basking throne? At the moment I have it 10 inches away, but I will likely have to lower it as UV output decreases due to bulb usage (I measure UVB output daily). That being said, I don't want to move it 'too close' to Shelldon, so having a 'rule' to stop the lowering of the lamp would help greatly. It was 6 inches with the 10.0 W desert UVB zoomed bulb I was using before (instructions on the back of the box), so I was thinking of increasing the distance limit to about 7.27 inches for the Reptile UVB 100 Tropical Terrarium Bulb (26W) by Exoterra (specific I know XD).

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you!

[steve]

Compact fluorescent bulbs don't particularly put out too much UVB, so I would think a Tropical bulb should be fine 10" away. Are you using a UVB meter?

[Gerstein]

Yes, I am using a UV Meter, and I measure under the cover's mesh to get as accurate a measurement as possible.

10 inches away is certainly fine for now, but I measure UV daily and I know that UV in bulbs tends to decrease over time. I will of course change it every 6 months, but when it starts to go down I may need to move it down a bit, so having a 'maximum minimum' distance rule will help so I know now to move it down beyond a certain point.

[steve]

I would not stress about it, but make sure there are some foods given that include Vitamin D3 and have an occasional trip outdoors. Also make sure you do the burn in period for CFLs.

[Gerstein]

I will be monitoring the UV output during and after the 'burn in period' and will change the distance as necessary. Right now it is in the 5.0 range, which is around the middle of the Ferguson Zone.

I will bring Shelldon outside when weather permits

Various pellet brands I give her contain Vitamin D

[steve]

I have not heard of the Ferguson Zone, but it sounds like you're doing a great job. Also, make sure Shelldon gets to bask as much as they want too... being able to dry off is highly beneficial.

[Gerstein]

Well the UVB Bulb blew after like a day. For now I'm still using the dual lamp system with the Daylight Blue HEat Bulb and Desert 10.0 UVB Bulb. I've heard that the daylight blue bulbs can mess with a turtle's vision. Are there any thoughts on that? They have just been a particularly reliable heat bulb for me.

[steve]

Blue Bulbs as somewhat new as far as I know, so there might not be much reliable info out there. Have you looked into halogen bulbs?

[Gerstein]

I have, but the lamps aren't quite as adjustable as I'd like.

For now, I'll use the single domes with the blue bulb and 10.0 desert; I honestly can't make it work any other way.

[steve]

How is the bulb more adjustable? From the pictures I've seen, it's in a combo dome fixture... is that the one you have?

[Gerstein]

Yes and no.
The lamps are on lamp stands, which are adjustable. This allows me to increase or decrease the distance between the lamp and the basking area.
The combo lamp system was less flexible, but I could still increase or decrease the distance.

However, with the Dual-Lamp/Heat Proof Bulb/Exo Terra Bulb Experiment going awry, I have returned to the system of using the Zoomed Daylight Blue Heat Bulb and Zoomed 10.0 Desert UVB Bulb, each on a single dome fixture, each hanging on a separate lamp stand. This allows me to adjust each lamp accordingly.

My attempt was to see if the new bulbs were better for Shelldon, and if I could get it in a 'combo lamp' fixture.

After 1 Day:
-The Waterpfoof Heat Bulb had parts of it either coming off or staining brown
-The UVB Bulb Burnt Out
-When trying my former bulb setup with the combo fixture, the lamp fixture did not focus the heat and uvb as well as the single domes do.

As a result, I have gone back to the way things were. Shelldon basked for 1 hour this morning, with a few additional quick hops up before and after.

In terms of the halogen bulbs, a friend of mine who has used them have commented that they would likely be too hot for Shelldon.

[steve]

If you are interested, you can get a single MVB to do both UVB and warmth/light. A lamp stand would give you a lot of flexibility and the bulb will provide a substantial amount of UVB.

[Gerstein]

I'll look into it. I tried combo bulbs like that once, but there was either too much/too little of one variable.