Hello! So for Shelldon Leo Kooper's 12th Adoption Anniversary, I am upgrading her tank size to a 75 gallon. The only snag is that I can't seem to figure out the tank cover situation.
On the one hand, I need a cover to be secure and in place so that Shelldon cannot get out of the tank. On the other hand, I need enough UVB light to shine through for basking purposes.
I was previously using the Zilla Fresh Air Screen, using a Zoomed ReptiSun, 10.0 UVB, 13 Watt Desert (Mini Compact), about 7 inches away from the basking area. Using a borrowed UVB meter, the UVB measurement was about 227 um/cm (squared). This was about the same measurement as a clear summer day.
My first plan was to use 2' x 25' Galvanized Hardware Cloth Model Number: C27242518 Menards ® SKU: 1713120 (https://www.menards.com/main/building-m ... =C27242518)
The material works wonderfully, it is flexible yet sturdy, allowing me to mold it to the tank, preventing escapes and providing protection. However, I remembered the UVB light issue as discussed in the Canopies, Covers, Hoods, and Screens section of the Indoor Enclosures Part 2 Section of the Habitat Section http://www.redearslider.com/tanks.html, and thus ol' Mr. Worry started to rear its usual head.
The mesh of the cloth I am using is 1/8 of an inch, which is quite small. However, the Zilla Fresh Air Screen is quite similar, with about an 1/8 inch mesh, and the UVB input seemed to match a summer's day according to the UVB Meter while using the Zilla Fresh Air Screen. I wonder if I'm making a mountain out of a molehill again. If anyone has any thoughts, or reccomendations as to a material that would provide adequate molding/security as well as UVB input, that would be quite helpful. Thank you!