Following on the previous thread about Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0 fluorescent tubes for Russians, what proportion of habitat length should the tube be?...eg., if the enclosure is 4' x 3', what length of tube should one have for UV?
If it were me, I'd get the largest one (4') only because it won't hurt anything and also I know I'd have to make a larger enclosure in the future. If you're worried about light intensity, add plants or more hides for shade.
Yes, go the length of the enclosure. That way they get 'sun' no matter where they are, including under the basking area.
Have the tube fluorescent and heat bulb both on a timer.
4' is ideal. Consider the height at which the bulb will be from the surface. T8 tubes have decent UVB output only up to 12". T5HO tubes have much better UVB output at larger distance 15-18" and would be my choice. The latter also provides much more light then T8 tubes.
Following through on this, the enclosure length is actually 56" rather than 48". I have a 24" tube fixture already, so I think I will get another 30" fixture and install them in linear tandem to cover the length; I think that will work.