T5 or T8 UV LIGHT

Karen(pebbles)

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After christmas i'm gonna be looking to buy a bigger vivarium,
at the moment i have a T8 fitting but was wondering if the T5 would be better and what is the difference between the two? and what do everybody suggest?
























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Markw84

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Need more info. Size of enclosure? Height of enclosure substrate to ceiling? Type of Tortoise?

The T8s are really only useful in applications where you have limited height and need to keep the UVB level down as a result. The T5s are much more efficient and produce much more UVB for a larger basking zone at a greater height which helps keep the UV level more consistent over a greater part of the basking zone. T5s do produce more heat, so consideration needs to be give to that in a good closed enclosure. So don't get a T5 that is much more than 1/2 the length of the enclosure. I prefer 1/3.

Give us more info and we can be more specific.
 

Karen(pebbles)

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Need more info. Size of enclosure? Height of enclosure substrate to ceiling? Type of Tortoise?

The T8s are really only useful in applications where you have limited height and need to keep the UVB level down as a result. The T5s are much more efficient and produce much more UVB for a larger basking zone at a greater height which helps keep the UV level more consistent over a greater part of the basking zone. T5s do produce more heat, so consideration needs to be give to that in a good closed enclosure. So don't get a T5 that is much more than 1/2 the length of the enclosure. I prefer 1/3.

Give us more info and we can be more specific.
so for a vivarium of 4ft x 2ft x 2ft what would you recommend? (possibly 5ft x 2ft) eastern hermanns and substrate to ceiling 42cms
 
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Markw84

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so for a vivarium of 4ft x 2ft x 2ft what would you recommend? (possibly 5ft x 2ft) eastern hermanns and substrate to ceiling 42cms
Yes, I would go with a 22" T5. You will probably need to go with a 6% bulb. A 24" high enclosure is only 221/2-23" tall inside. Mounting directly to ceiling (not hanging) the bulb will still be about 2" to bottom of bulb. 3" - 3-1/2" of substrate leaves 18" bulb to substrate. So bulb to tortoise eye level is only 15"-16". A 12% will be too strong. So with a 6% bulb, you can hang and even adjust height as the bulb slowly begins to put out less UV in a few years to get another year out of the bulb.

I like the Arcadia Pro T5 22" 6% kit for your situation. Fixture and bulb included.
 

Karen(pebbles)

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Yes, I would go with a 22" T5. You will probably need to go with a 6% bulb. A 24" high enclosure is only 221/2-23" tall inside. Mounting directly to ceiling (not hanging) the bulb will still be about 2" to bottom of bulb. 3" - 3-1/2" of substrate leaves 18" bulb to substrate. So bulb to tortoise eye level is only 15"-16". A 12% will be too strong. So with a 6% bulb, you can hang and even adjust height as the bulb slowly begins to put out less UV in a few years to get another year out of the bulb.

I like the Arcadia Pro T5 22" 6% kit for your situation. Fixture and bulb included.
That’s great, thankyou so much for your help Mark
 

Karen(pebbles)

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Yes, I would go with a 22" T5. You will probably need to go with a 6% bulb. A 24" high enclosure is only 221/2-23" tall inside. Mounting directly to ceiling (not hanging) the bulb will still be about 2" to bottom of bulb. 3" - 3-1/2" of substrate leaves 18" bulb to substrate. So bulb to tortoise eye level is only 15"-16". A 12% will be too strong. So with a 6% bulb, you can hang and even adjust height as the bulb slowly begins to put out less UV in a few years to get another year out of the bulb.

I like the Arcadia Pro T5 22" 6% kit for your situation. Fixture and bulb included.
so i've been looking at these online and they come at different watts? sorry to sound a bit thick but i really wanna get this right? what wattage would i require for this one?
 

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so i've been looking at these online and they come at different watts? sorry to sound a bit thick but i really wanna get this right? what wattage would i require for this one?
Karen: The different wattage is simply for the different lengths. The longer the tube - the more wattage it draws. In an HO T5, the 22" draws 24 watts. The 34" draws 39 watts, and the 46" draws 54 watts.
 

Karen(pebbles)

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Karen: The different wattage is simply for the different lengths. The longer the tube - the more wattage it draws. In an HO T5, the 22" draws 24 watts. The 34" draws 39 watts, and the 46" draws 54 watts.
?? Mark than you so much for explaining this, I really do just wanna get it right for my little tort.
 

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so i've been looking at these online and they come at different watts? sorry to sound a bit thick but i really wanna get this right? what wattage would i require for this one?
@Karen(pebbles) @Markw84 is correct - the wattage is determined by the length of the bulb. I also agree with @ZEROPILOT - T5 all the way! But, what you really are looking for is the intensity of the UVB from light - some bulbs have more, some less. You really need a UVB meter to get this right - you need readings on how much UVB your animal is getting at the specific distance he or she is from the light.

Take a look at The Arcadia Reptile Interactive UV Index Guide (this page is for Hermann's). You will see that their UVB bulbs come in 6% or 12%. I started out with a 12% bulb, but backed it off to a 6% because I was just getting too durned much UVB (or else raise the light up to about 3 feet!)

There are lots of threads here about UVB. You'll have to get a bit of an education on this topic. It's not hard, but it is important.
 

ZEROPILOT

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so i've been looking at these online and they come at different watts? sorry to sound a bit thick but i really wanna get this right? what wattage would i require for this one?
Each length is a different wattage.
Don't worry about the wattage.
Whoops. Already well explained above
 

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@Karen(pebbles) @Markw84 is correct - the wattage is determined by the length of the bulb. I also agree with @ZEROPILOT - T5 all the way! But, what you really are looking for is the intensity of the UVB from light - some bulbs have more, some less. You really need a UVB meter to get this right - you need readings on how much UVB your animal is getting at the specific distance he or she is from the light.

Take a look at The Arcadia Reptile Interactive UV Index Guide (this page is for Hermann's). You will see that their UVB bulbs come in 6% or 12%. I started out with a 12% bulb, but backed it off to a 6% because I was just getting too durned much UVB (or else raise the light up to about 3 feet!)

There are lots of threads here about UVB. You'll have to get a bit of an education on this topic. It's not hard, but it is important.
I should've elaborated.
I've performed an unscientific UVB test in a post titled "Real world UVB test" here in the forum using my meter and a few different types of applications.
This was just after I completely stopped using my old T8s.
 

Karen(pebbles)

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Yes, I would go with a 22" T5. You will probably need to go with a 6% bulb. A 24" high enclosure is only 221/2-23" tall inside. Mounting directly to ceiling (not hanging) the bulb will still be about 2" to bottom of bulb. 3" - 3-1/2" of substrate leaves 18" bulb to substrate. So bulb to tortoise eye level is only 15"-16". A 12% will be too strong. So with a 6% bulb, you can hang and even adjust height as the bulb slowly begins to put out less UV in a few years to get another year out of the bulb.

I like the Arcadia Pro T5 22" 6% kit for your situation. Fixture and bulb included.
 

Karen(pebbles)

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Mark sorry to be a pain but is this the correct fitting I will need, even though it says forest? And if I should get a 5 ft x2ft x2ft vivarium it would be fine?
 

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Markw84

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Mark sorry to be a pain but is this the correct fitting I will need, even though it says forest? And if I should get a 5 ft x2ft x2ft vivarium it would be fine?
Yes. That’s what I use. The Arcadia pro T5. 6% or 12% depending upon how much height you have to work with in the enclosure v
 

Karen(pebbles)

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Yes. With just 24" and substrate for a Hermanns, you will need to go with a 6%
hi mark, please can you tell me if i need one of these with the T5 kit? at the moment i have the t8 with a controller, will the T5 work from that?
 

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Markw84

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hi mark, please can you tell me if i need one of these with the T5 kit? at the moment i have the t8 with a controller, will the T5 work from that?
Not sure what you mean by "T5 kit". The arcadia pro T5 kit does come with the fixture, reflector and bulb - so all you need. If you just got a T5 bulb, it will not work in your T8 controller and fittings holding the bulb. A T8 bulb is 1" in diameter. A T5 bulb is 5/8" in diameter. The T5 also uses different wattage.
 

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