tube lighting - so confused

[lismar79]

I am switching my solar raptor system, can not find any usa seller, and want to go to a fluorescent tube set up to spread out the uv. I have no idea what I am doing here....

What is the diff between 10.0 and 5.0 ? And what does T5 or T8 even mean?

What's the best? I'm not opposed to spending some $$$ just want to be smart about it.

I have two 6x3.5 enclosed chambers, heat is not an issue.
One is for a russian, the other is a 13 month sulcata. I live in a frozen waste land (aka ohio) and this will be important for winter!

 

[Yvonne G]

Last winter my tortoise partner brought me 3 T-5's to try. I set them up in three tort tables that are in sheds outside. They came with reflectors. I really like the T-5 for the leopard baby, however it was way too much light for the little Manouria and the little yellowfooteds. I had to raise them both up quite a bit and add a few more plants to provide shade.

I can't help you with the terminology, as I really don't know, however, I think it may have to do with output and size.

 

[lismar79]

Last winter my tortoise partner brought me 3 T-5's to try. I set them up in three tort tables that are in sheds outside. They came with reflectors. I really like the T-5 for the leopard baby, however it was way too much light for the little Manouria and the little yellowfooteds. I had to raise them both up quite a bit and add a few more plants to provide shade.

I can't help you with the terminology, as I really don't know, however, I think it may have to do with output and size.

I am thinking my sully would be the same or sim to a leopards and that's the one I am most concerned with. How how did you have to move them? Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

The light in the baby leopard tort table is about 12" above the floor of the table. But I don't have a UV meter. I was strictly going by eyeballing it and thinking it was too bright for the forest types.

 

[lismar79]

The light in the baby leopard tort table is about 12" above the floor of the table. But I don't have a UV meter. I was strictly going by eyeballing it and thinking it was too bright for the forest types.

Great, thanks, just wanted to see if it was higher than I have to work with. My enclosure is about 30" tall so I should be just fine.

 

[leigti]

Great, thanks, just wanted to see if it was higher than I have to work with. My enclosure is about 30" tall so I should be just fine.

How far will the tube be from the top of your tortoise? I have a tall enclosure and required much more powerful UV tubes then I thought I would. I have a solar meter 6.5 and that is how I measured the UV.

 

[leigti]

As far as tubes go, what I have been told is 10.0 and 5.0 is the amount of UV the tubes put out. T5 and T8 are the width of the tubes. HO is high output which is supposed to increase the brightness and the amount of UV. Only HO tubes can go in HO fixtures and those fixtures are T5 only. I know I am not explaining this very well.@Tom explained it well in my "lighting a large enclosure" thread. The moral of the story for me anyway was that because my lights were going to be 15 inches above my turtle and tortoises I required HO fixtures and tubes in order to get enough UV to my critters. I was really surprised. So I made sure the enclosures have a lot of plants and hides etc. so the tortoises can get out of the bright light when they need to. This is only my experience, and as I have learned the hard way it doesn't work for everybody. All I or anybody else can do is give suggestions and tell you my own experiences and unfortunately you just have to keep trying things until something works. Everybody set up is so unique. I very much recommend a temperature gun and a UV meter.

 

[lismar79]

As far as tubes go, what I have been told is 10.0 and 5.0 is the amount of UV the tubes put out. T5 and T8 are the width of the tubes. HO is high output which is supposed to increase the brightness and the amount of UV. Only HO tubes can go in HO fixtures and those fixtures are T5 only. I know I am not explaining this very well.@Tom explained it well in my "lighting a large enclosure" thread. The moral of the story for me anyway was that because my lights were going to be 15 inches above my turtle and tortoises I required HO fixtures and tubes in order to get enough UV to my critters. I was really surprised. So I made sure the enclosures have a lot of plants and hides etc. so the tortoises can get out of the bright light when they need to. This is only my experience, and as I have learned the hard way it doesn't work for everybody. All I or anybody else can do is give suggestions and tell you my own experiences and unfortunately you just have to keep trying things until something works. Everybody set up is so unique. I very much recommend a temperature gun and a UV meter.

Thanks, you explained it well. I have a gun and uv meter to test best height so no worries there. I am going to place it on the wall of the enclosure and can go as high as 30 inches in one and 24 in the other. I have just about every light set possible now other than the tubes so hopefully these will give me what I'm looing for and I can replace. Appreciate your help