Uvb Tube

Qwertyuiopgsggs

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Jun 6, 2022
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What kind of set up do I need for lamp like these:
Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB T5HO 39W 34” Reptile Lighting Fluorescent Tube Bundle with Carolina Custom Cages' Chlorhexidine Solution 2%; 1 Refill Makes 32 oz. of Working Solution https://a.co/d/ebBWtih
Ive never worked with led fluorescent tubes in my life and Im no electrician so I would like to know if I can buy something I can pug the tube it, please provide links if you can.
Thank you
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
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Jan 9, 2010
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Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
What kind of set up do I need for lamp like these:
Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB T5HO 39W 34” Reptile Lighting Fluorescent Tube Bundle with Carolina Custom Cages' Chlorhexidine Solution 2%; 1 Refill Makes 32 oz. of Working Solution https://a.co/d/ebBWtih
Ive never worked with led fluorescent tubes in my life and Im no electrician so I would like to know if I can buy something I can pug the tube it, please provide links if you can.
Thank you
First, you don't want a 5.0 tube. They make hardly any UV. Get a 10.0 or 12.0.

Second, buy the tube with a fixture and reflector. They come al together in the Pro T5 kit from Arcadia. Just hang it and plug it in.

Last, LED tubes are one thing, and florescent tubes are a different thing. There are no LED florescent tubes.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
  3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.
 

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