5% , 6% 10% 12% .... It's how much UV that actually gets in the cage that matters.

Venutus1

Avid Member
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I see a few posts and discussions below with much speculation on bulb UV strength and fixtures.

The fact is that the percentage of UV from the bulb is a GUIDE to use...
because
it is what actually gets in the cage that matters.

So...
I decided a diagram may explain this better.

You see, in a quad fixture, even though the fixtures can have very good polished reflectors, the bulbs beside the UV bulb act as "UV ABSORBERS" and do not reflect UV.

A 6% bulb in a single bulb parabolic fixture yields about as much UV into the environment as a 12% bulb in a quad fixture.

Also...
Over and over again I (and others) stress it is important to offer some shade or foliage so that the animal can get OUT OF THE UV IF THEY WANT TO.
But time and time again, I see picture after picture of these "Bare Top" cages.
What I mean is ...
these cages with a bunch of dense plants crammed down bottom WHERE THE ANIMALS SELDOM HANG OUT...
while up top where the animal is is all BARE with no plants, foliage or shade they can get into if they want to.
The "Light and Shade" method is the European method that works to duplicate Nature (REPEAT: Duplicate Nature) and create a more natural (ie. Better) environment that offers the animal choices just as it would get in the wild.

HERE is one fix--
Cut a piece of cardboard or something to shade a corner up top.

(Here is another fix: In the lights I sell, you can also cut a piece of the plexi and slide it back in the light to block UV but not light in an area to create UV gradients in the cage. I include instructions explaining that. I have the only product that does this!)

Also, the screen on a cage automatically cuts down the UV by 25-40%.

Now, if someone wanted to also create a UV gradient, they could add a piece of screen under the light at one end ... say 1/3... and in effect have 2 layers of screen in an area so the animals have a choice in the strength of UV they want to sit in.

An 18 x 18 x 36 cage makes it hard to create any decent UV gradients in it because it is small.

Folks tend to speculate around and around and around on UV and the strength of bulbs ...
But...
The ONLY REAL WAY TO TELL if you have the right UV and it is on target in your cage environment is with a Solarmeter.
It is a good idea to invest in one.
The 6.2 is ok.
The 6.5 is a bit better because it focuses on the narrower band of UV that pertains to Vitamin D synthesis.
But both work well because you can establish a baseline of what your UV is, and that is key.

Now,
because retailers make so little or no money on Solarmeters, (and they are so expensive to stock) they do not always like to carry them.(*e-hem*)......especially since you can buy them direct from Solarmeter anyway. ;)
Here ya go:
https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=6.5UVIndex

Here is the info I include with the double bulb and quad fixtures.

HINT:
Remember, you can use a piece of glass or plexi to block UV to create a low/ no UV zone in your cage.
Because glass & plexi is clear and transmits visible light but not UV--
You can create this low UV / No UV zone *without* darkening your cage or sacrificing visible light for your plants.
**This little trick will work with ANY kind of fixture and UV bulb**

Anyway, this is the blub that is in my Double Bulb and Quad Fixtures:

"IMPORTANT
Slide out the plastic lens that protects the bulbs in shipment and Do Not Use It. It will block approx. 95% of the UV rays.
You may want to keep bottom of fixture open so all heat and UV can escape.


NOTE:
In certain situations, depending on your cage set up and the type of reptiles or amphibians in it, you may want to cut a 1/4 or 1/3 piece of it and slide it back in. Then simply position it to one end or the other on the fixture. It will block UV in that area to create a Low/ No UV Zone. (It cuts easily with a sharp utility knife. Simply score deeply and snap it, then peel off protective opaque plastic film.)


Remember: It is always a good idea to check UV levels regularly with a Solarmeter if you have access to one.
Thank you! Todd Goode"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also:
Arcadia bulbs last at LEAST a year.
Many last UP TO 2 YEARS in acceptable UV out-put.
That is why even though they cost more...
YOU SAVE MONEY and the environment by generating less mercury infused waste.
(All flo. bulbs contain mercury.)
However,
if you do not have a Solarmeter to check for sure, play it safe and replace every 12 mo.

Hope all this helps on a Saturday afternoon. :)
Cheers
Todd
www.lightyourreptiles.com
uv reflection.jpg


##########################################################################
Now...
factor in a screen under the above lights and you are knocking the UV down about by another third (25% - 42%) ...
so you see why in a quad fixture, a 12% bulb can be used over well planted (ie: cages with USE-ABLE SHADE) set ups.
In single bulb fixtures, stick to a 6% Arcadia bulb.
No matter what light or bulb strength, always provide USE-ABLE SHADE up near the top of the cage they can easily retire into if they want to. :)

 
Last edited:
So in the double fixture would you want to use a 12% up light since it is knocked down? Or does that not matter?
 
So in the double fixture would you want to use a 12% up light since it is knocked down? Or does that not matter?

In a double bulb..
I would stick with a 6% if there is not much shade. You will be just fine.
If it is real heavily planted, and you shade out one end or the other well then a 12% will be ok... but keep the perches directly under the light down 12" -14:.
:)
 
In a double bulb..
I would stick with a 6% if there is not much shade. You will be just fine.
If it is real heavily planted, and you shade out one end or the other well then a 12% will be ok... but keep the perches directly under the light down 12" -14:.
:)
Thank you
 
Thank you Todd:). The info you gave me before my Quad T5 HO @12% uv purchase was very helpful.
For one, I just wanted the best for Chameleon as close to natural habitat. Arcadia does it, its brighter,and Ziggy is much more colorful .
Adding two 6500k daylight and Tropical plant tube is the only way to go. I am so very pleased(y).
Being good for a year or more, in the long run you save. Purchasing 2 moreT5 UV@12% is also a smart thing to do.
My main objective here was overall keeping my Panther (Nosy Faly) healthy. Temporary med screen enclosure for now ,until sub adult.
Then he gets full cabinet enclosure next. Now lights are 12" to 14" away. Screened top will then be mounted.
Todd will help you,but give him pictures of your enclosure.
IMAG0054.jpg IMAG0055.jpg

 
Thank you Todd:). The info you gave me before my Quad T5 HO @12% uv purchase was very helpful.
For one, I just wanted the best for Chameleon as close to natural habitat. Arcadia does it, its brighter,and Ziggy is much more colorful .
Adding two 6500k daylight and Tropical plant tube is the only way to go. I am so very pleased(y).
Being good for a year or more, in the long run you save. Purchasing 2 moreT5 UV@12% is also a smart thing to do.
My main objective here was overall keeping my Panther (Nosy Faly) healthy. Temporary med screen enclosure for now ,until sub adult.
Then he gets full cabinet enclosure next. Now lights are 12" to 14" away. Screened top will then be mounted.
Todd will help you,but give him pictures of your enclosure.
View attachment 169703 View attachment 169704

I am glad you like and Ziggy is doing well. :) Looks great! Thank you!
 
Ok I don't have a chameleon yet but getting everything, I was planning on getting a 10.0reptilian tube bulb 24 inch. I'm getting confused on this. Some posts on the forms say it's ok some say no. Go with the 5 .
The viv is being built now, 4ft high, 3 ft wide and 2 1/2 ft deep . With a screen top would having that light be ok ?
 
Dear Laura ansea, email Todd @ lightyourreptiles.com with pictures of your enclosure . Todd is very knowledgeable and very helpful. He will give you the answers soon. I went 12% UV. T5 Fluorescent Arcadia due to it's Top Quality.
I have mine set at a distance of 12 inches away from the top of screen ,or you put on top of screen mesh ,but the top perch area is away @10-14 inches away.
Also depends on how heavily planted the enclosure is .
I went for the Arcadia 12% Quad Fixture with two 6500 K daylight ,and One Tropical Plant tube . It's just looks Fantastic.
 
This is such an amazing post. I like the choice of schefflera plants I get here in my local plant stores, because they are huge and very tall and provide usable shade all the way to the top of cage, and I have to trim them a lot before I put them in lol.
 
Dear Laura ansea, email Todd @ lightyourreptiles.com with pictures of your enclosure . Todd is very knowledgeable and very helpful. He will give you the answers soon. I went 12% UV. T5 Fluorescent Arcadia due to it's Top Quality.
I have mine set at a distance of 12 inches away from the top of screen ,or you put on top of screen mesh ,but the top perch area is away @10-14 inches away.
Also depends on how heavily planted the enclosure is .
I went for the Arcadia 12% Quad Fixture with two 6500 K daylight ,and One Tropical Plant tube . It's just looks Fantastic.


I'm still Geting matterials for the build as soon as it's semi close to being done then I guess I'll e mail Mr todd. thank you for this information and I started to lison to the podcast too
 
So the Arcadia quad fixture comes with two 6.k daylight bulbs (along with the UV bulb and plant bulb). Are these strictly for lighting up the enclosure?

Also, when using a Solarmeter, what do you want the UV reading to be at at the cages highest basking point?
 
What's amazes me About Arcadia . Is the fact it's so close to having your Enclosure look so natural with these lights. Yes brighter and all.
Now when choosing 5% or 12% UV consideration has to be made how heavily planted it's going to be. It's like a exo system .Besides Chameleons love privacy , so keep in mind to have gradient places ,from full Bright place to a shade areas. Arcadia T5 HO Quad gives you that option ,plants do so well and all .
Todd from lightyourreptiles is so helpful. ;)
Just ask member venutus1 always helpful.
 
Last edited:
I see a few posts and discussions below with much speculation on bulb UV strength and fixtures.

The fact is that the percentage of UV from the bulb is a GUIDE to use...
because
it is what actually gets in the cage that matters.

So...
I decided a diagram may explain this better.

You see, in a quad fixture, even though the fixtures can have very good polished reflectors, the bulbs beside the UV bulb act as "UV ABSORBERS" and do not reflect UV.

A 6% bulb in a single bulb parabolic fixture yields about as much UV into the environment as a 12% bulb in a quad fixture.

Also...
Over and over again I (and others) stress it is important to offer some shade or foliage so that the animal can get OUT OF THE UV IF THEY WANT TO.
But time and time again, I see picture after picture of these "Bare Top" cages.
What I mean is ...
these cages with a bunch of dense plants crammed down bottom WHERE THE ANIMALS SELDOM HANG OUT...
while up top where the animal is is all BARE with no plants, foliage or shade they can get into if they want to.
The "Light and Shade" method is the European method that works to duplicate Nature (REPEAT: Duplicate Nature) and create a more natural (ie. Better) environment that offers the animal choices just as it would get in the wild.

HERE is one fix--
Cut a piece of cardboard or something to shade a corner up top.

(Here is another fix: In the lights I sell, you can also cut a piece of the plexi and slide it back in the light to block UV but not light in an area to create UV gradients in the cage. I include instructions explaining that. I have the only product that does this!)

Also, the screen on a cage automatically cuts down the UV by 25-40%.

Now, if someone wanted to also create a UV gradient, they could add a piece of screen under the light at one end ... say 1/3... and in effect have 2 layers of screen in an area so the animals have a choice in the strength of UV they want to sit in.

An 18 x 18 x 36 cage makes it hard to create any decent UV gradients in it because it is small.

Folks tend to speculate around and around and around on UV and the strength of bulbs ...
But...
The ONLY REAL WAY TO TELL if you have the right UV and it is on target in your cage environment is with a Solarmeter.
It is a good idea to invest in one.
The 6.2 is ok.
The 6.5 is a bit better because it focuses on the narrower band of UV that pertains to Vitamin D synthesis.
But both work well because you can establish a baseline of what your UV is, and that is key.

Now,
because retailers make so little or no money on Solarmeters, (and they are so expensive to stock) they do not always like to carry them.(*e-hem*)......especially since you can buy them direct from Solarmeter anyway. ;)
Here ya go:
https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=6.5UVIndex

Here is the info I include with the double bulb and quad fixtures.

HINT:
Remember, you can use a piece of glass or plexi to block UV to create a low/ no UV zone in your cage.
Because glass & plexi is clear and transmits visible light but not UV--
You can create this low UV / No UV zone *without* darkening your cage or sacrificing visible light for your plants.
**This little trick will work with ANY kind of fixture and UV bulb**

Anyway, this is the blub that is in my Double Bulb and Quad Fixtures:

"IMPORTANT
Slide out the plastic lens that protects the bulbs in shipment and Do Not Use It. It will block approx. 95% of the UV rays.
You may want to keep bottom of fixture open so all heat and UV can escape.


NOTE:
In certain situations, depending on your cage set up and the type of reptiles or amphibians in it, you may want to cut a 1/4 or 1/3 piece of it and slide it back in. Then simply position it to one end or the other on the fixture. It will block UV in that area to create a Low/ No UV Zone. (It cuts easily with a sharp utility knife. Simply score deeply and snap it, then peel off protective opaque plastic film.)


Remember: It is always a good idea to check UV levels regularly with a Solarmeter if you have access to one.
Thank you! Todd Goode"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also:
Arcadia bulbs last at LEAST a year.
Many last UP TO 2 YEARS in acceptable UV out-put.
That is why even though they cost more...
YOU SAVE MONEY and the environment by generating less mercury infused waste.
(All flo. bulbs contain mercury.)
However,
if you do not have a Solarmeter to check for sure, play it safe and replace every 12 mo.

Hope all this helps on a Saturday afternoon. :)
Cheers
Todd
www.lightyourreptiles.com
View attachment 169141

##########################################################################
Now...
factor in a screen under the above lights and you are knocking the UV down about by another third (25% - 42%) ...
so you see why in a quad fixture, a 12% bulb can be used over well planted (ie: cages with USE-ABLE SHADE) set ups.
In single bulb fixtures, stick to a 6% Arcadia bulb.
No matter what light or bulb strength, always provide USE-ABLE SHADE up near the top of the cage they can easily retire into if they want to. :)
Huge help and great info, thanks
 
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