Reptisun 5.0. 1 or 2?

[Vlln202]

Hey, I have a juvenile Veiled around 33 grams in a custom screen cage that is about 30lx20h. I have a triple screw in bulb fixture for my heat and UVB and I was wondering with that foot print would one 5.0 be okay or should I use two?

I do plan on getting her a much bigger screen cage once she grows out more so I already have both bulbs but wasn't sure if two would be overkill.

I also have a question about humidity. I know its generally frowned upon to use substrate but I just cant keep my humidity up past 30% for long at all without soaking the cage. I currently use news paper as ground cover and in order to keep my humidity above 30% I find that I must spray it so much that it pools. I do have multiple potted plants, dripper and a fogger. I would like to invest in a mist system but I see it as counter intuitive as I am now using a spray bottle and it would pretty much be doing the same thing, drenching it till it pools in order to keep humidity up. I have moved her cage around because the reptile room she is in is rather dry for my desert species that I cant keep in racks with bins but to no avail I still have humidity issues.

That being said, is there any work around for substrate? I typically use long fiber sphagnum in my humid hides and other terrariums but I have read that they may still ingest it out of curiosity.


Temp: 95 highest basking spot on down. Measured with a digital thermometer with probe and temp gun.

Humidity: 70% at peak, drops to 30% within 3 hours measured with digital hygrometer and an analogue one.

Plants: Two large pothos on totems covered with coconut husk and 4 smaller ground cover potted plants.

Use a pump sprayer to mist with warm water.

 

[nightanole]

5.0 compact is as low as you can go, cage penetration might only be 8" so you can pop in both. In "a few months" when they are adults switch to linear tube bulbs, and you can go as high as you want if its a 4ft cage. An arcadia 6% with reflector and no screen would literally be 100x more powerful than what you would have now, and would mimic 1/3 sunlight for the first 12-18" of cage.

For humidity you have 2-3 rules you need to follow. The cage must dry out between mistings to prevent mold/mildew/rot. Any substrate must be in chunks as big as an adult head, there must be zero chance of it eating the substrate if it misses a feeder. finally if you use substrate, you much cup or hand feed, since all bugs will just end up never found and dying/rotting in the substrate.

It is normal for water to pool during mistings, its why we have drainage systems and catch basins.

 

[Vlln202]

Thanks for the input on lighting. She has three basking spots, one for heat and two for UVB all a few inches away. I had thought 10.0 was too high and 5.0 was just right? I never liked using tubes. Its always been to my knowledge with fish keeping they really aren't all that great so I always used PC's or halides but thats a whole other world. I mostly use MVB's on my reptiles for that reason as well and am considering one of those in the future but I had two of these new that I never used so I plopped one in. I'll toss in both now.

She is both tong fed and feeds from a deep ceramic bowl. Drying out is something I am aware of but there's still pools after the humidity drops. I'll look into drainage or a catch basin too. Not sure why that didn't click in my head. I used to drill slate bottoms and put in a bulkhead to drain my dart vivs.

Thanks again!

 

[Carlton]

I had thought 10.0 was too high and 5.0 was just right? I never liked using tubes. Its always been to my knowledge with fish keeping they really aren't all that great. I mostly use MVB's on my reptiles for that reason as well and am considering one of those in the future but I had two of these new that I never used so I plopped one in. I'll toss in both now.

Linear UVBs are favored by many cham keepers especially for young chams. MVBs may generate too much heat for young chams unless the cage is very large and well planted.

 

[Vlln202]

I wouldn't be using an MVB till she is grown out and in a much larger foot print for pretty much that reason.

Where do you guys find is the best most reliable source for the Arcadias?

I found them here: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/

 

[nightanole]

I wouldn't be using an MVB till she is grown out and in a much larger foot print for pretty much that reason.

Where do you guys find is the best most reliable source for the Arcadias?

I found them here: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/

That is the only north american seller i know. Also todds fixtures at LYR are much less expensive. The fun part is finding replacement 6500k bulbs, the arcadias might last over 2 years, but the stock 6500ks burn out after 4000-5000 hours.

 

[Vlln202]

Ouch. So let me ask this, when using a fixture holding multiple spiral compact UVBs horizontally as opposed to a single bulb or single bulb vertically in a dome, what makes linear better that so many prefer them? Obviously wider coverage than in a dome or single horizontal, but what about having the two? The fixture is nearly as long as the cage and has reflectors as well might I add.

I'm digging that submersible Arowana bulb...off topic I know. lol!