UVB Problem

[sebiimams]

I have been having trouble getting the right T8 fixtures for my tanks, so I was thinking of switching to the Exo Terra tops. I was talking with a friend who seems to think that one or two of the globe type UVB lights will be the equivalent or higher UVB output than the T8 tubes. If this is true, I was hoping I could get away with using one of the smaller 45cm tops for my 3 foot tank and still deliver the appropriate UVB. Any thoughts or experiences?

I'm not excited about going the 4 globe tops and spending $200 on globes.

 

[nuttylizardguy]

This will give a little guidance :

I have had good results with 26W UVB200 compacts in nano-hoods in my 120L rearing tubs .
If the tank is about 45cm tall and about 80cm long , this is a good solution if the reptile can climb about 15cm to 25cm off the floor..

If you decide to go with compacts rather than t8 tubes, my advise is avoid the junk shop-brands like Reptile One , and spend a few extra dollars to buy Zoo Med or Exo Terra or Arcadia compact UVB globes ( these are worth it quality wise and produce better UV spectra ).
The advantage of Nano-style hoods is they mount the compact horizontally so you get many f the benefits of a T8 or T5 linear tube , ie the beam is spread out linearly rather than being a tight conical beam , and the nanohoods mean you can mount more easily under the lid without loosing much vertical space.

 

[sebiimams]

Thanks for the great reply, I really appreciate it.