# Expert advice on phelsuma grandis lighting needed



## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

Hi guys,

I have an adorable, very cheeky phelsuma grandis called Gex that is doing extremely well however I desperately want to upgrade his terrarium as he is now an adult to an exo terra 90x45x90cm. (LxWxH) 
What I need advice with is the lighting for this size of terrarium. No offence but please do not try and tell me to use anything like compact bulbs. That is just plain silly for this size of terrarium and I know that they can cause health problems and make a phelsuma grandis colour blind. 
I was considering using a T5 5.0 zoo med or 6% T5 Arcadia + D3 in a canopy hood or a luminaire. Obviously this will be placed above the mesh screen to avoid any risk of dermal burning and considering using led's.
However I do not require anything for plant growth and he can not stand night lights that simulate the moon. I tried the naturalist terrarium to begin with and will never go back to it for varies reasons, especially mites and other health issues. He is in an all fake terrarium and that is how is will remain. 
My boy was neglected, unwanted and abused in his young days and has some neurological issues due to it so he is quite different from others. Please if there is an expert out there that really truly knows what his breed need for the above size of terrarium please respond. 
Thank you so much.


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Photo of Gex*

Sorry forgot to include a photo of him.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Hi, nice animal

We have tried and tested the D3+ UVFOOOD system with P grandis for a long period of time. With an animal that was displaying the signs of MDB. We now have a vibrant, fit and wild-like female animal.

The 55w system will provide wild-like indexes around 10" from the fitting when placed above the mesh, even closer and due to the limitations of the mesh the index does not rise higher than we think is appropriate.

The fitting will light an area wide enough to allow whole body exposure to the animal should it so require while leaving the majority of the viv to drop off into a miriad of shadded indexes. This is perfect for the 90 high 90wide. If you have 60 wide then use the 24w fitting.

You can then add x2 22w jungle dawn lamps, one over each half to increase visible light and aid plant growth.

The fitting is IP67 waterproof, so good spray downs are fine.

It is a single cable, high output, flicker free system with the usual one year lamp life,

I have used this method as many others have with only positive results

John


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Phelsuma grandis lighting*

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me John. Really appreciate this. I will get on with researching what you have suggested. 
The only thing is that I want to retain the amazing bond I have with him and how tame he is. Would this setup make him 'wild' or just be able to move around better? 
I am mainly upgrading him as he is now 27cm in length and had no fully stopped growing yet. I want him to be able to jump about his enclosure and want to install a mistking rain system rather than hand misting. 
He is currently in a 45x45x60cm terrarium, just feel this is too small now. 
Do you also know if the exo terra 90x45x90cm is the biggest glass terrarium on the market? It's the biggest I can seem to find. Just want the best of the best for him with his rough start to life. 

Thanks again.


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Phelsuma grandis lighting*

Sorry forgot to ask. . . . ?
What the colour index is, as I know they need it quite high to be about to see properly and how far down with the uva and uvb go? 10"?


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Phelsuma grandis lighting*

Sorry me again. . . 
I just looked up the D3 + uv flood. Is this a T5 'compact' bulb? And can you only get it in 12%?


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Phelsuma grandis lighting*

Just want to say I absolutely LOVE the jungle dawn LEDs. They look and sound truly amazing! Thank you so much for alerting me to them.
How would you suggest installing these above his terrarium? As in what canopy or hood to use to keep him away from the uv flood and leds if he wishes to still come out his enclosure?
As if I consume the whole of the top with two canopy hoods then there will be no where for a basking bulb to go apart from inside his terrarium with a cage around it. What basking bulb do you recommend? Is it ok to stick with the infrared max heat bulb as he with be getting everything else from the other lights bar heat. Please correct me if I am wrong.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

you do not need a canopy for Jungle Dawn. I just rest them on the nesh alongside the UVFLOOD.

Yes this is a 12% fitting but factor in a near halving of the power of the lamp via the mesh a at near meter high viv and it is the only option that supply an adequate index of UVB at the basking point as stated before.

This is not a standard compact, it is a linear power compact, so imagine taking a long HOT5 linear lamp, snapping it in half and re-fixing the two halve side by side. you end up with the same relative power but over a much wider area.

I use a 75w Halogen heat spot and stat to provide heat for mine with a high power heat mat for night time warmth should it ever be needed.

The colour temperature is around 6500k Kelvin, so nice and crisp with a CRI in the 90s. 

UVB decreases in power the further light travels, we use this projection of light to generate basking and shaded areas of thousands of outputs throughout the viv and its decoration

John,


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*More questions*

Hi, 
I know you replied to me before John so don't know if you can again. 
It's regarding the previous questions. It has taken me a long time to save up for Gex's new enclosure. Still don't have all the funds quite yet but getting closer. 
The question is about the lighting. My vets. . The royal dick vets say that the D3 UVFlood lighting it so much for Gex. They say that unless I invest on a UV meter I am taking a very big risk in burning his eyes as they do not need much light. He has absolutely no signs of MBD and has even had x-rays to check on bone density. I also do not have live plants in his terrarium everything is fake so they don't know why I need the LED's. They are concerned that it's just to strong a light for him. 
Please can you reply to this as I now have the cabinet and terrarium so am ready to buy the lights now. 
They seem to recommend staying with the T8's I currently use and just increase the length but with it being a 90cm deep terrarium I worry a D3 6% and Daylight spectrum 2% is not enough with it above the mesh to stop him being burnt. 
He does like to come out and venture around my room to each day so need to be able to protect him from the bulbs even above the mesh.
Sorry to be a pest. Lol 
Thanks.


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

Fallen82 said:


> Sorry forgot to include a photo of him.
> 
> 
> 
> [URL=http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q393/Fallen821/IMG_2219_zpstktp3yud.jpg]image[/URL]




That's simply stunning !!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*More images of Gex*

Images did not load. Sorry


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Gex*

Here are some more photos of Gex:-
http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Fallen821/media/IMG_3184_zps8hsctty3.jpg.html

http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Fallen821/media/IMG_1598_zpsx7c3hcq8.jpg.html

http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Fallen821/media/IMG_1603_zps1ye6gdkk.jpg.html

http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Fallen821/media/IMG_2761_zpsdnpm4u88.jpg.html


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Uv meter*

Hi, I really need help in choosing a uv meter. I only need it for Gex's terrarium. I do not need to know what is going on outside for this reason I don't think I need the solar meter 6.5 but I may be wrong. 
Any advice on this would be great. 
Thank you.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

ok,

there are some simple misunderstandings here and a lack of knowledge about how these systems work by the vet.

Firstly, I assume like most of us that all new systems are now live planted. If you choose not to use them you will not need a plant growth lamp other than to life visible light levels if you wish. If you look at my original answer you see I refer to the Jungle Dawn for plant growth.

The viv you mention was 90 wide by 90 high. That is a great size and will allow fantastic self-regulation. Here is the info that you/ they need to know.

UVB decreases in power the further light travels. The bigger the viv the weaker the dose. We need to provide a wild-like dose of UVB energy or 'Index' over a dedicated portion of an enclosure to allow access to that apex of power. We then provide a good gradient, just as we do with heat into cool and shade. The animal then chooses its own level of exposure just as it would in the wild.

We then factor in the mesh on the top of the viv, this block at least 30% of the light and energy from light being UVB from getting into the viv. So your 10-12% lamp is delivering less at the point of basking. Then we use good decoration to allow the animal to bask at a safe distance. 10-12" is perfect from the mesh to a branch. So in your very tall viv this is very possible,

A T8 system simply cannot provide a wild-like index through a mesh at that distance. it is a mathematical impossibility. The problem is that still some people see 12% lamp as being for desert species. It is simply no longer true. The % of a lamp and its choice has NOTHING to do with a choice of species. It has EVERYTHING thing to do with the species eventually chosen and the type of enclosure and the distance between that lamp and the animal as the apex of the basking zone.

it really is simple math. Say you wanted to provide an index of say 3.00 for you chap. You could fit a T8 6% lamp and reflector inside the viv and have basking at 8", or you could choose to use a T5 6% lamp inside the viv and have basking at 12". Put a mesh in the way and we have a reduction in light pass through. SO we have no choice to use a higher %. Whatever happens the index is the same at the basking point. It is just 2 different ways of getting the same result.

The very best thing to do is to measure it out. you need a solarmeter 6.5 for that. this will show you the Index at any point and you can then adjust decoration or lamp height accordingly to get the result you need. I'd aim for 2.50-3.50 at basking.

I use the 24w D3+ UVFLOOD for mine in a viv 60cm high, the basking zone is stable and as I want it. The animal uses the energy as expected, basking in the AM and retreating back into the lower reaches during the day, as they do in the wild.



Fallen82 said:


> Hi,
> I know you replied to me before John so don't know if you can again.
> It's regarding the previous questions. It has taken me a long time to save up for Gex's new enclosure. Still don't have all the funds quite yet but getting closer.
> The question is about the lighting. My vets. . The royal dick vets say that the D3 UVFlood lighting it so much for Gex. They say that unless I invest on a UV meter I am taking a very big risk in burning his eyes as they do not need much light. He has absolutely no signs of MBD and has even had x-rays to check on bone density. I also do not have live plants in his terrarium everything is fake so they don't know why I need the LED's. They are concerned that it's just to strong a light for him.
> ...


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## Fallen82 (Nov 15, 2016)

*Fake Arcadia t8*

Hi John,

Wondering if you could reply to this as quick as possible. As you know I use the Arcadia 6% T8 15" strip bulb. The issue I have is that I ordered through Amazon. One strip bulb came through with gold print on it saying made in the EU the other came through with black print saying made in Germany. I a very worried that the black print one is fake as I have not seen him bask underneath this since I changed it. Very worried as I can not quickly get my hands on another and am worried it will not be genuine. 
Hope you can help. I also think this will be interesting to yourself if there are fake ones being sold. 

Thanks.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

best send me images plus the name of the shop to [email protected]



Fallen82 said:


> Hi John,
> 
> Wondering if you could reply to this as quick as possible. As you know I use the Arcadia 6% T8 15" strip bulb. The issue I have is that I ordered through Amazon. One strip bulb came through with gold print on it saying made in the EU the other came through with black print saying made in Germany. I a very worried that the black print one is fake as I have not seen him bask underneath this since I changed it. Very worried as I can not quickly get my hands on another and am worried it will not be genuine.
> Hope you can help. I also think this will be interesting to yourself if there are fake ones being sold.
> ...


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