# Plants and UVB only light



## Nathanb (Nov 12, 2015)

Hi,

I'm in the process of setting some bioactive tanks up in the garage to grow baby/juvenile gecko offspring on. All tanks will have 10% UVB bulbs on them - is that all that plants need to keep them healthy or do I need to think about putting something like a UVA on there as well?
Thanks

Nathan


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## colinm (Sep 20, 2008)

USB does nothing for plant growth . It's the intensity of light that they require. If you think about it plants are grown under glass in greenhouses. Glass filters out USB but the plants still grow very well due to the light and higher temperatures.


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## Nathanb (Nov 12, 2015)

Well, I suppose that raises the question will the intensity of a 10% UVB bulb and a heat light be enough for them?


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## NickBenger (Nov 18, 2010)

I tend to put in a light more geared for plant growth if that's what I want. Jungle Dawn's have a good reputation, I believe the light I use is called a Kinfire. As a side note one plant that seems to grow for me under just UV is Ivy - such a hardy plant!


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## Nathanb (Nov 12, 2015)

Yeah - the jungle dawns are good and they went through my mind. I was hoping more that the plants would either be fine or there was some sort of tube light available - a jungle dawn for each of my tanks will get veruy expensive quickly!
Thanks


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

A UV lamp will not cater for the range of spectrum needed for photosynthesis and they have a poor level of PAR which is essential to growth,

You will need a second lamp.

Jungle dawn works by producing a full spectrum colour of light that does not have PAR impeded with the use of separate red and blue chips.

A single 13w lamp will make all the difference in small to medium sized vivs.

John


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## casuk (Oct 12, 2015)

Just buy a fluorescent that will stretch across a couple of vivs


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## Nathanb (Nov 12, 2015)

That's what I was thinking - but what fluorescent - do you just mean a bog standard strip fluoresent tube that you get in office blocks etc?

At the minute it's a single 30x30x45, but it's shortly going to be quite a few more! Ideally what I was hoping to do was just get a couple of 90cm reflectors with a couple of tubes - one for UVB and one for general light....



casuk said:


> Just buy a fluorescent that will stretch across a couple of vivs


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## casuk (Oct 12, 2015)

yes but you can get better spectrum for plants at the same price, thats what I do on mine, just on the one viv, 2 small 15" 56k fluorescent and 1 5.0 uvb and a ceramic at the front, if I get another set up I'll just run longer lights across both


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Flouro tubes can easily produce the right wavelengths but lack PAR.

You need a min PAR of 100 to sustain shade dwellers.

I covered this subject in detail last year in PRK, you maybe able to get a back issue if you wish.

John


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## Nathanb (Nov 12, 2015)

Thanks John - do you know which month of PRK so I can try and find the back issue?

Also with the Jungle dawns will they work on a standard E27 ceramic fixture? I only have about a 3 cm gap to fit it into so what I was thinking was standard ceramic bulb holder and then just position the jungle dawn so that the LED's all point down into the tank?

Also, do you think I'll get away with the 9W in a 30x30x45 or is that just not powerful enough?





Arcadiajohn said:


> Flouro tubes can easily produce the right wavelengths but lack PAR.
> 
> You need a min PAR of 100 to sustain shade dwellers.
> 
> ...


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Yes a standard E27 lamp holder will do it.

the 13w would project a higher amount of light and PAR and give you better results, but the 9w could be used if you have easy to grow plants like Pothos etc.

There is actually a bit about PAR in the issue out now, the original one was called "Go natural with live plants" but I cant remember the issue number

I also explain much more in my new book but that not out until June

John


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## Nathanb (Nov 12, 2015)

Thanks John, I picked up a 13W Jungle dawn when I was in the Swell store earlier (and I've got 2 more on order that I found cheaper elsewhere). Out of interest do they have a finite lifespan like UVB bulbs/tubes - I'm assuming not as they're LED they should go until the LEDS fail (which I would hope would be a very long time!)

Actually - speaking of tubes, I've moved some of my tanks from smaller E27 UVB bulbs in Exo hoods to arcadia UVB tubes/reflectors ( thought that would be better for the geckos). How long will it be before they need replacing?

Final question - the book you mention, is that the new book about bioactive setups?

Thanks again

Nathan



Arcadiajohn said:


> Yes a standard E27 lamp holder will do it.
> 
> the 13w would project a higher amount of light and PAR and give you better results, but the 9w could be used if you have easy to grow plants like Pothos etc.
> 
> ...


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Yes Jungle dawn only needs to be replaced at the end of its life, that is effected greatly by the length of use and ambient heat around the lamp. Good airflow around the heatsink = a longer life.

ALL branded Arcadia Reptile UVB lamps are upper index potent for 12 whole months

yes the new book is called "Bio-Activity and the Theory of Wild Re-Creation" out in June

john





Nathanb said:


> Thanks John, I picked up a 13W Jungle dawn when I was in the Swell store earlier (and I've got 2 more on order that I found cheaper elsewhere). Out of interest do they have a finite lifespan like UVB bulbs/tubes - I'm assuming not as they're LED they should go until the LEDS fail (which I would hope would be a very long time!)
> 
> Actually - speaking of tubes, I've moved some of my tanks from smaller E27 UVB bulbs in Exo hoods to arcadia UVB tubes/reflectors ( thought that would be better for the geckos). How long will it be before they need replacing?
> 
> ...


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## Nathanb (Nov 12, 2015)

Hi John,
OK - the Jungle Dawns are awesome and were well worth the investment  - the first one has been in for about 4 days - I have 2 pretty much identically planted tanks next to each other in the garage and the red in the plants with the Jungle Dawn on it is already coming through!
I now have 8 JD bulbs so by the weekend every bioactive tank that I can fit one onto will have one!
Thanks again as always for the advice 
Cheers

Nathan


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Always happy to help polite people 




Nathanb said:


> Hi John,
> OK - the Jungle Dawns are awesome and were well worth the investment  - the first one has been in for about 4 days - I have 2 pretty much identically planted tanks next to each other in the garage and the red in the plants with the Jungle Dawn on it is already coming through!
> I now have 8 JD bulbs so by the weekend every bioactive tank that I can fit one onto will have one!
> Thanks again as always for the advice
> ...


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