# UVB for Day Geckos



## Forlon Fate (Dec 30, 2011)

Hi guys, I've got a exo terra large x tall 90 45 90 cm with compact hood. I'm interested in day geckos but I know the compact UVB bulbs are pretty useless. I really don't want to put a t5 strip bulb on top as I'd like the setup to look tidy and not have wires and things all over the place. I know the t5 Arcadia is fantastic as I use one with my beardie. So I'm thinking of a MVB bulb. Has anyone used these? Would it be ok for day geckos? It just means I could have one bulb for heat and UVB and would be lot neater and simple. Also can you dim them? As I would feel a lot more comfortable with it on a stat.

Thanks


----------



## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

You can't dim MVB's and there's no real way of knowing how much UVB is being emitted.

Have a look on the Arcadia products on their website, there are all-in-one UVB kits available with far less wires


----------



## Forlon Fate (Dec 30, 2011)

Ive just looked at the Arcadia slimline luminaire looks impressive, it's really frustrating as I have four fittings in this hood, could I not put four 10.0 UVB compacts in there? Are they really that bad that that would be useless?


----------



## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

I'm not sure that they'd be useless, with 4 bulbs you're not increasing the % of UVB but the exposure to the UVB I believe. However when accounting for the 50%+ of light lost through the mesh their effect would be drastically reduced. Then there's the replacing of 4 compacts every 6 months at most - very expensive!

For a gecko where UVB is very important I wouldn't want to risk it personally.

Could you not save the canopy or use it for another gecko?


----------



## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

I can make it very neat and tidy for you and pretty much half your running costs on current compared to 4 26w compact lamps and you only have to buy one lamp once a year instead of up to 16! 

www.arcadia-reptile.com/vivarium-canopy-luminaire/

just a thought.

John.


----------



## Bradley (Aug 26, 2009)

I use the luminaire like John has linked on my day geckos. The compacts really would be pretty useless on day geckos especially in an exo terra hood with little reflection. i would go with the luminaire and a small 20-35 watt halogen for heating.


----------

