I have always had my UVB on top of my screens. The spots that Dexter and Luci spend the most time in are about 7" away from the light. It's a Reptisun 10.0 tube style and I make sure to change it out every 6 months, sometimes 5 if I think the beardies are acting out of the norm. I would love to get one of those monitors that check how much UVB. I know Zoomed started selling them but they are really expensive.
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Heating/lighting
- Thread starter Kimberly85
- Start date
They are called Solarmeters and they are worth every penny.(Zoomed just buys them from Solarmeter and rebrands them) 
You can buy them direct from Solarmeter, but sometimes one or the other have a sale and you find them cheaper. You are right though, its a bit of a hefty initial cost. Because it tells you when you need to change your light, it ends up saving you money in the long run though. Youll find that your lights often will last longer than the recommended time, but you wont know for sure without the meter.
As for the screen, it really depends on how far away they are from the light. With your Reptisun T8 bulb (it is the T8s you have, isnt it Patsy?) you do need to either put the light inside the enclosure or get them closer. Those lights should be about 6-10" away with no screen, and since the screen reduces the light by around 35%, it means they would need to be about 4" away to be getting a good index. UVB in one of those things that has effects that are hard to visually notice too, just like in humans. If we arent getting enough, you dont really tie the two together unless it becomes really bad. MBD is a result of incredibly poor UV exposure and the resulting mineral loss, but there are effects we dont always associate with reduced UVB that are just as important and less noticeable. Vit D is a hormone really, though its called a vitamin. So it effects not only calcium absorption but also immunity, blood chemistry and many others functions. So while you may be providing enough UV to stave off MBD, it may still need to be improved for other functions.
As for your Powersun, that really also depends on distance. MVBs (your powersun is a Mercury Vapour Bulb - MVB) are notoriously all over the place as far as output goes, so I really recommend that if people use those particular bulbs, that they also buy a Solarmeter. Without screen, the 100W Powersun should be around 12" from the animals back. If you have it on top of the screen, then you are talking more like 8" or so away. But again, those things are crazy variable, so sometimes you'll get one that produces way less UVB and need to have it closer. If you want to stick with the MVB style bulbs, I would recommend switching to the MegaRay brand. They are a much better bulb, and will last longer as well. Ive got one now that is about 15 months old and still producing a great UV index.
Just as a side note, screen is different than glass. Glass actually filters out the UVB wavelength of light, but UVA and visible light obviously still pass through. Screen however is a physical barrier. It doesnt filter out certain wavelengths like glass, it merely blocks the light from passing through the physical wire of the screen. So the bigger the 'holes' of the screen, the less light is blocked. What that means is that you can sometimes solve your problem by using a larger screen like a 1/2" hardware cloth for your top. Those block very little light, yet are still sturdy enough to hold lights on top and keep your animal in.
You can buy them direct from Solarmeter, but sometimes one or the other have a sale and you find them cheaper. You are right though, its a bit of a hefty initial cost. Because it tells you when you need to change your light, it ends up saving you money in the long run though. Youll find that your lights often will last longer than the recommended time, but you wont know for sure without the meter. As for the screen, it really depends on how far away they are from the light. With your Reptisun T8 bulb (it is the T8s you have, isnt it Patsy?) you do need to either put the light inside the enclosure or get them closer. Those lights should be about 6-10" away with no screen, and since the screen reduces the light by around 35%, it means they would need to be about 4" away to be getting a good index. UVB in one of those things that has effects that are hard to visually notice too, just like in humans. If we arent getting enough, you dont really tie the two together unless it becomes really bad. MBD is a result of incredibly poor UV exposure and the resulting mineral loss, but there are effects we dont always associate with reduced UVB that are just as important and less noticeable. Vit D is a hormone really, though its called a vitamin. So it effects not only calcium absorption but also immunity, blood chemistry and many others functions. So while you may be providing enough UV to stave off MBD, it may still need to be improved for other functions.
As for your Powersun, that really also depends on distance. MVBs (your powersun is a Mercury Vapour Bulb - MVB) are notoriously all over the place as far as output goes, so I really recommend that if people use those particular bulbs, that they also buy a Solarmeter. Without screen, the 100W Powersun should be around 12" from the animals back. If you have it on top of the screen, then you are talking more like 8" or so away. But again, those things are crazy variable, so sometimes you'll get one that produces way less UVB and need to have it closer. If you want to stick with the MVB style bulbs, I would recommend switching to the MegaRay brand. They are a much better bulb, and will last longer as well. Ive got one now that is about 15 months old and still producing a great UV index.
Just as a side note, screen is different than glass. Glass actually filters out the UVB wavelength of light, but UVA and visible light obviously still pass through. Screen however is a physical barrier. It doesnt filter out certain wavelengths like glass, it merely blocks the light from passing through the physical wire of the screen. So the bigger the 'holes' of the screen, the less light is blocked. What that means is that you can sometimes solve your problem by using a larger screen like a 1/2" hardware cloth for your top. Those block very little light, yet are still sturdy enough to hold lights on top and keep your animal in.
