Habitat - Indoor :: 75 Gallon Tank: Cover?

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 12:46 pm   75 Gallon Tank: Cover?

Hello! So for Shelldon Leo Kooper's 12th Adoption Anniversary, I am upgrading her tank size to a 75 gallon. The only snag is that I can't seem to figure out the tank cover situation.

On the one hand, I need a cover to be secure and in place so that Shelldon cannot get out of the tank. On the other hand, I need enough UVB light to shine through for basking purposes.

I was previously using the Zilla Fresh Air Screen, using a Zoomed ReptiSun, 10.0 UVB, 13 Watt Desert (Mini Compact), about 7 inches away from the basking area. Using a borrowed UVB meter, the UVB measurement was about 227 um/cm (squared). This was about the same measurement as a clear summer day.

My first plan was to use 2' x 25' Galvanized Hardware Cloth Model Number: C27242518 Menards ® SKU: 1713120 (https://www.menards.com/main/building-m ... =C27242518)

The material works wonderfully, it is flexible yet sturdy, allowing me to mold it to the tank, preventing escapes and providing protection. However, I remembered the UVB light issue as discussed in the Canopies, Covers, Hoods, and Screens section of the Indoor Enclosures Part 2 Section of the Habitat Section http://www.redearslider.com/tanks.html, and thus ol' Mr. Worry started to rear its usual head.

The mesh of the cloth I am using is 1/8 of an inch, which is quite small. However, the Zilla Fresh Air Screen is quite similar, with about an 1/8 inch mesh, and the UVB input seemed to match a summer's day according to the UVB Meter while using the Zilla Fresh Air Screen. I wonder if I'm making a mountain out of a molehill again. If anyone has any thoughts, or reccomendations as to a material that would provide adequate molding/security as well as UVB input, that would be quite helpful. Thank you!
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:13 am   Re: 75 Gallon Tank: Cover?

Are the fixtures resting on the screen or are they on a stand? A light diffuse (aka egg crate) can be used and easily trimmed, though they are made of plastic. They also make hardware cloth aka chicken wire with larger openings. And a little more work, but wire shelving that you will probably need to trim is also a good and nice looking option.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34076&p=323936&hilit=+wire#p323936
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steve
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 12:31 pm   Re: 75 Gallon Tank: Cover?

The lamps are not resting on the screen, they hang above via the Zoo Med Lamp Stand.

I suppose my main question is that I am in sort of a 'catch 22 situation'. In more than one regard.

Currently, the zilla Fresh Air Screen provides a good amount of UVB with the UVB Bulb about 7 inches away (About the same as a summer's day). That being said, it does have a rather thin mesh (About 1/8 inches). The measurement however, took place underneath the screen.

I do like the 1/8 cloth due to its extreme flexibility and being able to mesh it itnto the corners of the outside of the tank.. This provides security and avoids escape attempts. I can't imagine that the UVB input would be that much different from the Zilla screen.

I can get the 1/2'' hardware cloth, but my issue then would involve the change in UVB input which I have no way of measuring anymore. I dunno what 'too much' or 'too little' UVB would be in the first place which is why I compared it to the summer's day as a best estimate. So if I do get the 1/2 inch mesh, the UVB input would increase quite a bit and I would be unsure how much I should move the UVB lamp up to get that magic 227 measurement again. I can't measure the UVB anymore either way.

I guess this is why I leaned toward keeping things the same with the 1/8 inch cloth, but I dunno. I feel lost.
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:54 pm   Re: 75 Gallon Tank: Cover?

Florescent UVBs degrade pretty quickly, so it's unlikely you are currently getting a consistent amount of UVB. Plus, how much your turtle basks will factor into that total. I would probably leave it around the 7" mark since I don't think anything over 227 would be harmful.
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