Well, in my opinion, whether or not you actually NEED the UVB lighting is a debatable subject. Remember, crocodilians are more closely related to birds than reptiles. Ultimately, diet and proper heating is more important.
Granted, as I've noticed with my snakes, while not requiring the full spectrum lighting, have proven to benefit in the lines of alertness and naturalistic behavior patterns. Therefore, perhaps your animal would benefit from the same. There are many crocodilians that are housed long term without supplemental lighting. So, I don't see it being absolutely imperative.
With that being said, if you truly want to add it..go for it. I would recommend going with the 10.0 if it's a matter of effectiveness range. Obviously, if you want to provide the supplemental lighting, then you would want to ensure that the animal is actually getting the advantage of what is has to offer. In reality, the only difference in those is the intensity of the UVB. But when those bulbs are further away, they lose some of their intensity.
Best regards,
Chris
>>Yes, I have a baby gator that is in a 55 gal. right now and I have all the necessary lighting but I am unsure on my UVB light. I have a REPTI-SUN 5.0 bulb right now but I noticed that they make a 10.0 bulb. What would be the right one for my baby gator? The closest he will be to the buld is about 18 inches. Is that too far for the 5.0 to reach? I noticed that the 10.0 reaches up to 20 inches down. The 5.0 is made for tropical herps and the 10.0 is made for desert and sunloving herps. I know that the gator is considered and tropical species but since the bulb is about 18 inches away I thought I may need to go up to the 10.0 bulb. Thanks for any help.
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>>The bulb will be an 18 inch flourescent(sp?).
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