Ceramic bulb vs basking bulb

[ThrAshlie]

Hi! I am a newb to bearded dragons, and I am trying to get everything right! One thing I’m super confused about is lighting. I have a 40 gallon tank, and I have a uvb bulb (the reptisun10), not a tube. Is this not enough? Also, I started to use ceramic heat emmiters to keep the hot side about 105*-110* but have read that maybe I shouldn’t only use ceramic and should use a basking bulb. Why is this? I am overwhelmed with all the different info out there!
Our beardie is about 2-3 mo old.

 

[Gormagon]

The CHE is only used on nights when the temperature in your house drops below 65°.
Never use any type of colored light for a dragon, day or night. Basking lights should be bright white and, at a wattage to put out enough heat to keep the basking spot at 105° to 110°. Bright white light provides good uva.
The thing that concerns me is that coil compact uvb bulb...... These can cause eye irritation, eye infections and blindness in dragons. I always recommend the Reptisun 10.0 T5 HO or, an Arcadia 12%D3 long tube type bulb. These are both great sources of uvb.

What type of substrate are you using?
What size tank is he in?

There are so many things that can go wrong but, we are here to help you and your dragon get through your adventures together!

 

[ThrAshlie]

Thank you!

I had read all this minus the uva. So that is the only reason they need the light with the heat is for uva? What is uva important for? Not doubting it i just always like to know why why why haha.
He is in a 40 gal and right now I’m just using paper towels and changing them every week. Is that an ok longterm thing? Seems cleaner to me. I bought his tank used ( I sanitized) and it came with a tube light but I wasn’t sure the kind or how old it was so I just used my new one. I’ll probably get a new bulb for that. Thanks for your help!

 

[Gormagon]

Thank you!

I had read all this minus the uva. So that is the only reason they need the light with the heat is for uva? What is uva important for? Not doubting it i just always like to know why why why haha.
He is in a 40 gal and right now I’m just using paper towels and changing them every week. Is that an ok longterm thing? Seems cleaner to me. I bought his tank used ( I sanitized) and it came with a tube light but I wasn’t sure the kind or how old it was so I just used my new one. I’ll probably get a new bulb for that. Thanks for your help!

UVA, is a very important part of their daily lives. It allows them to see in full spectrum color and promotes activity. They see more colors than we do with good uva. It also provides heat which is part of the digestion process. So in short, it is VERY IMPORTANT to them. It is the cheapest light that you have to get. Both uvb and uva need to be on for at least 14 to 15 hours a day.

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Enclosures

 

[ThrAshlie]

Thanks guys!

 

[Taterbug]

Bright white light provides good uva.

Common white lights produce some UVA but really not much to count on at all and not enough to really help with full color vision. Lamps that produce UVB are really the only reliable source of UVA for most enclosures.

Bright white light does help emulate their natural environment though. Even a brightly lit cage is dark compared to outside. Dragons are sun worshipers, the more light the better for their mood and heath, CHE just can’t cut it. You could use a CHE as a basking heat source with enough fluorescent lighting, at least 2-3 T5HO lamps for a smaller setup, but generally a white light is easier to manage for most people.

 

[ThrAshlie]

This makes sense thank you!

I have a 75 watt basking bulb so so I am using that in combo with a 150watt CHE so I get the right temps. Plus a uvb light. Hope this is good until i get a higher watt basking bulb which I plan on doing soon. Although my guy isn’t eating very much at all, his tail is pale so I’m hoping it’s because he is about to shed.but I am so worried he’s only eating like 1 worm a day.

Bright white light provides good uva.

Common white lights produce some UVA but really not much to count on at all and not enough to really help with full color vision. Lamps that produce UVB are really the only reliable source of UVA for most enclosures.

Bright white light does help emulate their natural environment though. Even a brightly lit cage is dark compared to outside. Dragons are sun worshipers, the more light the better for their mood and heath, CHE just can’t cut it. You could use a CHE as a basking heat source with enough fluorescent lighting, at least 2-3 T5HO lamps for a smaller setup, but generally a white light is easier to manage for most people.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there. That sounds like a lot of heat for a 40 gallon tank. How are you measuring the temps. ?
Can you post pics : Here's how :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/

Also, what kind of worms are you feeding him ? It's common for them not to eat too much at first when in their new home but if you go through this info we can help you with adjustments if needed. He may also need a drink so you can offer water by dripping or spraying [ a light direct stream ] on his snout. Try to drip, stop, repeat to give him a chance to drink.

 

[ThrAshlie]

I know it really does sound like a lot of heat, but our house gets super cold in the winter, we only use space heaters when we really need them. I have 2 thermometers on the hot side and one on the cold. On hot side, one of hose round gauges that you stick to the wall and a digital one with a long cord sensor. With only the 75 watt basking bulb, the temp only got up to about 90 ish. With CHE and bulb it gets to about 105-107.

Kept the tank pretty simple so far, trying to let him adjust, but plan on putting backgrounds, and a bunch of other things soon...
I am feeding him superworms at the moment, I have also been giving him crickets, and some moist bearded dragon food, also tried mealworms but i gather these aren’t the best? but he doesn’t seem to be interested in any of it!
I did give him water with an eye dropper just like you described and he did drink a good amount of that.

Hi there. That sounds like a lot of heat for a 40 gallon tank. How are you measuring the temps. ?
Can you post pics : Here's how :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/

Also, what kind of worms are you feeding him ? It's common for them not to eat too much at first when in their new home but if you go through this info we can help you with adjustments if needed. He may also need a drink so you can offer water by dripping or spraying [ a light direct stream ] on his snout. Try to drip, stop, repeat to give him a chance to drink.

 

[ThrAshlie]

Also, his appetite was a little better a week ago(we’ve had him about 2 weeks) he was eating at least a few crickets here and there.

 

[ThrAshlie]

One more because He’s so effin cute

 

[AHBD]

O.K, that makes sense then if your house is very chilly. Your set up looks great by the way, nice basking logs should be the centerpiece/ main climbing area.

It's good that he drank, offer water like that every day or so....as he gets older he'll drink less but as a baby he needs to keep up with hydration , esp. since he's not eating much. He looks good, be careful with superworms since they can cause impaction....how big were they ? Be specific. Has he poo'd recently ? Keep offering crickets for now, he can have supers when he's a bit older. And it would be good to look for the lights that the other poster mentioned, you'll want good uvb throughout the tank to help him grow.

 

[ThrAshlie]

O.K, that makes sense then if your house is very chilly. Your set up looks great by the way, nice basking logs should be the centerpiece/ main climbing area.

It's good that he drank, offer water like that every day or so....as he gets older he'll drink less but as a baby he needs to keep up with hydration , esp. since he's not eating much. He looks good, be careful with superworms since they can cause impaction....how big were they ? Be specific. Has he poo'd recently ? Keep offering crickets for now, he can have supers when he's a bit older. And it would be good to look for the lights that the other poster mentioned, you'll want good uvb throughout the tank to help him grow.

The superworms are about an inch and a half I’d say. Maybe too big? I keep reading so many differing opinions- no bigger than the space between their eyes etc but some say it’s fine. I dunno. I will keep those to a minimum if that’s better. I think he pooped yesterday or the day before. Cricket size matter? I haven’t been giving as many crickets because he hasn’t been interested and every time I put some in his tank they just hide and he never finds them and I can’t find them either. There’s a hole in the branch and they hide in there. I tried feeding him in a separate container a few times, is that a better idea? I read some don’t like it. I don’t want to overwhelm the poor guy. Thank you for your help!

 

[AHBD]

Those were probably just a bit on the large side but if he's pooing he got away with it. The " space between the eyes " rule applies to crickets + roaches as well. To get him interested in crickets you cut out the superworms. When you offer crickets, shake them up in a jar with a pinch of calcium powder until they are dizzy + wobbly. Then just put in 2-3 at a time right near him. Babies will usually go for the slow moving bugs.Once he eats those add a few more , then more until he's had enough.