Which types of UVB lighting and vitamins to use?

Hi, I'm new to taking care of dragons, so I'd just like some advice on a few things...

UVB Lighting: So I originally bought the Zilla Slimline Desert 50 UVB T8 Fluorescent Fixture, but I heard some negative things about it (including that the plastic covering over it can melt, and that some of the UVB light can't pass through the plastic).

I'm returning it and buying a new lamp, and I'd like to get ZooMed's ReptiSun. Am I supposed to get the 10.0 UVB T5 HO Lamp or the T8 10.0 UVB Lamp? I assume it's the latter but I don't really understand the differences between the two.

Also, is it true that you should leave the UVB lamp on outside for 24 hours before putting it in the tank, because it releases harmful fumes when first turned on?

About the UVB fixture... I'd like to get something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo_-xbzTTWg (cheap walmart fixture mounted with command strips). Does the lamp NEED to be upside down or is attaching it to the side of the tank OK?


Vitamins: I currently have Reptivite with D3, which I'm dusting with 2x a week. (The reptile specialty store I bought from said this is what I should use, I later learned that Herptivite is better but oh well.)

So I'm missing a calcium powder. Is Zoo Med Repti Calcium WITHOUT D3 a good choice? With the multivitamins and UVB bulb he shouldn't need more D3 from the calcium, right? And this will be dusted with 5x a week.

That's it. I'm sorry for having so many questions!! I just want to get things right :shock:

Based on my testing and past use, the Desert 50 is actually a pretty decent light. If you have a reflective fixture it should work pretty well at 6-8'' above the basking spot. You do want to remove the plastic cover though. The UVB can't get through it so just leave that off. I don't recommend using the cheap fixtures without a reflector for a T8 bulb because the output won't be ideal. The reflector helps to concentrate the output downward toward the basking spot.

When you ask about T8 vs T5, you're talking about two different types of bulbs which require different types of fixtures. The T5 is a newer, high output bulb which works very well at increased distances. You can mount a T5 at 12-18'' and even put it on top of a screen and it will provide adequate UVB exposure in the tank. The T8 bulbs are lower output and need to be mounted closer to the basking spot to be effective. They aren't powerful enough to overcome the loss due to screen tops so they need to be mounted inside the tank.

If you want to use a T5, I recommend getting an Arcadia 12% T5 kit (fixture and bulb) from lightyourreptiles or get a ReptiSun 10.0 T5 bulb and a Sunblaster fixture from Amazon. Both of those will work very well and the bulb should last at least a year.

If you decide to stick with T8, I'd either keep your Desert 50 and fixture, or change to a ReptiSun 10.0 bulb with a reflective T8 fixture. You can attach it to the side of the tank over the basking spot, but the light should be facing downward to project on the basking site. The output from the bulb will decrease as you move out from under it, but on a gradient which is still useful.

It probably wouldn't hurt to burn the bulb in for a bit, but I haven't run into any issues with harmful fumes or problems with new bulbs so that's up to you.

As far as vitamins go, there are a lot of options out there. Reptivite is probably fine. Just dust the feeders in that according to the directions. Same with the calcium. I would use calcium with D3 if you are using a T8 bulb but I would use calcium without D3 if you move to a T5 because that can produce sufficient UVB to allow them to synthesize their own D3 (although all of this is still a bit of gray area in terms of research - this is just my take on it). Again just dust according to the directions on the packaging. If you aren't happy with the current brands, you can try something else you're more comfortable with. I've had good luck with Repashy products but there are other good options available too.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate the detailed reply!

So, I think I'm going to save up for the Arcadia fixture/bulb set from lightyourreptiles... this one: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22t5hofihouw2.html
After shipping it's going to be about $90, so unfortunately that's pretty expensive. But it looks like that is a really good, high-quality option. The ReptiSun bulb + Sunblaster fixture on Amazon totals to about $80, so it's not a big difference. Maybe I will stick to the $40 Desert 50 lamp... I'll have to think about it.

Few more questions...

1. Do I still leave the UVB light on for about 12 hours a day? Basically I'm wondering if the HO bulbs increase the risk of sunburning the dragon. Related to the next question...

2. What is the minimum safe distance with the Arcadia 12% T5 bulbs?

3. How do I know when the UVB bulb has "burned out"? I've read that the light can still be on, but it will no longer be producing sufficient UV. I don't have any UV-reading instruments so I'm just wondering if there's any visual cue (like someone said the light might turn blue-ish?), or if I should just automatically switch the bulb out after 12 months.

I use the 34'' version of that Arcadia setup and it's excellent. Well worth the money in my opinion. Bulb is going strong at 10 months now too. Without a UV Meter, I'd say a good rule of thumb is replace the bulb every year. I mount mine at 18'' above the floor (12'' above the basking spot) and have a good distribution. As long as you provide a few hides, a natural gradient will occur and the dragons can self regulate the UV exposure during the day. Nothing to worry about there.

Alright awesome, I'll definitely order an Arcadia setup when I can. 8)