Lighting Help!

Hello! I'm currently making my own viv, and it's my first one ever. It is 4x2x2, and made out of birch hardwood plywood. All is going well, however, I'm a bit confused about lighting. I plan on using a T5 Reptisun 10.0 (34 inch), but I'm having trouble finding a fixture that isn't the ridiculously expensive Reptisun one. I found a 36 inch (21 watt) T5 fixture at my home depot for only $12, but I'm assuming this will not work? I'm mounting it on the inside of the viv. I know that 34 is of course less than 36, but apparently the 36 inch reptisun fixture works with the 34 inch reptisun bulb..

For a tank that size, I'd go with the 22/24'' T5 and mount it on the basking size. This will make a nice intense basking zone and a gradient down to very low UVB on the other end of the tank. As far as fixtures go, T5 grow light fixtures work well or you could get one of the package deals (bulb and fixture) from lightyourreptiles. Here are a couple of ideas:

This fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ
With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/

Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

That sounds awesome, thanks for the help! Would it be a good idea to light up the the low UVB end (without heat)? Maybe an LED, or just a bulb that won't produce heat?

It would make sense to put a fixture over there in case you want it. A regular household incandescent should do the job as long as it doesn't bump the temps too much. LED can be pretty intense. You could also put in a second T5 tube and put a daylight bulb in there. I found that the T5 UVB is so bright an extra light wasn't needed but your mileage may vary depending on how dark the tank is and how dark the room around it is. Probably better to plan ahead and put a fixture in place and not use it rather than not have one and need it later.

Sounds great! This may sound dumb, but bare with me as I'm new to lighting.. With the fixture you linked (sunblaster from amazon), would I leave the reflector on? And would it matter if it's mounted so the light faces outwards or downwards? I've seen people do it both ways, and I'm not sure if there's a huge difference.

I would leave the reflector on and definitely have it facing downward. With a T5 the optimal exposure is at 12-14'' so you'll want it about that far above the basking area. If the basking area is closer than that, you may want to consider removing the reflector to reduce the concentration of the output a bit. Taterbug has done a TON of research on this and has a great guide describing the different outputs and distances. Definitely worth checking out on her site here https://sites.google.com/site/thelizardmadness/lighting-guides

Optimal basking site UVI is between about 3-5 with no more than 7 or so (this is very high for any sustained time in my opinion). Provide some shady areas so your dragon can get out of the "sun" if desired.

The reflector snaps off that fixture very easily, so you could do either way really depending on how far away you basking spot is. I used a 22" T5 reptisun on the arm side (no reflector) and a 22" T5 ultrasun on the cool side (http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Trichromatic-Daylight-22-Inch/dp/B003C5PQWW) in my 4x2x2. The sunblasters can be "daisy chained" so that you can run a couple in line from one plug/switch which is nice. They are super easy enough to install (if your flexible enough to get inside the tank, or can tip it on its side) that if you don't want to add two right away you could go back and add the second alter if you decide to.

LED lights work fine too but keep in mind they are a harsh light (which can be uncomfortable or glaring) and are very limited color spectrum. Dragons see more colors than we do and slightly different wavelengths so a white LED light to us won't look white to them.

You always want any lights facing downward, especially the strong ones like the T5. I like to describe it as simulating the sun which is usally overhead, and just as it bothers us to look right at a lightbulb it would probably bother a dragon too. It can also cause injury and irritation if it's too glaring or close. I know there's alot of advice to mount the UV on the wall but I wouldn't if at all avoidable.

Taterbug":38ffoc0d said:

You always want any lights facing downward, especially the strong ones like the T5. I like to describe it as simulating the sun which is usally overhead, and just as it bothers us to look right at a lightbulb it would probably bother a dragon too. It can also cause injury and irritation if it's too glaring or close. I know there's alot of advice to mount the UV on the wall but I wouldn't if at all avoidable.

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Would mounting the UVB on the ceiling be a good idea in a 2 foot tall viv? Also, with the basking lamp, would it be better to hang it inside the viv, or have a circular hole on the ceiling and have the fixture still be outside?

Kevinjareczek":6bk7u3z6 said:

That sounds awesome, thanks for the help! Would it be a good idea to light up the the low UVB end (without heat)? Maybe an LED, or just a bulb that won't produce heat?

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I use a 20.7 inch T2 linear fluorescent on the cool side,it gives off almost no heat.The fixture is a Details Underline LT2,it cost $215 new but you can find them on Ebay or Craigslist.Actually I wish someone would make a T2 UV bulb.It has the best lumen to watt ratio except for LED,930 lumens with 13 watts and 10,000 hour life.

I had the lights mounted to the ceiling - about 10" from the basking site. I would have the basking light outside the cage - it will be much easier to keep the needed distance from the UV and the safe distance from the heat lamp. It's a good idea to keep 12-14" away from a heat lamp for a consistent warm spot and so it's out of reach.