10 gallon lighting

So I know a 10 gallon tank isn’t sufficient for a long time but it’s all I have for my baby dragon at the moment. I got suckered into buying one of those starter kits at PetSmart and it came with a day basking light and a night light. After a bunch of research I found I don’t need a light at night because it stays warm enough in the house, but the basking light is way too weak for proper temperature. I’m going to buy a thermometer tomorrow and a new light setup but my overall question is will a mercury vapor light be a sufficient source of heat and uvb in a 10gal enclosure? I think I would also not be able to set it on top of the cage because of the wiring blocking the uvb. So would I just be better off getting one of those smaller tube lights and sticking it inside the cage with a stronger basking lamp on top, or should I get the mvb light for an all in one until a bigger setup? Thanks for reading this far!

Hi there,

And MVB will be too powerful for a 10g tank.
Are you sure your current bulb isnt sufficient? If you dont have a good thermometer I'd hold off on that conclusion until you measure it with an accurate device.

The problem with a 10g tank is that it's really hard to have a proper heat gradient and uv gradient in it. You can imagine how a basking spot of 105 or 110f will make the whole tank a bit hot.
Petco is having their 1 dollar per gallon sale. That is always an option too
And you are correct, no lights at night just darkness

-Brandon

I agree the main downside of a 10g is not being able to provide enough of a gradient to be healthy. Even a 20g long with a T8 tube and basking light would be better if you can swing it. A 100w MVB would be too powerful for a small space but are good for basking areas outside of the tank. If you have an area that you can close off and keep safe from small (inaccessible to you) places to hide and away from other animals you can set up a portable basking area using a MVB and a clamp lamp which may work (this gets easier as they get older). I'd try to find something at least a little larger though. Even if found second hand on craigslist etc.