Hello, welcome to the forum...I'm glad you realized that the coil
UVB light is not good, it is not a strong enough source of
UVB light for a dragon, and the coil lights actually cause serious eye and neurological issues as well...What type of Reptisun 10.0
UVB light did you order, the long tube or the compact, regular lightbulb one? Unfortunately, the compact Reptisun 10.0
UVB bulb is no better than the coil
UVB bulb you have now, so I hope you ordered the long tube version and a matching length tube fixture, that's what a bearded dragon needs. The compact version is only 13 watts, that's no where near what a dragon needs. So hopefully you ordered the long tube version, usually people get the 18" T8 Reptisun 10.0, which is a good UVb tube, but still must be underneath the mesh screen, you can do that by poking holes in the mesh and then using long zip ties, shoelaces, twine, wire, etc. to strap the entire fixture to the underside of the mesh lid. Also, if you got the T8 version of the UVB tube, make sure that whatever you are using as his basking spot/platform is within at least 6" of the unobstructed UVB tube, as that's the distance he must be from the T8 tube. Also, the T8 tube must be replaced once every 6 months at most, as that's the age they stop emitting any
UVB light at all (even though the tube won't be burnt out at that age).
If you ordered the stronger T5HO version of the Reptisun 10.0 UVB tube, then that's the best
UVb light you can buy for a dragon, and the differences between the T5HO and the T8 are that the T5HO can sit on top of the mesh screen, it only needs to be within 11" of his basking spot/platform, and it only needs replaced once every 10 months to a year.
If you did happen to order only the compact version, you should be able to return it, and then you can order the long tube version. The cheapest place I've ever seen them is on Amazon.com, and you're better off to just order the T5 version and a matching T5-rated tube fixture, you end up saving money because you don't have to replace it every 6 months. A 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube only costs $23 on Amazon.com, and a 24" (yes, the 22" tube fits in a 24" fixture) T5-rated tube fixture with a Metal Reflector inside it (must have a metal reflector) can be purchased as a package deal for under $50 shipped.
As far as the "stress marks" and the darkening, that's completely normal, and they aren't really "stress marks" at all. I don't know how that got started, but the marks on his belly are just that, markings. They are no different than the markings on the rest of his body, and they do no represent stress at all. The reason he's darkening himself is because that's what they do to attract heat/light while they bask, and it's completely normal and what he's supposed to be doing. So no worries about this at all. The marks on his belly darken when he does this just like the rest of his darkens, and it's just him trying to attract light/heat while he basks.
