charmander16":1khkjdbp said:
I'd consider mounting the lights outside the enclosure.
<<<< that's bad advise, best to have a solid lip and front sliding glass doors and the light fittings all mounted from UNDER THE LID.
As long as you aren't using screen to sit them on it's fine to mount them outside. Then you free up a lot of room inside the enclosure and it's easier to control the temps.
I know it is very common for pet shops to flog converted fish tanks with screen / mesh lids to house reptiles including bearded dragons but this is an incredibly poor viv design and IMO completely inadequate. Only advantage is it is cheap for them to sell this kind of junky viv and most noob lizard keepers are clueless and don't know there are better ways of housing their pet.
DO NOT USE A SCREEN LID , vivs with screen / mesh lids are essentially completely open to the environment.
With these screen or mesh lids
>warm air created by the MVB , or the CHE , or the basking spot globe will simply rise and be lost , meaning the only heating benefits the pet gets is radiant heat transfer , very little conduction heat transfer and zero convective heat exchange
==> you need much more wattage to get the same heating benefit because no stable convective heat currents can ever be established.
A solid lid will
> insulate the viv from the colder temperatures outside it in the room
> will force warmed air to circulate creating a nice thermal gradient
> will provide a good strong and stable structure to mount the light fittings under and mount a cage about the very hot MVB , the CHE and the par38 spotty
> will keep unwelcome snouts / fangs , paws and claws out.