Tank (36x18x16) Lights

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Hey there again!

So, this would be my first time actually having a reptile that uses such a large tank. Temporarily he is using my leopard gecko's tank which I believe is... a 20 gallon? He's been doing okay in there, but obviously I'm not wanting to keep him in there longer than needed. He's currently 10 months old.

So I have the 36x18x18. Its a front-opener, with a top you slide on that has the wire mesh over it.

I'm looking for specifics (UVB) on the hood, length, wattage, brand ( I may be going with Reptisun since I've seen the name talked about a lot; with the cost I've put into the pet, I'm trying to make some cheaper decisions--I wanted to try an Arcadia, but for now I think Reptisun will have to do) and, what is the 'T5' stuff I've heard about? I mostly want to make sure I get the specifics right so I don't accidentally harm my beardie (thats always my fear with reptiles; so much info its hard to make choices).

If you guys could provide a list of links that you think would be best fit for the tank, that would be a godsend. :) I have also checked out some of the 'Lighting for Newbies' threads, but I really wanted to try whittling things down to my specifics to avoid mistakes. A simple list is better so I don't get too confused. ^^;

If there is any additional specific lights you want to suggest for basking, CHE, 'cool side' light or nightlight for heating, please feel free to link those too. Currently I dont have any night-lights for heating at night, but something tells me that with how much longer/larger this tank is and how my room tends to be on the cooler side, I may end up needing something to keep things a little warmer.

Thank you guys in advance for the help. I apologize if this has been answered before, haha. I'm just very cautious on trying to make the best decisions I can for my buddy.
 

CooperDragon

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My tank is similar to yours (36x18x18). I remember how huge it seemed at first, but it starts to feel small when an adult dragon lives there. A T5 is a type of tube light used (in this case) for UVB. I do recommend using that size for this tank. A 24'' or 34'' version will work for it. This is what I use and it's excellent. http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

For basking, you can use a halogen flood light or a reptile specific basking light such as the ZooMed Repti Basking Spot lamp. The wattage will vary depending on your setup so it may take some trial and error to figure out exactly what works best for you in terms of wattage. I use a 90w PAR38 halogen but those are getting harder to find now. Maybe start with the 150w ZooMed Repti Basking spot and see how that goes to begin with. Measure the surface temps in the basking area and the cool side of the tank. it helps to have at least one digital thermometer with a probe you can set in place. I like having two. Shoot for a basking surface of around 100-105 or so with a gradient down to about 75-80 (ish) on the cool side of the tank. The UVB light should sit next to the basking light over the main basking area.
 

PoisonedPaint

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CooperDragon":1so90yr4 said:
My tank is similar to yours (36x18x18). I remember how huge it seemed at first, but it starts to feel small when an adult dragon lives there. A T5 is a type of tube light used (in this case) for UVB. I do recommend using that size for this tank. A 24'' or 34'' version will work for it. This is what I use and it's excellent. http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

For basking, you can use a halogen flood light or a reptile specific basking light such as the ZooMed Repti Basking Spot lamp. The wattage will vary depending on your setup so it may take some trial and error to figure out exactly what works best for you in terms of wattage. I use a 90w PAR38 halogen but those are getting harder to find now. Maybe start with the 150w ZooMed Repti Basking spot and see how that goes to begin with. Measure the surface temps in the basking area and the cool side of the tank. it helps to have at least one digital thermometer with a probe you can set in place. I like having two. Shoot for a basking surface of around 100-105 or so with a gradient down to about 75-80 (ish) on the cool side of the tank. The UVB light should sit next to the basking light over the main basking area.
Hi Cooper! Thanks for the reply. :)

So far I have this for the temporary 20 gal tank: https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-desert-uvb-heat-reptile/dp/190111 The basking lamp seems to be 75w from the kit I got, but I think for the current set up, it seems to work (I have a large 'log-cut out' hide directly beneath the basking light with the UVB one right next to it) and he's always using it/seems to be very content. It seems to absorb the heat quite well too (the probe temps are around the upwards of 90F) I think you would be right to increase the wattage to 150 when he moves into the 40 gal since I imagine it won't be as close to the light right away (I plan to make him a basking platform sort of like this set up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTOmY1kcrBI ) but I won't have it right away. Im generally collecting all I need beforehand (as much as I can feasibly anyway) before I move him into the 40 gal.

Another question on the stats of UVB's; the one that I got in the Zoo Med Desert UVB & Heat Reptile Lighting Kit; And what kind of wattage should I be looking for on the UVB generally? It seems the one that came in the kit is 13W. I assume it would be dependant on my set up, but, Im probably going to adjust it similarly to the tank in the video above.

So many questions @_@;;
 

CooperDragon

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The one that came with your kit won't be sufficient in the larger enclosure. The 13w versions are too weak for beardies in general. The 26w versions are OK for small setups but aren't powerful enough for adult sized enclosures. I advise investing in the one I linked to or a similar ReptiSun T5 tube. You can try using the current basking bulb but it may not be powerful enough. it really depends on measured temps. You could try swapping the current UVB light out and using the second socket for a second lower wattage basking bulb and see how that goes. Like I said it may take some tweaking to see what works best for you. Just try to shoot for close to the temp ranges I outlined earlier.

That setup looks pretty nice. The platform is a bit high for my preference since it looks like it gets a bit too close to the light. I would design the main basking platform to be around 12'' below the lights (right around the black strip below the doors on the tank featured in the video. Some branches can be provided for additional climbing height but I prefer to have the main basking platform a bit further from the lights.
 

PoisonedPaint

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CooperDragon":oycaoltj said:
The one that came with your kit won't be sufficient in the larger enclosure. The 13w versions are too weak for beardies in general. The 26w versions are OK for small setups but aren't powerful enough for adult sized enclosures. I advise investing in the one I linked to or a similar ReptiSun T5 tube. You can try using the current basking bulb but it may not be powerful enough. it really depends on measured temps. You could try swapping the current UVB light out and using the second socket for a second lower wattage basking bulb and see how that goes. Like I said it may take some tweaking to see what works best for you. Just try to shoot for close to the temp ranges I outlined earlier.

That setup looks pretty nice. The platform is a bit high for my preference since it looks like it gets a bit too close to the light. I would design the main basking platform to be around 12'' below the lights (right around the black strip below the doors on the tank featured in the video. Some branches can be provided for additional climbing height but I prefer to have the main basking platform a bit further from the lights.
I got him into his 40gal today, and I ordered the Reptisun T5 30" hood I believe (I don't have the receipt in front of me)--it isn't in today but will be tomorrow. Ill be going to get the bulb later in-store.

The basking bulb I have from the kit I'm using currently, but I may end up going with a Sylvania (not sure if this one is exactly what I will get) instead. I was testing the basking spot temps (with the current basking light from the kit) with a probe and they seem to be reaching 100F or around that range at the highest point, so I think for the time being I may be alright until I get the Sylvania. Im unsure if I should go for a spot or flood though? Is there a rule of thumb on those?

And should the cool-side have any kind of 'heat' light or general 'light' besides the UVB? Or should it be okay if its in the temp ranges you mentioned?


As for the comment on the set up I was looking at, I definitely agree with how high the basking spot is. I think sometime in the video she mentioned cutting the legs down a bit to your suggested height. :)

Thank you very much for the continued suggestions/help. I know some of the questions might be ones that are constantly answered on this board, but, like I mentioned I'm always trying to do my absolute best for my pets. ^^
 

CooperDragon

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OK great. I can help you find a good fit for bulb once you have the T5 fixture. Is it the ZooMed hood? The sylvania might do the trick. I haven't tried that one in particular but it's similar to what I use. I prefer flood lights because they tend to have a wider beam and can provide a wider basking area. You can do similar using multiple lower wattage bulbs though, that's up to you.

You want to create gradients of both heat and UVB. Have the highest temps and UVB exposure over the main basking area. Create other areas that are cooler and have little to no UVB too. Sometimes they like to get some heat but no UVB too so they'll hang out at the edge of the gradient. They're good about getting what they need so just provide plenty of variety for them to choose from. Then you can tweak as you go along to accommodate individual preferences.
 

PoisonedPaint

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CooperDragon":r869w7kw said:
OK great. I can help you find a good fit for bulb once you have the T5 fixture. Is it the ZooMed hood? The sylvania might do the trick. I haven't tried that one in particular but it's similar to what I use. I prefer flood lights because they tend to have a wider beam and can provide a wider basking area. You can do similar using multiple lower wattage bulbs though, that's up to you.

You want to create gradients of both heat and UVB. Have the highest temps and UVB exposure over the main basking area. Create other areas that are cooler and have little to no UVB too. Sometimes they like to get some heat but no UVB too so they'll hang out at the edge of the gradient. They're good about getting what they need so just provide plenty of variety for them to choose from. Then you can tweak as you go along to accommodate individual preferences.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQU8G3M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is the Zoo Med Hood. :)

I was looking at his tank a few minutes ago, and when you mentioned gradients; I'm thinking maybe getting a semi-low wattage Flood Light (a sylvania) for the cool side of the tank, and use a spot light sylvania for the basking/heat area. Does that sound like a pretty good idea?

One thing I noticed was the cool side was a little on the cool-er side (at least it seems to me), even while the other light was on. I plan to get a CHE for the winter months; I don't think the tank is cold enough for that yet, just it seems to be dipping around low-60's on the cool side; it seems there IS a gradient though. The basking spot currently is upwards to 98F+ and the 'hot area' is around 75F+ depending on where he sits. The water dish I put in there as well (if you saw the image from before) was pretty cold; the handler I got him from said they enjoyed jumping in a little tub now and then (along with the regular 1-2 days a week soaks) in their tank; I thought maybe putting a low-wattage floodlight there might help to heat that up a little for him. Thoughts?
 

CooperDragon

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Yeah a low wattage flood might be a good idea given those numbers. That seems pretty cool. You don't want to bump it too much but 70-80 during the day on the cool side is good. Low 60s overnight is fine.
 

PoisonedPaint

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CooperDragon":f31nr3de said:
Yeah a low wattage flood might be a good idea given those numbers. That seems pretty cool. You don't want to bump it too much but 70-80 during the day on the cool side is good. Low 60s overnight is fine.
Ok! I'm considering a 100w flood light for basking area/hot area (might get a spot light as extra in case I want to try something different) and a floodlight lower than 75w for the cool side.

Did you have recommendations for the UVB bulb for the ZooMed fixture? Ill probably just get them online because most places I went earlier today didnt seem to have anything.
 

PoisonedPaint

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CooperDragon":1pp9wgiy said:
Awesome! I think for now I'll go with the Reptisun, but I may try the Arcadia in the future; Ive heard a lot of great things about them. :)

I also seem to be having trouble finding the basking bulbs (the sylvanias) anywhere; I looked in store and online, it seems they only have 80w or below? (aside from the actual 'reptile bulb' brands that seem pretty pricey) I might just not be looking in the right places; I'm mostly looking for 100w as a flood light basking bulb, and a step below 75w flood light for the cool side.

Do you happen to have any links to the floods you use that are equivalent to 100w and somewhere below 75w? I'm planning to test and see if it gets too hot, I can always put it on a hanger above the tank as well.
 

PoisonedPaint

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Claudiusx

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It will fit but that cool end bulb might put off too much heat. You can try it though.

-Brandon
 

PoisonedPaint

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Hey guys! So, finally I got almost everything set up the way I'd like it. I wanted to ask though, if this would be a good place to have the light mounted, and is the light appropriate distance from him? The tree hes sitting on I may get rid of an replace with a cinderblock basking area that might be lower, and with a stronger floodlight for basking--the current one is still the 75w spot light that came with the combo kit. The UVB is the Reptisun 10.0 24w.

105435-5168303302.jpg
 
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