20g lighting

[Nmc8912]

I got a 20g tank to start with and bought a 22" reptisun 10 t5 ho uvb bulb. I've been having a hard time finding a fixture for it and the one I ordered from Walmart wound up not fitting. The question I have is should I just get the reptisun mount for it and keep it on top of the screen since it's stronger or get a t8 bulb instead and mount it inside the tank? Is there an increased fire risk with the light on top of the screen? Thanks

 

[jayce82]

t8 bulb is gonna be way to strong for a 20 gallon. plus a 20 gallon tank is way too small. how old is your beardie

 

[Nmc8912]

I don't have the dragon yet. I'm setting everything up first but plan to get a baby and change to a 40/50 gallon when needed.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree that the 20g is too small, especially beyond the first few months or so. The T5 has an optimal range at about 12'' so it's much too strong for a small tank but it's a good light. Look for a 2' grow light fixture like a sunblaster and that should do the trick for it.

A T8 is better suited for a 20g tank so I'd get one of those first and put it in a Zilla Slimline fixture (or use the desert version that comes with a Desert 50 bulb). Be sure to take the clear plastic off from the fixture before using it. That will have an optimal output at about 6'' and is appropriate for a smaller tank.

That said, I'd start with at least a 40g breeder tank so you can use high quality lighting and create good heat gradients. It's good to give them lots of options and the more space you can provide the easier that gets. If you provide plenty of places to climb and some shady/hide areas it should be fine to provide a large enclosure for a young dragon. You may even want to build a 4'x2'x2' enclosure that will be good for his whole life. https://beardies.dreamwidth.org/2145.html

 

[AHBD]

A 20 gal. is fine for a baby if that's what you already have, it will last 2-3 months at least before it becomes too small. The bulb can be placed on the screen and give enough uvb because the distance it needs to travel is shorter to any area in the tank. Babies always do better in a tank that's not too tall at first. They do not judge distance well and can and do [ even in recent threads here ] jump/fall from platforms that are too tall and landing on a floor that's too hard. Avoid making tall flat platforms with a ramp leading up....babies do not understand this concept and it can be stressful for them. It's best to have branches/logs [ even if they are fake ] for climbing rather than shelf type basking areas. Here's a simple enclosure that I used to raise babies in. A large plastic tote with lights across the open top. Lots of branches for climbing which were all gathered from outdoors and put in a preheated 225-250 F oven for 45 minutes to kill any potential pests. You can use similar ones in your 20 gallon and then when you upgrade to a larger enclosure as well.
https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/29895/full

Babies thrive in a simple enclosure like this.