55 gal with 160 watt. Will my bearded get burned?

[No3LMD]

Hey, so I'm a new beardie owner and I'm wondering if using a 160watt mercury vapor is a bad idea. My tank is 2ft tall and 4 feet wide it's a 55 gal. At his highest basking spot near the heat lamp he's about 14-16 inches away. He has plenty of options though ranging from 14-24 inches away from the bulb about. That's his basking side, his cool side consists of his water and food dishes, and a rock. Above his cool spot he has a UVB only bulb that gives off no heat. My beardie is 1.5 years old Male. Will my beardie get burned by the lamp or will he be fine?

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from Health to Enclosures

 

[CooperDragon]

I wouldn't be concerned with burns at that distance. Which brand are you using? A 160w PowerSun will produce a good amount of UVB between 10-16'' so it should sit in that range. The optimal range varies depending on the brand though.

 

[No3LMD]

Perfect, when my beardie stands up he's about 10 inches away, and I am using a PowerSun. Thanks for the info!!

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah that's just about right for that bulb (UVB output) and should be well out of burn range too. How are the temperatures throughout the tank? You'll want surface temps on the basking area around 100-105 with a gradient down to about 75-80 or so on the other side of the tank.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That sounds excellent! He should do just fine at that distance.
Definitely monitor the tank temperatures with a good thermometer such as the digital probe
or a temp gun, since it is a 160watt bulb.

Tracie