another newbie lighting question

[chelsmm]

Hi,
So I did read through a ton of the info on this site regarding lights, and I'm still not completely sure what to do. I'm adopting a 4-5 year old male beardie on Monday. He is currently in a 36" long tank- I"m not sure how high or wide yet, but it looked about 24" high. I don't have him yet. He has a log that he seems to bask on that is fairly close to the top of the mesh cover. Currently he has a mesh tank top and a UV light and basking light on top of the mesh. I know the UV light bulb needs to be changed because the current owner only changed them when they went out. I read here that the Reptisun 10.0 HO was the way to go. He currently has a 24" fixture. I plan on keeping the light on top of the mesh if that's ok. I don't think he has enough room if I mount it inside. So do I need the T5? If so, do I need a special fixture or will any 24" work? Should I just wait until I get him? I was hoping to order this soon so that he won't have to wait long for the proper lighting.
For his basking light the current owner uses a Retpi basking spot lamp 100watts. I need to get a back up to have for when it burns out. Suggestions on brands?
Thanks. I can always wait until get is at our house. He's been living in this situation for over three years at least, and while he looked happy and healthy, I want to get it right.

 

[JayceeBuddy67]

Hi! The most reccomended on this site is the ReptiSun 10.0 tube. If you put a UVB on top of a screen/mesh/glass top, it will filter out a lot of the UVB rays. You will also need a basking bulb. Congrats on the new beardie!!

 

[chelsmm]

Thanks. It seems like there are two Reptisun 10.0? A T5 and a T8, right? And one is ok on top of the mesh and the other isn't. I was wondering if I need the T5 and if I need a special fixure if I get the T5.

Suggestions on brands for basking bulbs?

thank you.

 

[JayceeBuddy67]

For basking, you dont need anything fancy. Just use a regular house bulb. Not a coil though.

I thing a T8 is stronger? Not sure.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree that the basking bulb needs to provide bright white light and heat. Other than that, you can use a reptile basking light or a flood light. As long as it produces bright white light and heat over a wide area. I use the ZooMed ReptiBasking Spot Lamps and they work well.

For UVB I suggest using a T5 for optimal output. They are much stronger than the older T8. They have an optimal range at 12''-14'' and can provide adequate UVB exposure through a mesh top. If you get a T5, you will need a T5 fixture for the bulb as well. I suggest these options (but get a size that is about 1/2 the length of your enclosure)

this fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ
With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/

Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

 

[Taterbug]

It depends on how you approach lighting. Really whenever possible physical access to lights should be limited and moving the bulb further away is better so the animal isn't living close to it. T5 are more practical for that.

After that there are two methods to supply UV.
In smaller vivariums the shade method is safer - a weaker output is used over a larger portion of the cage simulating spending all day in the shade.

Alternatively the sunbeam method uses high output lights to make a patch of "sun" in the basking zone and low-0 levels of uv for the rest of the enclosure. The animal then regulates it's exposure itself.

This might help you select the right setup for your situation. Dragons are zone 3 baskers so a max uvi of 3-5 for the sunbeam method, or 1-2.6 for the shade method.

https://sites.google.com/site/thelizardmadness/lighting-guides