Basking light question

[Gogators93]

So I have been trying to find a bulb that I can use in my 5.5" deep dome as it sits nicely on my screen. I tried my 90W Halogen flood light and it gave me a temp of 110F with my temp gun. I think this is a PAR38 bulb but I'm thinking it might be too big for this dome. It's less than 100Watt so the wattage is ok but while it sits inside, it pretty much fills the width. Given the temp this light is giving me, should I try a PAR30 bulb? Want to be safe.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[CooperDragon]

How far from the bulb were you reading 110? If it's at a safe basking distance (over 12'' or so in my opinion) that should do the trick. The smaller fixture won't really direct much light but those bulbs have built in reflectors (PAR38) so it shouldn't make a huge difference.

 

[Gogators93]

How far from the bulb were you reading 110? If it's at a safe basking distance (over 12'' or so in my opinion) that should do the trick. The smaller fixture won't really direct much light but those bulbs have built in reflectors (PAR38) so it shouldn't make a huge difference.

The cage is 24" and the platform is about 6" so about 18" away. My concern is that the bulb is too big for the fixture and there isn't enough air around it as there is very little room and it will get too hot. I was thinking a of trying a par30 to give more space in the dome and see how that works. If it doesn't work, do you think this will be ok?

 

[CooperDragon]

That's possible. If you're getting that good of a reading at 18'' I think that light is a good fit. I'd probably move to a wider dome before moving to a narrower bulb. The wider beams allow for even basking. It won't make as much of a difference for a small dragon, but an adult will need a beam with at least the diameter of their length. You may get that with a different bulb but it may take some adjustments/measurements. I have several dome fixtures that work well. I have some that are the reptile branded ones but my favorite are chicken brooder lamps from the local farm store. They're rated for higher wattage, have higher quality parts, are bigger, and cheaper. http://www.theisens.com/indoor-lighting/bayco-brooder-lamp-182-sjeo-x-6-fl-302pdq8

 

[Gogators93]

Thanks. That makes sense. I think I will try the bigger dome and hang it from a stand.