Combined D3 UVB MBV Mercury Vapor

[femalefromkent]

hi. new to the forum and bearded dragons

when i got her she had no lighting at all, and had sand at bottom. i have since removed sand and put newspaper down and did have a normal household bulb in there until new bulb arrived only having space for 1 bulb i got a Internet Reptile Combined D3 UVB MBV Mercury Vapor Bulb 100watt is this suitable or will i have to buy additional bulb and fitting.

 

[CooperDragon]

I haven't heard of that brand before but they claim to be manufactured in Germany and comparable to Arcadia bulbs which is a good sign. The cost is surprisingly low so that may be a red flag. I don't have test results for that bulb but based on test results for similar bulbs I'd keep it at 8-10'' above the basking area for best output. It's hard to say for sure without taking readings from the bulb using a Solarmeter. You may find that you need a ceramic heat emitter or additional halogen flood light to get temperatures correct. You'll want the basking area to be between 38-43c and the cooler/shade areas should be between about 24-27c. The MVB needs to be mounted based on UVB output so you'll need another light on a dimmer or at a different height to achieve proper temperature gradients.