Dachiu doesn't use a heat bulb at all during the summer

[Claudiusx]

http://www.dachiubeardeddragons.com/breeding-facility/

In the summer we never turn on the heat (cfl) bulbs, and only use the florescent lights.

Of course, they have a huge dragon room with proper temperatures already in the room, but still, the dragons live under general lighting, not basking beams.

Our adult breeders are housed in 4×2 by 12 inch high cages with 2 18 watt florescent bulbs mounted towards the back of the cage. One bulb is a 5.0 for UVB and one is a 2.0 with a high CRI which improves the overall light quality.

I'm not saying I 100% think this is best practice, but clearly they are doing something right (or at least OK) to have been so successful for as long as they have been.

Ties in nicely with an experiment(s) that I want to do. Thread here
They are basically doing exactly what I've wanted to experiment with for awhile.

-Brandon

 

[CooperDragon]

Interesting to note their bins are lower than a lot of enclosures. They are also sparse looking without any areas to climb or areas to hide. This is different from most setups in that regard. As far as the heating goes, I think it certainly warrants further investigation. If we can provide adequate heat gradients along a wider space then I think it's probably a good thing because it better replicates lighting in the wild. I think the limitation so far has been limited space in captivity.

 

[Claudiusx]

There is a few lessons from their setups I think. Not necessarily things that should change how the average hobbyist does things, but possibly how they think.

Mainly, they use 5.0s not 10s. Obviously this is because they have only 12" tall enclosures. The lesson here is (and what I've been trying to say with the whole t8 t5 debate) is that stronger doesnt automatically mean better. Proper is better. And in a short enclosure, the lower strength 5.0s are more proper of a choice as the dragons are closer to them.

The take away is do what is right for your enclosure and your setup. A t5 would fry them in how they have their enclosures setup. A t8 might be too strong too. Whatever their reasoning was, it's worked for them and also goes to show there are multiple right ways.

Their while setup is interesting and I could talk about it for hours, but I feel personally the biggest surprise to me was them not using direct beams of heat and instead using ambient heat, in the summer.

Kind of adds credence to my original thought that a dragon doesnt need a directed beam of light and heat.

That being said, I'm not doing all this thinking and experimenting because I think that this is a better method. Kind of contrare actually. I think that a heat bulb is the best method for the average hobbyist, but I am interested in finding alternative methods to things. I feel it's how we grow and learn as a community. You never know what we might find out, or where one path might take us when we at least try to start walking down another path... if that makes sense.

-Brandon