Help find a solution for stable lighting & easy access

[Lindseysteph14]

My husband so graciously surprised me with a 75 gallon tank to upgrade my bearded dragon from his 40. I had been thinking about upgrading for a while but couldn’t get myself to spend that much when my boy isn’t that big yet (he’s a runt and always been small for his age) and didn’t require more space yet. He found a used one for sale and surprised me with it.

Super sweet, but it isn’t the type of enclosure I was looking for. It has a single piece wire mesh top and that is the only way to access the inside. Right now I have my 150w basking light and tube uvb sitting on top of the wire. The only problem I have is that every time I feed him, clean the tank, or take him out I have to move the lights and screen over halfway in order to reach inside. It’s become pretty frustrating and I’ve noticed I haven’t been handling my dragon as much cause it’s a whole process to move the lights.

If anyone could share some advice on how I can somehow either hang my lights from the wall, or clamp them to the side oh the tank and leave the top off completely I would appreciate it. I know you can buy light clamps from zoo med for the heat lamp and that’s my plan but my biggest stump is what to do with the uvb dome.

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm sure he will enjoy the extra space. They like to roam around and explore at any age. You're seeing the big downside of using the aquarium type of enclosure without a front opening door - it makes access a bit trickier.

I would try getting an adjustable light stand for your dome fixture. https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-reptile-lamp-stand/dp/154842 That will let you hang the fixture and raise/lower the light as needed. For UVB, I suggest getting a T5 fixture and bulb that you can sit across the top of the enclosure. The strength of a T5 is helpful in a larger enclosure, and they have an optimal output at around 12-14'' above the main basking area. They are out of stock in a lot of places at the moment, but keep checking around for something similar to the Arcadia T5 Pro like this https://www.lightyourreptiles.com/arcadia-pro-t5-fixture-12-bulb-35-sale/

My enclosure has front opening doors, but I have the lights suspended above the enclosure. Here are some photos that may help give you ideas on how to set it up.

This is with a 36'' fixture that runs the length of the enclosure along the front.

This is with a 24'' fixture set at an angle over the basking area.