Help with lighting

[mustlovepets13]

ok so i am so confused about lighting. i have been looking at the viv pics thread and i see some people have 2 lights some people have 3 some have a tube some have bulbs. i just dont know which lights are which and someone told me that i shouldnt put any lights on the cool side of the tank. does the uvb give off heat? i have a 40gal breeder please help me light it up.

 

[munchkins9802]

Hi there. for a 40 gallon breeder tank, you can use the reptiSUN 10.0 (NOT THE REPTIGLO) TUBE bulb for UVB purposes and then on one side of the tank, you will need a BRIGHT WHITE light for basking purposes and also helps keep the eyes safe. This can be a regular household bulb (not a soft white tho , regular--sold at Home Depot). These are really the only 2 bulbs needed. If your cage goes below 70 at night, then invest in a ceramic Heat Emitter (knowin as a CHE) for NIGHT time only.
Makes sure you use a digital thermometer with probe to test basking sight temps. Depending on age of lizard you want that ONE SPOT to be 95-105
Hope this helps some

 

[mustlovepets13]

Thank you that was very helpful. so its ok for the tube light to go into the cool side.

 

[munchkins9802]

the UVB yes, the Bright white light should be above the spot he spends time basking as that is where you want the heat source. UVB is for calcium digestion done properly etc

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Yes, it is okay for the UVB tube to go into the coolside. They really don't give off any heat.
Your UVB tube should cover about 2/3 the length of the tank. Make sure to put the basking bulb right along side the UVB, so that your beardie can get UVB while basking. Sometimes you have to put a lower watt bulb in the coolside to get desired temps. This is why you saw multiple bulbs in people's enclosures.
Basking temps should range between 95-110 degrees(baby beardies prefer the warmer end of that range) and coolside temps should range between 78-82 degrees.
As munchkins mentioned... using either a digital thermometer with a long wire and probe end or a temp gun will ensure accurate temps.

 

[Goonie]

[Moved from General to Enclosures]