In need of advice please

[clee73614]

I just adopted our first bearded dragon Gizmo yesterday and I want to make sure that I take the best possible care of him/her. I have been reading on bearded dragons and I am getting confused so I would like to get some personal opinions on do's and dont's and recommendations on product brands to go for or stay away from. One question in particular. UVB bulb in or out of cage? Will there be a chance of Gizmo being burned if it is in the cage? Can I use the calcium on the mealworms or just the crickets? Any and all help or advice will be greatly appreciated by myself and my new reptilian baby. Thank you

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, your uvb bulb placement will depend on the type of tank you have. The best long tube flourescent uvb bulbs are the Reptisun 10.0 and the Arcadia D3 12%. These can be used on top of screen if need be but must be within about 10" of the basking area if on top of the screen. If mounted in the tank they should be a bit farther away. A fixture with a refelector boosts the uvb projected down in to the tank.

 

[clee73614]

I have a 40 gallon tank and the top of the tank is within 8 inches of his/her basking area so putting it inside of the tank would not be ideal then? Am I correct?

 

[AHBD]

Yes, those strong uvb bulbs can be on the screen.

 

[clee73614]

Thank you so very much

 

[AHBD]

You're welcome. And I should mention that the Reptisun 10.0 tube should be the t5 HO model.

 

[Lyshha]

Hi I rescued 2 dragons and I honestly winged it and was always googling ha . I put calcium on the crickets and worms. I bought a multivitamin so I'll alternate sometimes . You also only want to lightly dust them right before feeding . GOOD LUCK ! And I have a zoo med double dome for my 40 gal and 20 gal tanks and use the uv bulb on top of the lid . Or you can buy the exo terra solar glo bulb which is a uvb and basking light in one. It is pricey though , I got mine for around 60$ . And it's a 160 watt . You just need to pay attention to what your lamps max watt is so you don't blow it out .

 

[Drache613]

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