Light fixtures

[c4chaos]

Hey BD lovers,
I lost Miles to a sudden illness in May. I took him to the vet and they basically gave me medication that made him worse.
I'm considering getting another dragon on Saturday.
It has been several months and I miss having a BD.
I just want to make sure I have the correct lights.
For the UVB light fixture, do I have to get the reptile light fixture from Zilla, Exoterra, ZooMed? Or can I get a fixture from Walmart?

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

First of all, I'm very sorry for the loss of your little friend Miles. Losing a beardie is so hard, as I know from experience. My condolences to you

The only recommended UVB lights to use are either the Reptisun 10.0 linear fluorescent tube or the Arcadia 12%... yes, the brand and type really DOES matter.

Fortunately the brand of fixture you use really doesn't matter as long as it's a T8 (for the Reptisun 10.0, the Arcadia 12% uses either a T5 or a T8) and as long as it's rated for the correct wattage. Tons of members here just use the cheap "under cabinet" fixtures from Walmart.

Hope that helps, good luck!!

 

[Bdude]

Sorry to hear about your loss, it is great that you are considering another BD.
I had a problem finding the right specs at my local home depot or wal-mart. I had to rig a 24" direct wire up myself so I can plug it in as that is all they had that was T8 that could handle the wattage. It is pretty easy if you get the right stuff and cost me a total of $25. There is a pretty good thread on how to do this here. http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=140791

Good Luck
-Brad