Lighting for DIY Crossfire

[Jsw]

A couple of years ago I had a bearded dragon, and I tried to do my best by him, but he got sick and died. The vet said he likely was ill before I got him because he was small, regularly lethargic, and had a poor appetite. But he also said that my enclosure did not have enough access to UV. I ended up putting him in a smaller terrarium until he died, but that was a borrowed terrarium and now I just have my DIY one.

I built my own enclosure following the Crossfire instructions, and I used a 22" Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO Lamp, 24 Watts that I put to the back left. I thought I had done it correctly based on threads here and I even posted it on here. However, the vet said it needed to be 36" but I am not seeing a 36" 10.0 T5 bulb. I can find the 5.0 but not the 10.0

Am I just looking in the wrong places?

Also, is there a good way to sanitize a melamine enclosure for my new bearded dragon?

Thanks very much! I'm nervous about my new buddy, but hopeful because he's 6 years old and in very good health. I'm wondering if I should just keep him in the 36x18x18 glass terrarium with wire screen top like he has been in for 6 years since that has been working for him. :?

 

[CooperDragon]

The 22'' is fine as long as it's about 12'' or so above the main basking area. It's long enough so an adult dragon can bask under it evenly. You can use the 36'' (the bulb is 34'') but I don't feel that it's a necessary expense. With the fixed tops on the crossfires, it's good to have your basking light (next to the UVB light) on a dimmer or dimming thermostat so you can fine tune the temps easily since you can't raise/lower the bulb like you can when it's sitting over a glass enclosure. Stick with your crossfire, the more space you can provide, the better. I find my 36x18x18 is really too small for an adult. To sanitize it, just clean it with vinegar/water, wipe it down, then spray it with some F10 to sanitize.

 

[Jsw]

Thanks!

This is an old photo of the enclosure. viewtopic.php?f=34&t=230496&p=1777743#p1777743

I'm planning to make a new floor so that it steps down from 18" on the left to 24" on the right. I've also got shelfliner per your 2 year old recommendation , and the white light is now this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zilla-mini-halogen-white-day-bulb-25-watts with a smaller clamp lamp.

I'll be getting better "furniture" as well. :roll:

I go get him Sunday!

 

[CooperDragon]

Be careful with the mini halogens. You want to be sure to provide a wide enough basking beam to allow even basking. This means you want basking temps to spread at least the length of an adult dragon (18-22'' in most cases). Sometimes this requires a bulb with a wider beam, but just double check the temps to make sure you have a nice wide basking spot.

 

[Jsw]

Be careful with the mini halogens. You want to be sure to provide a wide enough basking beam to allow even basking. This means you want basking temps to spread at least the length of an adult dragon (18-22'' in most cases). Sometimes this requires a bulb with a wider beam, but just double check the temps to make sure you have a nice wide basking spot.

Oh! Good to know, thanks! I got the mini halogen because I was trying to keep the fixtures from taking up so much room. I will definitely check for this.