Lighting Help for Newbies (:

[jenn1116]

awesome, thanks much! ill hafta return a couple things, (thought i had the reptisun but didnt look close enough and got the reptiglo) but as long as it makes Igor happy

 

[jenn1116]

i just got Igor's uvb today. hes not too terribly skiddish so i just put it in while he was still in the tank (VERY carefully of course). once he realized i was puttin somethin new in for him, he was tryin to climb on it, then me to get to it lol. ive definitely noticed some changes and we havent even had it a day yet. i think hes in love w/ it too lol

 

[Skira]

The UVB light should be preferably with in 6-10" of the basking spot

On the packaging of my UVB reptisun 10, it says that the exposure for 10 UVB is up to 51 cm's (20.1 in). So can I follow that guide or is it definitely 6-10"?
I live in South Africa so the light may have different specifications? Or do all of them say up to 20.1"?
I'm struggling to get my basking spot high enough for maximum UVB exposure, combined with the correct temp of the basking light.

This is for my new enclosure.

As always, any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Jess]

They all put out UVB up to 20" away, but for a beardie to get the appropriate amount of UVB they should be with in 10" of it. So even though the lights will give off some UVB from 20" away, it's not enough to be beneficial to a beardie. :wink:

 

[Skira]

Ah that clears it up thanks

 

[Gav896]

As a beardie noob i've found this thread extremely helpful. Picking up my beardie and set up on sunday and the uvb will need changed as its over 6 months old although has been checked and is still fine but changing it anyway. Have ordered an Arcadia D3+ 12% on the basis of what i have read here and other research i've done and this definately appears to be about the best unit available (UK). So thanks to all for the great input.

Cheers.
Gav.

 

[THallman30]

What kinda of watt halogen or flood light would I need for a 10gal tank for my baby beardie? The bulb I have is a Zilla 50 watt 120V basking bulb. It keeps his cage between 75-85 degrees and you said babies like it between 100-105 degrees. Would I need to get one of those or is my bulb fine?

 

[Jess]

What kind of thermometer are you using? 50 watts should be plenty for a 10 gal!

I'm glad this was helpful, Gav!

 

[Arroyo]

Arroyo is my beardie, he's lived with me for about 3 months -not sure how old he was when I got him but he's still young.
Ok, my lighting is so messed up. I have a Zilla UVB tube which I am going to replace with a Reptisun 10.0. I also had a red 75watt? basking bulb on a dimmer that was given to me by a friend and a blue night bulb for when the temps drop. Reading on the posts I learned that I need a UVA light so I put a 60watt energy saver household bulb next to my red basking lamp. The temp in his basking area is 102F. Will the combo of the two bulbs next to each other meet his needs?

 

[xotamilxo]

Thank u !! Great for the Newbie Helped Me alot
Thanks again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tami and Toothless

 

[Jess]

@Arroyo: I've never really thought about using a red and a white light together. I would just use a white basking light though: Beardies can see red, so the red light is very unnatural to them.

 

[EpyonB16]

Okay so now that I understand the lighting somewhat how much daily exposure of a UVB is needed and how much of UVA? I got Tim a little over a month ago and to this day I have the timer run one for an hour than switch to the next for an hour for 12 hours so he gets 6 hours of each. Is this okay or what is suggested? I'm learning quickly but have many questions. Also has anyone used a hammock and had the lights ruin it or anything of that nature? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Jess]

Beardies should have 10-14 hours of UVA and UVB, so keep both of the lights on at the same time.
And don't worry, the lights won't ruin your hammock.

 

[EpyonB16]

Thanks. As I understand it we are to not use the red night lights as well right? I have only resorted to using it so as to not have my younger siblings crying about the light from my room bothering them. I'm using a basking light I got at Petco(UVA) in store brand and a UVB that a friend gave me. I can't remember the brand but it's a coil flourescent bulb. I'm going to pic up a reptisun soon as long as coverage permits.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

The red light will most likely affect his sleeping patterns if you use it at night, correct. Are you using a bright white basking light for during the day as well?
They tend not to do well under colored lights during the day as it is too dim for them & doesn't protect the eyes from the UVB rays.
If you have been using a coil/compact light, your dragon has most likely not been getting adequate UVB so getting him a Reptisun 10 tube bulb instead will really help him out!

Tracie