Lighting Help for Newbies (:

jessicaLuck

Hatchling Member
I have the florescent light that goes across my entire Viv and then two day light white bulbs 75 watt. And a red basking light. Do I need the two 75 watt ones? Oh my I am so vey confused and worried about doing the right thing!! And do I leave the red light on at night?
 

SeanFred

Hatchling Member
You don't want any light at night, if the ambient temperature drops below 70F, then use a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) instead. As for the basking lights, what are your ambient temperatures warm side / cool side and basking spot? If you have a proper UV light, then the other lights are dictated by temperatures.
 

jessicaLuck

Hatchling Member
We are getting a better thermometer tonight and then I will be able to tell but as of now the cool side is 85 and the hot side is 95 basking spot is on hot side so I'm assuming it's about 100 or 105 but I gotta get the monitor to tell.
 

SeanFred

Hatchling Member
The basking spot needs to be about 105F-110F, you can measure this with an infrared heat gun, available at home depot, lowes, hardware stores, etc...
 

jessicaLuck

Hatchling Member
I was able to get some thermomitors. I got the acu-temp ones? i got two. was not able to get a probe. The cool side is about 80 and then her basking spot is at 90? I am still waiting to see if it gets hotter. I dont know what to do if it does not because i cant get a hotter bulb and her branch is already 6 or so inches away.
 

SeanFred

Hatchling Member
A 75W bulb at 6 inches should be able to heat a basking spot to 110 I would think, if not, you will have to look at a new fixture. Is it fully bright or maybe a dimmer turned down or malfunctioning?
 

jessicaLuck

Hatchling Member
It does not have a dimmer. It's a flunkers clamp lamp without dimmer. I tried the 75 and it didn't work. I bought a 100 watt white bulb to try. What are the benefits on a Che? I'll spend the money if it's beneficial. I'd just like to figure this out for the poor girl! Right now basking spot is 101 with the infrared light. Sorry of I seem dense I'm just a tad confused and worried
 

Raicardso

Member
I'm switching to the reptisun 10.0 uvb tube and was wondering if the fixture HAS to be under the screen or if it's fine above the screen top? have 40 gallon breeder tank. the basking spot branch we have setup gets a maximum 8 inches from the top, but hes uasally in the spot thats about 10 inches from the top. So if i put it under the screen top it would obviously be a little bit closer. So, knowing my heights would it be better under screen or above screen?
If under screen where do i go about getting a fixture to do that?
 

SeanFred

Hatchling Member
The CHE emits heat without light so your dragon can get quality sleep at night. I have read they don't go "all the way to sleep". As long as your viv stays above 65 at night, you don't need anything. Most important, heat and UV; heat for digestion and UV for vitamin d3 synthesis. I am using an infrared to supplement the ambient temp during the day in addition to the bright white. Your basking spot should suffice at 101, but you want to use a bright white light so they will squint their eyes or close them so they don't develope conjunctivitis. Put your UV light along side the bright white so he gets uv while basking.

As for the repti-sun 10.0, you lose some uv through the screen, but your dragon will still benefit. I have read a number of places where 6-8 inches is optimal, so under the screen would give best exposure if your fixture is not that thick. In my viv I have a 48" repti-glo 10.0 where the manufacturer claims exposure up to 20" away. My dragon has exposure ranging from 18" at the greatest distance from the bulb to 8" at the closest on the upper level above his cave.
 

Raicardso

Member
They benefit more from the uvb being under the screen then? The thing i worry about is just the uvb light being to close to the dragon :(. I worry about my little boy.
Where would i go to get a fixture to be able to put under the screen?
 

jessicaLuck

Hatchling Member
Went shopping again today..seem to be doing this a lot lol!! I got a basking white bulb thats 100 watt and it is proving to be to hot my plan was to get a dimmer lamp but they were out. so i need to go down to a 75. its getting up to 106 and she dosent seem to like to be on it when its that hot. if its 100 shes happy as a clam. I also got a probe temp to test the exact temp. So i will see what the basking spots exact temp is here in a bit. thank you for all your help and my house is 76...ugh to hot. so i will turn everything off tonight and she should be fine!
 

SeanFred

Hatchling Member
I am not an expert, my signature line says it all :) I worry about my Dragon too, but there is a lot of data to support the 6-8" theory for gaining maximum exposure. When Nero was in his smaller tank (which I now use for feeding) The light was on top of the screen on the half that does not flip up and it was fine. If you want to mount it below the screen, get a small piece of wide flat wood (about the size of the light fixture, and run screws through the screen into the wood so that the screen is almost screwed to the wood (you are talking about the metal mesh screen on the flip up tank lids right?), then leave about a 1/8 inch gap on the screen side and slide the mounting holes over the screw (provided you marked their location first) and that should hold it just fine. As for the cord, you will need to provide the smallest exit hole for the cord as possible and maybe use something to weave the cord hole closed around the cord.

Just my thoughts that might help.
 

Raicardso

Member
I bought the zilla xl kit ( which was a big mistake, everyone don't even bother buying it) so it's the 40 gallon breeder with the slide top. wish it was a flip top :(
 

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