Lighting Nightmare!

[Syntax1985]

Hey all, im new to the site but read here alot a few times for reviews ect

il just explain my situation briefly, ive owned my bearded dragon for 3 years, been keeping reptiles since i was 14 ( 27 now )

my current viv, the lighting is a complete nightmare!

The UV set up =
1x Repti Glo 10.0
1x Ballast ( required start plug )

The problem im having, is every month theres a problem. The bulbs only 3 weeks old, and its not turning on, so ive bought a new start plug, still not turning on, so now im looking at buying a new Ballast... This isnt a new thing either, i spend a silly amount of lighting vs the normal reptile owner, constantly going through the "trinity" of the plug, the Ballast & the bulb till the damn thing turns on.

quiet honestly its got to the point i no longer wish to use UV strips & have been thinking about changing to a much more simple life of a uv bulb & a bulb holder, such as
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/repti-glo-10.0-26w-compact-bulb-by-exo-terra-(available-in-store-only)-28239

The only thing im worried about =
Do these mini bulbs give the right amount of UV
Will my dragon be forced into a smaller part of the viv to benefit fro the light ( 4x4x2 set up ) & if so, could i use 2 bulbs, with one at each end of adjusted to illuminate the entire viv , without causing dmg to the dragon?

and if both the above are ok, Will changing from a strip to a bulb give my dragon any stress?

At this point, im really happy with the idea of screwing a bulb in & turning it on & off everyday, it seems like heaven.. i really don't enjoy these UV strips at all, but on the flip side, i don't want to rush ahead into it if its going to cause my dragon any harm or stress.

Thank for taking the time to read this & for the heaps of infomation ive gained from this site in the past

 

[Syntax1985]

above links not working, heres the bulb im thinking of moving to =
http://www.petsathome.com/wcsstore/ConsumerDirectStorefrontAssetStore/images/products/large/20874.jpg

 

[Tander]

above links not working, heres the bulb im thinking of moving to =
http://www.petsathome.com/wcsstore/ConsumerDirectStorefrontAssetStore/images/products/large/20874.jpg

Please don't go to this type of UV light. They don't give off anywhere near the required amount of UV / D3 for a Bearded Dragon. Just looking on this board you will find lots of owners having problems with their Beardies due to using these lights over the tubes.

My suggestion is to replace the whole tube setup if it's giving issues.

I have had mine for a while now and I have never had any issues what so ever.

 

[snazzyglasses]

Like Tander said the tube bulbs are best, others cause eye problems and don't give off the proper amounts or wavelengths of UVB. The best and safest on the market for dragons today are the ReptiSun 10.0 tube or Arcadia 12% tube.
A lot of people use an inexpensive pre-wired "under-cabinet" t8 fixture for their bulbs, you can pick one up at Walmart or any home improvement store. Maybe starting over instead of replacing parts would help? (just a suggestion though! I don't know much about electronics )
I have my ReptiSun tube mounted inside my big guy's viv for maximum UVB exposure

 

[Bobbijo2u]

I bought my ballast at Rona cash way it was 10.00 and is mounted inside with 3m command strips. Home Depot also has them. Use a repti sun 10 or the other brand Arcadia if you can get them. I can't in Canada yet .... Plz do not use compact coil bulbs.

 

[Syntax1985]

thanks all for replys,

so to my delight, i can actually order Arcadias 12%'ers online in the uk for cheaper then the current bulbs im buying ( Repti Glo ),

i think im basically going to just rip everything out his tank & replace it with new gear, in all fairness , i thought about it abit and i thin kive had the current ballast for about 5 years now, so that also might be an issue,

before i confirm my shopping basket on amazon, what do you guys think of those reflector panels?

will they add more benefit or not worth it?

ty again for replys.

 

[snazzyglasses]

Those reflectors look good to me!
I believe the Arcadia 12% tubes are strong enough that you can actually go without reflectors if you want (but I'm not 100% sure on that one).

 

[Syntax1985]

just done abit of reading on them, they are for reflecting light into aquariums, not so good for my viv where the light will be inside

 

[Shortyhayle]

I use an Arcadia 12% and I don't have a reflector on as their strong enough without them