Lighting question

[makubex01]

What is the difference between the UV light (reptisun 10.0) and the basking light? Are they the same thing? How many lights are you suppose to have for your beardie? Basking, UV light, and? Which basking light are good for beardie? Any recommendations?

 

[turtleman7]

they need uvb to help them produce a certain vitimen through there skin i forget which one it is sorry kinda new myself. maybe vitimen d i think. there bodys cant absorb it if they digest it if they eat it like calcium, the only way there bodys can absorb it is when uvb hits there skin. as long as one bulb produces uvb any other bulb can be anything, like normal house bulb. so you could use the reptisun for uvb, then any kind of bulb for the heat sorce. iv been hearing alot about mercury vapor bulbs, they produce heat and uvb so u only need one bulb. iv spent the last 3 months looking through this forum and i think i got this question right. can anyone double check the vitimen d part for me.

 

[NegativeCreep]

Yes, you need a good UVB bulb and a basking light. The basking light can be just about any bright, white, hot bulb. The UVB tubes should not be a coil (and really should be a ReptiSUN 10.0).

But, yes, there are Mercury Vapor Bulbs, too. Confusing huh? MVB's produce UVB and heat from one bulb (IMO, the best way to go).

The tubes need to be replaced every 6 months and the MVB's should be replaced every 12 months, minimum on both.
The UVB is important for them to metabolize calcium (I think the D3 helps with that; just like in humans, we need D to absorb calcium).
But that leads to another point: Calcium. If you use a florescent tube, you should supplement with calcium plus D3, and if you use a MVB, you should supplement with calcium without D3. MVB's are so much like the real sun, that they actually stimulate D3 production!

Good luck!

 

[makubex01]

Thanks for the info. So far, according to what you guys are saying, I got the equipment right. I just ourchase a new basking bulb and I do have the calcium + D3 supplement. SO i guess i am set to go. XD thanks.

 

[ripcord182]

I have not yet gotten my Beardie... But I was wondering, I have a 29 Gal (12" H x 12" W x 30" L) Is a Zoo Med SL-75w enough for the basking spot? I don't yet have the substrate or a dependable thermometer to test (or else I would not be asking).

 

[makubex01]

I wish I could answer that but I am not experience with lightings! hopefully someone on the forum will come across your question and answer it! XD

 

[turtleman7]

it is possible, but cant say for sure. the only way to be sure is put a thermometer under the basking light. if it dosent get hot enough you can lower the light, or raise the basking area. you can raise the basking area just by using a bigger piece of wood. if none of that dosent work you would have to get a bigger light.