Hi! First time bearded dragon mom, over 20 years experience keeping reptiles, fish, amphibians and all the furry critters.
Smaug came to us as a surrender. He was living in a terrarium in a back room and receiving bare minimum care, and had been with the owner for about 6 years (she was his second owner). Fortunately, he's still pretty friendly and doesn't mind being handled. In the 2 1/2 weeks he's been with us, he's tolerated baths and nail trimmings, snuggle sessions, an improved diet (less prey, more greens and veggies) and a refitted terrarium (better substrate, less clutter, a bigger water dish).
Yes, it's the exo terra solar glo, 125w. The other 2 fixtures are CHEs. The top of the tank is bars, not mesh. The tank is 1'x4', 24" high. I've never used MVB before and if you have any recommendations on placement I would be grateful!
His light came on about half an hour ago, this is his favourite lounging spot. He eats well, poops regularly, is alert and active.
Ok I am trying to figure out measurement of that tank -- a 1 meaning 12" x 4 " what is the height? Not sure on the distance of that Solar Glo I would have it going straight downward and not shining in his eyes -- and I am wondering if a extra UVB would be needed - I am going to have some one else look at your tank and lighting and have them make some suggestions
Karrie
Yes, 12"x48" about 24" tall. I would have the option of positioning the MVB pointing straight down, there is a door in the bars on top where I could place the dome fixture, which would then provide uninterrupted uvb. Thanks for your help!
I like using adjustable stands for MVBs. I use a brooder lamp fixture from the local farm store which comes with a hanging wire. https://www.theisens.com/products/brooder-light/ Then I can hang it directly overhead and change the height using the adjustable lamp stand. For a 125w MVB I'd probably try to keep it around 12-14'' above the main basking area for best UVB output. I haven't tested the Solar Glo yet, but that is about where I keep my 100w bulbs of other brands.
Awesome, I'm going to check through my stash of fixtures and see if I have one that hangs, maybe I can rig something up for it. I'll post a new pic in a bit!
Yeah if the fixture has holes along the top or sides you can probably rig something using picture wire or a coat hanger etc. Really just need a loop of some kind that you can hang the fixture from.
This is what I've done for now. The MVB is 12" from the skull/log, 18" from the floor and there are no bars blocking the light. Smaug has never climbed in the hammock, but he seems to enjoy the shade it creates.