Hi guys - I took in a beardie today, he's still very young and is only about 8-9 inches in length.
This was kind of sprung on me so I just rushed and bought him a starter kit, thinking it woukd be fine for now. It was an All Living Things 20 gal desert kit. It came with a 75 watt basking light & a 13 watt UVB. The lights were on all day and according to the thermometer, it never got warmer than 90 degrees in there.
I'm buying a whole new set up tomorrow and then taking the other crap back. I think the lights suck and also, the lid of the cage is all plastic except for a small rectangle in the middle which makes it impossible to create a heat gradient because you just have to put the lights in the middle. I'm just buying a 20 gal tank and getting everything separately. SO, after a little research and a lot of confusion, here are my questions:
Is a 75 watt basking light good for a 20 gallon tank?
Can I just get a normal household bulb instead of the pet store kind? (I've read a lot of you on here prefer them)
If so, what kind of household bulb?
Is it also fine to buy the clamp light fixtures from Walmart or somewhere and use those instead of pet store fixtures?
I know the basking light stays on during the day, does the UVB need to stay on during the day AND night? Is there anything else that needs to be on at night? Or just if it gets below 65 degrees in the tank?
What fixtures do you guys use to hold the Reptisun UVB 10? Links would be very helpful.
I really hope someone replies by morning! I just want to get this guy settled asap so he doesn't stress.
Those kits are no good, glad you’re taking it back. A 20 gallon tank is too small. The Reptisun T5 10.0 HO UVB bulb is what you want. You good get the hood it fits in for on top of the screen, but the screen filters out the uvb. There is a Sunblaster fixture that can hang inside the tank. Get a digital probe thermometer. If it does get below 65 at night you’ll probably need the CHE. No red bulbs. I’m sure you’ll get more answers on this site
Those kits are no good, glad you’re taking it back. A 20 gallon tank is too small. The Reptisun T5 10.0 HO UVB bulb is what you want. You good get the hood it fits in for on top of the screen, but the screen filters out the uvb. There is a Sunblaster fixture that can hang inside the tank. Get a digital probe thermometer. If it does get below 65 at night you’ll probably need the CHE. No red bulbs. I’m sure you’ll get more answers on this site
THANK YOU! and I got the 20 gallon because he's still a baby and all of my research and the people at the pet store said to get the 20 gallon as to not overwhelm him and all that but I do plan on getting a bigger tank as soon as he is ready. Do you think I should just get a bigger one now? If so, what size do you recommend? He is about 8 inches in length.
The young beardies grow very fast. He needs room to run around, a nice basking log, food dish & maybe a water dish. I wish I had a bigger tank now, mine is the Exoterra 36” x 18” x 18”, with the front opening doors. So much easier to work with, especially when feeding & cleaning. My Beardie is almost 4 years old & he does not really have enough space, but he does get out to run around the house. Maybe you can find out more information on this site. The pet shops may make recommendations but that’s because they know you’ll be back in a few months to spend more money.