New Beardy owner uv light question for 40 gallon gank

[Red]

Hello,
We got a new baby bearded dragon Friday and we bought a complete tank set up from petco which is an all living things brand. It has a solid hard plastic top with a wide mesh insert for 3 large dome lights to fit. It included a 100w basking light and a 25w uvb high out put bulb. I have both placed on the basking side and the temp in the tank is 75-80 on cool side and 90 on heat side and his basking spot is 105-110. I have read that UV should be inside the tank but would a 25w h/o bulb with large holes not be enough?
He wasn't eating when we got him and yesterday he finally ate and chased crickets and seems happy. Today I tried to feed him and he wasn't interested and is basking and sleeping. Long story short (sorry) I want the best for our lil guy so if I have a 40 gallon how big of a reptisun 10.0 do I need inside and I read t5 is best but needs a foot above which in my case won't work, thank you in advance

 

[charmander16]

If the T5 10.0 would be going through a screen top, then it would be fine. You can also go for a T5 5.0, which may be better for that size tank.

The UVB bulb it came with is not worth keeping sadly, so you should plan on getting a T5 ASAP IMO.

IMO, you should get a 24" bulb. That will also be able to work in a larger tank which you will eventually need to get. You can get a 24" fixture and use a 5.0 bulb in it now and switch to 10.0 when you get a larger tank.

As for food, I recommend moving to black soldier fly larva and dubia roaches ASAP.

Also check this out: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=231135

I found that crickets were difficult for little guys to eat and they'll eat a lot better on easier to catch prey like those I mentioned.

 

[Red]

Ok so if I get a 5.0 in the tank 24" reptisun. I assume also how high from basking spot would it go, and do you recommend somewhere to get black fly larva or small Dubia roaches as where I am I can't find those. Thanks for all your helpful info

 

[Red]

Also the 5.0 has a few different wattages which is best, I'm lost on this lol I don't want to hurt my beardy

https://m.petco.com/shop/SearchDisplay?categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&pageSize=24&fromPageValue=search&searchTerm=reptisun+5.0&cm_sp=SearchSuggest-_-reptisun+5.0-_-Location&searchsuggestion_keyword=reptisun+5.0

 

[CooperDragon]

You want the T5 tube. The wattages vary depending on length of the bulb. You should use the 22'' bulb which is 24 watts. If you want to go with the 5.0 you can pick up a ReptiSun hood which comes with one. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...ds/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-terrarium-hood-24-l You can upgrade to the 10.0 bulb later if you'd like and it will fit in that fixture.

 

[ZiaDragon]

I think we have the exact same tank/kit. I bought mine from petsmart about 2 months ago. I ditched the UV that came with that kit, and went for a 24in reptisun tube. I bought a cheap 'under cabinet light fixture' from walmart for 10 bucks and mounted it inside the tank with command strips. I have it along the back, at the very top, inside the tank. My baby beardie is very active and zero health issues. Eats crickets, greens and BSFL like a monster!

Fixture I have

Tank I have

 

[Red]

Ok I got the light future but persmart wanted 42.00 and 39.99 for the bulb, in a 40 gallon is a 10.0 too high both say 6" from pet and I can order it for 19.99 on Amazon the 24" so last question 5.0 or 10.0 in tank 40 gallon and on top or top back side mounted.. I know everyone said 5.0 is good but just making sure so it's all.set for awhile.
Thanks

 

[CooperDragon]

In a 40g breeder I use a T5 10.0 sitting on top of the mesh 8-10'' above the main basking platform using that ZooMed Terrarium Hood.

 

[charmander16]

If it's on top of the mesh then 10.0, if it's inside the tank then 5.0.

 

[Red]

Thanks ordered the 5.0 hi teptisun t8 24", do I attach on top inside or back wall for max result

 

[CooperDragon]

The T8 5.0 bulb won't be powerful enough at any distance. For a 40g tank you want to use T5 lighting which is more powerful. The T5 5.0 bulb should be mounted inside the tank about 6-8'' above the basking area while a T5 10.0 can sit on top at about 10-12'' up.

 

[Red]

The T8 5.0 bulb won't be powerful enough at any distance. For a 40g tank you want to use T5 lighting which is more powerful. The T5 5.0 bulb should be mounted inside the tank about 6-8'' above the basking area while a T5 10.0 can sit on top at about 10-12'' up.

Should I cancel and get a different one then, the 10.0 was too powerful and the 5.0 is too weak?? Ugh this has been an pain

 

[CooperDragon]

The key is T5 vs T8. They are two separate technologies. T5 bulbs are newer and more powerful than T8 bulbs.