PodunkKhaleesi":a365l3j8 said:The most critical thing that will make or break this animal’s health is a quality UV light. You cannot afford to put this off—I recommend you immediately order a Reptisun T5 10.0 HO or an Arcadia D3 12% tube and fixture with a reflector (you can use a fixture sold by these companies or a Sunblaster, which you can order on Amazon). You also need a basking bulb, which will be the central source of heat. If you get a basking bulb from a pet shop try to avoid ones with a neodymium coating. Many members (myself included) use halogen flood lights as basking lights. A 45 watt or 75 watt is usually sufficient (it depends on how well your cage retains heat, the height of the cage, etc.). It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you measure the basking surface temperatures with a temp gun after installing a new heat bulb before allowing the lizard back into the cage. Example: when I was first attempting to figure out what wattage flood bulb would work best in my enclosures, I first tried a 75 watt flood light and after taking basking surface temperatures with my temp gun I was shocked to realize the surface temp was 150 degrees (lethal!). I went down to a 45 watt halogen flood light and the temperature was perfect for my adult beardie (between 95-105 degrees). So again, always measure temperatures with a temp gun and make sure it’s safe before putting your baby back in the cage.Those plastic stick on thermometers on the wall of a cage give absolutely no indication of what the basking surface temperature is, so it’s vital to always take temperatures with a reliable temp gun (I like the Zoomed digital temp gun available at Amazon and Petco for around $20). Right now whatever light (I think you said a desk lamp) you have over the tank could be under heating or severely overheating it, and unless you’ve got a temp gun there’s no way of knowing, so there’s an urgency here. Beardies don’t require undertank heaters—just a good heat bulb from above. Hopefully your cage is on the large size (you can get away with a smaller cage when they’re babies, but the smaller the cage, the harder it is to get a good temperature gradient). You want his basking surface temperature to be between 100-110 (no hotter) if he’s a baby. They need this specific temperature to digest/metabolize food, so it’s crucial to get this right. And they need strong UV light for growth and wellbeing, so this is another issue that must be addressed immediately. Please refer to the lighting guide article on this site for more detailed information on why these two elements are so important and which brands/models are proven safe and effective. Many of the UV lights sold in pet stores are cheap and ineffective, emitting virtually no UV, so avoid the temptation to cut corners here. Mounted at the recommended distance, the two UV tubes mentioned can last up to a year and have the high UV output these desert animals require to be healthy. How large is your tank? It is extremely difficult to achieve a proper heat gradient with tiny tanks (remember you also need a cool side). If you have pictures of your setup, that would be great. But so far you need to:
1. Get a temp gun. Ensure basking temps are safe and between 100-110.
2. Get a proper basking bulb.
3. Get a proper UV light.
4. Potentially get a larger tank.
Amazon and Drsfosterandsmith.com usually have good deals on Reptisun T5 10.0 tubes and fixtures, as well as temp guns.
Having a proper basking temperatures and effective UV lights aren’t things you can put off, so please address ASAP. If you have questions on diet, substrate, etc., feel free to ask. No one’s going to yell at you for trying to find out how best to care for your beardie. Just make sure you take the advice you receive to heart. And check out the care sheets and what to buy articles on this website. They elaborate on some of the elements we just touched on in greater detail.
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