newbie needs help/info

[camaro87]

I was also thing with the tiles that have a rough texture to it it may be harder to clean the poop cuz it might just get "smeared" into the roughness of the tile if you know what I mean.

Sorry for all the questions I've asked, like I said I'm new to this and want to do it right and get the tank setup right.

 

[Nasubi77]

I was also thing with the tiles that have a rough texture to it it may be harder to clean the poop cuz it might just get "smeared" into the roughness of the tile if you know what I mean.

Sorry for all the questions I've asked, like I said I'm new to this and want to do it right and get the tank setup right.

Nah, that's not really a problem. Especially if you can clean up right away. I work during the day, so by the time I get home, the poop is baked in, but nothing a very damp paper towel or baby wipe won't take care of.

Ask all the questions you need to! That's what this board is here for!

 

[camaro87]

ok one more question lol i'm getting the lightin gat the moment gonna get a reptisun 10.0 but was wondering how big?? my tank is 4ft long by 18" wide by 20" high. would an 18" buld be to small? or go with a 24"? also for the heat lamp what size would be best for that? and how far apart from each other do they have to be? and also how high up to? i see some people put them ontop of the lids bu tothere place them inside closer to the bottom?

 

[DoubleJ]

I have a 4 ft viv and use a 24inch reptisun 10. The basking light should overlap the uvb as the white light protects the beardies eyes from the uvb exposure. uvb 6-8inches away from beardie, basking light about 11 or 12 inches away. The size of the heat lamp I am not sure of. I have 150watt daylight basking spot bulb mounted inside the tank (as is my uvb) and I use a thermostat to control the temps as it can get a bit hot.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[Nasubi77]

ok one more question lol i'm getting the lightin gat the moment gonna get a reptisun 10.0 but was wondering how big?? my tank is 4ft long by 18" wide by 20" high. would an 18" buld be to small? or go with a 24"? also for the heat lamp what size would be best for that? and how far apart from each other do they have to be? and also how high up to? i see some people put them ontop of the lids bu tothere place them inside closer to the bottom?

Get it as big as you can. A full 4 ft would be ideal, but at least a 3 ft. The size of the heat lamp just depends on several factors: how big your tank is, how far the lamp is from the basking spot, what your house's ambient temps are, if there are any drafts, etc. Your tank is pretty big, so I would say at least a 100w, maybe a 150w is needed. You can use just a regular household bulb, so you can get several wattages and experiment to see what works for you.

Also, for a long tank like that, you may need a second bulb to keep things warm enough. I have a 55g, which is 4ft long. I have a 100w basking bulb plus I need a 40w bulb on the "cool" side to keep it warm enough during the winter.

You want the UVB to be as close to the basking bulb as possible so he soaks up UVB as he basks. And he needs to get within 6-8" of the UVB for maximum benefits. You may need to mount the UVB down inside the tank instead of sitting on top to accomplish this distance.

 

[camaro87]

Ok so there Reptisun 10.0 are they T-8 bulbs? Cuz I can find out nothing about them on the net and went to home depot and couldn't find any under cabinet light fixtures for a T-8 bulb. Also the for the heat lamp it's just a normal heat lamp or do I need the actual reptile basking light? I have a 4ft long light fixture from my old aquarium but don't know if I can somehow mount it on the inside. I'll have to experiment lol

 

[Nasubi77]

Ok so there Reptisun 10.0 are they T-8 bulbs? Cuz I can find out nothing about them on the net and went to home depot and couldn't find any under cabinet light fixtures for a T-8 bulb. Also the for the heat lamp it's just a normal heat lamp or do I need the actual reptile basking light? I have a 4ft long light fixture from my old aquarium but don't know if I can somehow mount it on the inside. I'll have to experiment lol

Yes, they are T-8. They are phasing out manufacturing of T-12 bulbs...even for regular fluorescent lighting, so I'm surprised if you found a T-12 and not a T-8. Anyway, I know Wal Mart has the under counter T-8 fixture in 3 ft. Not sure about 4 ft.

If you can make your old aquarium hood work, that's great. It is heavier than the Wal Mart fixture, so not quite as easy to mount safely inside. Maybe you can get some hooks shaped kinda like wreath hangers (except smaller) to hang it from all 4 corners on the side of the tank. Or browse around the Enclosures section to see how other people have done it. Or you could use the aquarium hood on top of the aquarium as it was designed, and just make a basking spot high enough to get within 8". You would probably have to mount your basking light a little higher, but it seems that would be easier than mounting a hood down inside the tank. That is how I did it when I used aquarium hoods.

Your basking bulb can be a regular household bulb or a halogen flood light. It does not have to be the ones marketed specifically for reptiles. As long as it is a white light (as opposed to red or blue) and produces heat, it will be fine.

 

[camaro87]

Ah alright thanks. might have to check walmart see what they have for light fixtures.

 

[camaro87]

ok my old 4 ft aqaurium light uses t-5 bulbs so that wont work. i also went to walmart,home depot,rona,canadian tire and could not find an under cabinet light fixture bigger then 18" or one that uses t-8 bulbs......

 

[camaro87]

Ok scratch that last post I recently finally found a light fixture that didn't cost a fortune lol. Tank is coming along nicely, got the tiles all layed in got the lighting setup just gotta "decorate" the inside of the tank such as a cave and basking area etc... One thing I need to know is it safe to use decor from fish tanks? I read the paint used has to be a certain type of it could be poisoness to the beardie... Also found some "colord" bamboo stalks and fake plastic plants at the local dollar store and wondoring if it's safe to use stuff like that? The bamboo is real just it come different colors and I was thinking that the paint could be harmfull to the beardie?

 

[Nasubi77]

Ok scratch that last post I recently finally found a light fixture that didn't cost a fortune lol. Tank is coming along nicely, got the tiles all layed in got the lighting setup just gotta "decorate" the inside of the tank such as a cave and basking area etc... One thing I need to know is it safe to use decor from fish tanks? I read the paint used has to be a certain type of it could be poisoness to the beardie... Also found some "colord" bamboo stalks and fake plastic plants at the local dollar store and wondoring if it's safe to use stuff like that? The bamboo is real just it come different colors and I was thinking that the paint could be harmfull to the beardie?

I think it should all be alright. Wash everything in hot soapy water and rinse well first. The biggest danger would be if he tries to eat the fake plants, so watch for that.

 

[camaro87]

alright so my tank is all done and ready except for one thing...... the reptisun light and fixture . i found a light fixture at the hardware store it's a 36" T-8 (25 watt) and the reptisun light i ordered and got today is a 36" T-8 but it's a 30 watt...... the manual on the light fixture says not to use any other light with higher wattage then 25 watt. and that's all the hardware stores have. what to do, what to do lol i've searched all the stores around here and cannot find any single 36" light fixture other then what i have.

 

[Nasubi77]

alright so my tank is all done and ready except for one thing...... the reptisun light and fixture . i found a light fixture at the hardware store it's a 36" T-8 (25 watt) and the reptisun light i ordered and got today is a 36" T-8 but it's a 30 watt...... the manual on the light fixture says not to use any other light with higher wattage then 25 watt. and that's all the hardware stores have. what to do, what to do lol i've searched all the stores around here and cannot find any single 36" light fixture other then what i have.

Hmm...I don't have an answer for you. If I were you, I would start a new topic addressing this issue to get some attention. I wouldn't think that going 5W over would matter much on fluorescent fixtures, but I also wouldn't want you to burn down your house by taking that advice, lol. I never thought to check the wattage limits on my fluorescent fixtures..maybe I oughtta.

 

[camaro87]

Lol yeh burning the house down is the last thing I wanna do! I got one more idea and place to check out if I can't find nothing there I may have to custom order something off line. Or go with a smaller bulb.