Reptisun T5 Hood

[Xylene]

My daughter and I are new to the world of Bearded Dragons. Currently our 9 month old bearded dragon is in a 30g tank that is 30l x 12w x 18h. We are still trying to figure out the UVB lighting for this size of tank. We purchased the Reptisun 24" T5 Hood and have both the Reptisun 10.0 and 5.0 bulbs for it.

The problem I am running into is that the size of the tank top is too small to house both the basking light and the 24" hood. When she gets older we plan on getting a bigger tank but for now this is what we have to work with.

Is it OK to put the Reptisun T5 hood inside the tank? If so what bulb should I use the 10.0 or the 5.0? We can adjust the basking spots to be pretty much any height we want. (as long as I can keep her basking temps within the proper range) With that in mind what is the ideal distance from the UVB light produced by ether the 5.0 or the 10.0 bulbs for her to be if I mount the hood inside the tank?

If I don't mount the hood inside the tank we have to set it diagonally on the top of the tank so the whole light isn't shinning into the tank, will this be a problem?

Thanks

 

[CooperDragon]

18'' height is the same size as my tank. The T5 bulb puts out just about the right amount of UVB at 12-18'' (18'' to the floor and put an elevated basking spot up about 6'' as well). If you aren't using a screen top, that will be fine. You can turn the fixture diagonally across the tank if you'd like as long as the basking site is close to it. The idea is to get the heat and bright white light from the basking bulb and the UVB light to work together in the basking site. I'd set it to run from one corner to the opposite side middle. Then put the basking light in the triangle that is formed by the fixture running diagonally across the tank. Use the 10.0 bulb rather than the 5.0 (these are lower output) and make sure there are at least a few hides in the tank so your dragon can self regulate exposure. Here is a photo of how I have mine set up for reference.