Set Up: Questions

[Hemberger]

I have everything (I think I need) for the terrarium, except for the beardie and the T5 hood. Here are some pics of what I have, if I need to make any changes let me know!
Here is what I have:
40 gal breeder: planning on possibly building a bigger one in the future.
slate tile: the one on the back wall has some sections raised if you can tell
Reptisun 10.0 T5 22 in
Zoo Med Retpi Basking Spot Lamp 100Wt: Have not turned on to check temps yet, will once I have the hood for the T5. (Which is the Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Terrarium Hood, 24")
Zoo Med Deluxe Porcelain clamp lamp for basking bulb
Basking spot is two bricks as legs and slate tile to lay on. Also able to get underneath (for a little while at least)
Big climbing log
Wood Hide
Castle: just had to have
I have an acurite temp/humidity gauge: Using now just to see what the night temps will do, our house's temp and humidity changes often. We use these in our house, will it be fairly accurate in the terrarium?
Two plants
Back and one side has a background on it.
Screen top with a hinge in the middle: I have a screen top that the tank came with, can't decide which one I like best
Temp gun
Timer for the lights

Sorry for all the glare!

My questions:
As for placement of the lighting. I am sure I will have to play around with it to get the correct temps, but where they are now, is that okay? Or do I need to put the UVB on the screen closest to me so he will get more of the UVB when basking?

Distance from the lights. Right now the basking spot is 13 inches away from both of the lights. Where the big tree is the highest point is 10 inches away from both lights. And the castle which is off to the side; the highest point is 5 inches away, but it is not directly under the UVB. Thoughts?
Also, If i can't get the basking spot to be the correct temp, a)get a bigger wattage bulb or b) raise the basking spot up and raise the uvb up. Is that correct thinking?

 

[CooperDragon]

That's looks good, you're on the right track. Just do some testing and get the temperature gradient set. The T5 can be where it is if you want but if you put it next to the basking light and just move it to get in that might be better so you can get the basking area directly under the UVB light. Through the screen you'll want the bulb to be about 6-12'' from the main basking area or at least an easily accessible area so he can get some intense UVB near warm temps if he wants. It's more about providing variety than getting it to an exact spec. I just tested the ReptiSun T5 in the same hood you're getting so I'll provide my results. You want the basking area to be between 3-6 UVI with a gradient down to less than 1 in other parts of the tank. Go by the numbers I measured through a screen top for the most accurate estimates.

 

[Hemberger]

Okay thank you!! I am going to move them around so they are right next to each other. Thank you for providing your results! Now just need the hood to get here and start working on temps.

 

[Hemberger]

Also, is the basking bulb okay? I read on someone's thread that some of them have a Neodymium coating on them?? I bought some halogen flood lights but not 100% sure they are want I needed. I can't find that it says clear light. They are Par38 Halogen.

 

[CooperDragon]

Those are exactly what I use. They work very well. Nice and bright and produce a good amount of heat. The added bonus is that they work pretty well on a dimmer. They're powerful so you may want them on an adjustable stand or dimmer so you can fine tune the temps a bit as needed.

 

[Hemberger]

Oh that makes me feel better!! Plus I was planning on using a stand. I also am using the 5 1/2 in lamp clamp for what I have now. So I need to get the bigger one right? I put the flood light in and it was sticking out from the bottom pretty bad.

 

[CooperDragon]

If it's sticking out that's not necessarily bad, especially if you have it suspended from a stand (I do that too). The beam has a pretty nice radius as it is so if the fixture is working and providing enough heat I wouldn't worry about it. If you can pick up a larger dome that's rated to the appropriate wattage without breaking the bank that's fine too. I've had good luck using brooder lamps from the local farm supply store. They carry 300w rated fixtures for under $10.

 

[Hemberger]

Thank you! I will see what happens with the fixture I have and work on temps. Good to know I can get one at a farm store as well!! Thank you for all the advice and help!! Much appreciated!

 

[Hemberger]

I felt like I needed to move the basking site up to get a better distance after looking at your chart some more. Does this look okay?
From the rock it is 7 in to the top of the screen. Rock and tile are centered under the basking bulb (which waiting on a lamp stand to arrive) and uvb bulb.

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah that looks good. Lots of variation and choices available. You may find that you need to re-arrange things if your dragon has trouble moving around easily but that can be tweaked as needed down the road.

 

[Hemberger]

Okay good deal!! Thank you! And yes, plan on getting or making a bigger enclosure down the road too. Also, he will be pretty little so I hope he can maneuver this.

Thank you!