Setting up 55 Gallon

[Screamin99]

Thanks for the reply..

Im hearing stories about placement and horror stories of beardies getting eye problems and things of that nature from the MVB bulbs. An no one has fully answered my question about the lights.

Will the MVB be the only light I need for the tank?

And what OTHER lights will I need if I decide to go with a different tank?

I was measuring my tank last night and it is 13 inches wide, 4 feet long and roughly 2 feet tall. is this a 55 gallon? because the lids for 55s at the store dont look at all like they would fit.

What wattage bulbs will I need if I go with the MVB? what if I go with non MVB style?

 

[Heisei]

Great thanks a bunch!

So does the MVB keep the cool side warm enough as well?

Well, as of now the 120W floodlight warms the cool side to about 75 degrees and the fluorescent tubes bring it up to 79. IDK how the heat output of a 100W MVB compares to the heat output of a 120W floodlight. It may be enough heat on its own, might not. I will have to wait till the MVB gets here to figure that out. You will have to experiment, I think, with your setup to get the heat to the proper levels. Every viv is different, it seems, when it comes to the temp gradient.

EDIT: I think only the PowerSun MVB has been known to cause eye problems. So just avoid that. I am going with a 100W MVB I think. Should be plenty of light and heat.

Aaron

 

[Rachella]

Thanks for the reply..

Im hearing stories about placement and horror stories of beardies getting eye problems and things of that nature from the MVB bulbs. An no one has fully answered my question about the lights.

Will the MVB be the only light I need for the tank?

And what OTHER lights will I need if I decide to go with a different tank?

I was measuring my tank last night and it is 13 inches wide, 4 feet long and roughly 2 feet tall. is this a 55 gallon? because the lids for 55s at the store dont look at all like they would fit.

What wattage bulbs will I need if I go with the MVB? what if I go with non MVB style?

I haven't heard of those stories with MVB bulbs, so I'm hesitant to answer that concern.

I did however mention in another post that the MVB will be the only light you need if you use it ::

the MVB bulb should be the only light you need for a beardie's tank while using it. No other light is required

See? The MVB puts off both UVB and heat, so it will be the only light you need to use with the tank. no other light is required.

The tank you have does sound like a 55 gallon and should be okay for size-wise for an adult beardie.

Again the MVB is the only light you'd need if you got it and I'd go with the 100w as that is what was suggested for me to use in my breeder tank (55 gallon also though more shallow and wider). If the 100w MVB bulb gets too hot you can always lift it up.

If you WITHOUT the MVB you will need the UVB tube (again, Reptisun 10.0 is most recommended), and you'd need a separate heat light since the regular UVB bulbs don't put off heat (at least enough to heat a tank). I use 75w bright white light bulbs, by using the bright white ones it helps to offset the UVB bulb and reduce problems beardies may have with their eyes (from what I've come to understand and it's worked well for me with no problems so far).

Hope this helps!

 

[Screamin99]

alright thanks. Do you know of anyplace to get a lid for this type of tank? and do I just sit the lamp ontop of the screen?

 

[BadCon]

Its recommended to use a daylight colored (5000K) fluorescent when using an MVB....or any other UV bulb for that matter. A single light (MVB or otherwise) in a 4' long tank won't be bright enough, and beardies are sun, i.e light loving reptiles. Also, by locating a bright flourescent next to the MVB, they will be less likely to look straight into it further reducing the chances of eye problems.

I recommend the use of a 4' long flourescent tube fixture with a single T12 sized bulb, with a color temperature around 5000k (roughly the color of sunlight around noon). This light will span the length of your 55 gallon, and the MVB can be located on either end for a basking spot. Alternatively, you could use a couple dome fixtures with household fluorescent coil bulbs, around 5000K (NOT UV coils).


Here is an example setup....it doesn't need to be this complicated when it comes to lighting. The long tube and a single MVB will serve you well.

Larger direct link, easier to read.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd278/pzev/CageSetup-1.jpg (1mb file)

Just in case its not clear, the only UV bulb in that enclosure is the Mega Ray. All others are typical household bulbs.

 

[Screamin99]

So I need the T12 style light strip and a MVB (what brand of MVB???).. the T12 will reach the entire span of the tank keeping proper light on the dragon at the same time as keeping him warm on the cool side too? and the MVB just needs to go over the basking spot?

Where can I get the 4' T12 style light and what exact bulb should I buy?

 

[BadCon]

I replied to your PM.

I personally use a Phillips daylight fluorescent bulb (40 watt T12 x 48"), rated at 5000 Kelvin (thats the hugh of the light, or color temperature). I purchased this bulb at Home Depot. The rest of the info is in the PM.


Cheers

 

[rockstar1992]

im no expert but i would hazard a geuss at it being 75gallon but i havent acctualy checked. heres a link so you can check http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/conversions/ i would personaly go with a repti glo 10.0 and a 100w spotlight bulb. saves all of the hassle and is safer than a MVB. iv also heard about what they can do. i watched an vet thing a while ago about a iguana who had got to close and burnt itself pretty bad... had to have its tail removed. and to answer another question. i used to have a 75gallon tank on a a small table and a small tank one at either end and the middle was unsupported for about a foot and a half and that was perfectly fine!
didnt do no harm at all

 

[BadCon]

im no expert but i would hazard a geuss at it being 75gallon but i havent acctualy checked. heres a link so you can check http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/conversions/ i would personaly go with a repti glo 10.0 and a 100w spotlight bulb. saves all of the hassle and is safer than a MVB. iv also heard about what they can do. i watched an vet thing a while ago about a iguana who had got to close and burnt itself pretty bad... had to have its tail removed. and to answer another question. i used to have a 75gallon tank on a a small table and a small tank one at either end and the middle was unsupported for about a foot and a half and that was perfectly fine!
didnt do no harm at all

I completely disagree. Other than natural sunlight, there really isn't anything better for sun loving reptiles than a Mega-Ray (external or self ballasted). While poor quality MVB's can cause issues, so can poorly made fluorescent's, i.e. all compact coil UV bulbs. As with anything, research is needed to make the right choice with regards to lighting....or anything for that matter.
And burns can happen with any hot object next to an animal, whether it be a light bulb, heat emitter, or just a light fixture. These situations are almost always user error.
LOL, the only time a bulb has ever been within 12" of one of my dragons was when I accidentily dropped one on my females head while changing it. She was pissed, and I felt horrible, but no damage was done .

*edit*
I fail at forum's, sorry for the triple post

 

[rockstar1992]

im willing to give anything a go so when i get some money i will retry the mega-ray but im just saying iv never had not even one problem with my beardies and theyv all been kept on tube lighting

 

[BadCon]

The UV tube lights are ok, especially the Repti-Sun 10.0. Its the UV coil lights that are the issue.

Dragons are durable, sometimes the fact they are ok is more a testement to the animals toughness then to a proper setup. However, I am sure your setup is fine. When your repti-glo needs replacing, give the repti-sun 10.0 a try, it is highly recommended on this board for tube lights. Other than that, you can never go wrong with a Mega-Ray....


Cheers!

 

[rockstar1992]

will do... thanks

pretty nasty story about the light dropping on your beardies head iv had a few incedents but nothing that bad lol

im looking into a mega-ray right now so next time im due a change im gonna get one put in

 

[bdc873]

OK the argument now is that the mercury bulb will not make a tank bright enough. Can you have a reptisun 10 bulb and a MVB in a 55 gallon tank?

 

[BadCon]

No, that would be too much UV.
You can have a regular fluorescent tube (non-UV), and an MVB...that would be fine. You can get regular fluorescent tubes at Home Depot or Lowes, just make sure they are "daylight" types, roughly 5000 Kelvin.

 

[Screamin99]

Whats the reason for the strip light again? I just got my MVB in and have it running to cycle. It ran for about 10 hours yesterday and will run for near 14 today. I still have to get some things for the tank to make the setup complete.

I have the MVB roughly 13" from the basking spot. I will touch the spot with the palm of my hand from time to time. It feels warm. I guess I should really hurry up and buy the thermo and few things I need to ensure I have this setup properly.

Would putting say 500 crickets in a 10gallon with a screen lid be ok? Where and how should I store them? I know what to feed them. Would keeping them outside be bad? I dont want to put up with all the chirping.