Any chance of a pic of the set up?
Thanks for the reply. Should I try lowering the temps even more to see if she will bask under those conditions?The set up looks fine with good UV coverage. I would say she's just seasonally adjusting herself to temperatures she prefers. If everything is fine with her eating and pooping and stuff I really wouldn't worry. They do go through phases where they sometimes seem to prefer cooler spots and slow down. She's probably just hit sexual maturity too so might be preparing herself for the breeding season.
No if your temps are within the normal boundaries then I would just leave them as they are. The only reason they bask under a heating element (i.e. bulb) is to take in IR heat. They don't actually need a basking bulb that emits light as long as it is emitting the correct IR spectrum. They can get all the UV they need from the UV tubes This is why DHP's (deep heat projector) are becoming a lot more popular because they are specifically designed to produce a lot of the IR-B spectrum which pentrates into the flesh of the reptile much deeper than IR-A which tends to just warm up the surface skin and doesn't penetrate much further than that.Thanks for the reply. Should I try lowering the temps even more to see if she will bask under those conditions?
Thank you for the reply. I do have a question on the topic of lighting. When I first got Ziggy in June, I was still new to reptiles and just used the normal Zoo Med basking bulbs. With her habitat being 8 feet I obviously have a harder time heating it, which means more heat bulbs than normal. That said. My zoo meds lights are blowing out and they are obviously not the best option long term. I was looking at getting this as a replacement, as I can get a lower wattage and it will give off the same or more heat of a slightly higher zoo med bulb. I also saw that Arcadia DHP and was curious on it, then I saw your post. So that worked out well lol.No if your temps are within the normal boundaries then I would just leave them as they are. The only reason they bask under a heating element (i.e. bulb) is to take in IR heat. They don't actually need a basking bulb that emits light as long as it is emitting the correct IR spectrum. They can get all the UV they need from the UV tubes This is why DHP's (deep heat projector) are becoming a lot more popular because they are specifically designed to produce a lot of the IR-B spectrum which pentrates into the flesh of the reptile much deeper than IR-A which tends to just warm up the surface skin and doesn't penetrate much further than that.
People often fall into the trap of thinking basking bulbs need to produce light when in fact they dont.
Hope that helps
Like Badwolfe said above the DHP produces IRB and from my observations my dragon spends more time basking under the DHP than than a halogen or incandescent bulb no matter how bright and yes your t5 will produce plenty of UVA I think Arcadia’s are 30% UVA?very nice enclosure
@Badwolfe I was just wondering what she acts like? When you say she doesn’t spend all day under the basking bulb, does she move around most of the day or what is her behavior like?You can't really go wrong with the DHP's. I love them because they are none light emitting, and they produce much higher levels of IR-B than the incandescent equivalents. This means that the spectrums they produce penetrate much deeper into your reptile and therefore are more effective at warming them up quickly and deeply. This is one of the reasons that they can be used at lower wattages because the are so efficient. I like to keep my light levels as stable as possible and find them much more natural than using MVB's or halogens because they aren't subjecting my dragon to varying light levels constantly.
My girl is absolutely thriving under hers. Her appetite is very enthusiastic, she poops regular as clockwork and all food is fully digested. She was 8 inches when I got her at the start of January and she's now approaching 12. She is alert and active and shows all the normal behaviour that is typical of dragons and doesn't need to spend all day just sitting under a basking bulb.
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