Hi Cooper! Thanks for the reply.CooperDragon":1so90yr4 said:My tank is similar to yours (36x18x18). I remember how huge it seemed at first, but it starts to feel small when an adult dragon lives there. A T5 is a type of tube light used (in this case) for UVB. I do recommend using that size for this tank. A 24'' or 34'' version will work for it. This is what I use and it's excellent. http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/
For basking, you can use a halogen flood light or a reptile specific basking light such as the ZooMed Repti Basking Spot lamp. The wattage will vary depending on your setup so it may take some trial and error to figure out exactly what works best for you in terms of wattage. I use a 90w PAR38 halogen but those are getting harder to find now. Maybe start with the 150w ZooMed Repti Basking spot and see how that goes to begin with. Measure the surface temps in the basking area and the cool side of the tank. it helps to have at least one digital thermometer with a probe you can set in place. I like having two. Shoot for a basking surface of around 100-105 or so with a gradient down to about 75-80 (ish) on the cool side of the tank. The UVB light should sit next to the basking light over the main basking area.
I got him into his 40gal today, and I ordered the Reptisun T5 30" hood I believe (I don't have the receipt in front of me)--it isn't in today but will be tomorrow. Ill be going to get the bulb later in-store.CooperDragon":oycaoltj said:The one that came with your kit won't be sufficient in the larger enclosure. The 13w versions are too weak for beardies in general. The 26w versions are OK for small setups but aren't powerful enough for adult sized enclosures. I advise investing in the one I linked to or a similar ReptiSun T5 tube. You can try using the current basking bulb but it may not be powerful enough. it really depends on measured temps. You could try swapping the current UVB light out and using the second socket for a second lower wattage basking bulb and see how that goes. Like I said it may take some tweaking to see what works best for you. Just try to shoot for close to the temp ranges I outlined earlier.
That setup looks pretty nice. The platform is a bit high for my preference since it looks like it gets a bit too close to the light. I would design the main basking platform to be around 12'' below the lights (right around the black strip below the doors on the tank featured in the video. Some branches can be provided for additional climbing height but I prefer to have the main basking platform a bit further from the lights.
CooperDragon":r869w7kw said:OK great. I can help you find a good fit for bulb once you have the T5 fixture. Is it the ZooMed hood? The sylvania might do the trick. I haven't tried that one in particular but it's similar to what I use. I prefer flood lights because they tend to have a wider beam and can provide a wider basking area. You can do similar using multiple lower wattage bulbs though, that's up to you.
You want to create gradients of both heat and UVB. Have the highest temps and UVB exposure over the main basking area. Create other areas that are cooler and have little to no UVB too. Sometimes they like to get some heat but no UVB too so they'll hang out at the edge of the gradient. They're good about getting what they need so just provide plenty of variety for them to choose from. Then you can tweak as you go along to accommodate individual preferences.
Ok! I'm considering a 100w flood light for basking area/hot area (might get a spot light as extra in case I want to try something different) and a floodlight lower than 75w for the cool side.CooperDragon":f31nr3de said:Yeah a low wattage flood might be a good idea given those numbers. That seems pretty cool. You don't want to bump it too much but 70-80 during the day on the cool side is good. Low 60s overnight is fine.
Awesome! I think for now I'll go with the Reptisun, but I may try the Arcadia in the future; Ive heard a lot of great things about them.CooperDragon":1pp9wgiy said:Either of these should fit that fixture:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/
https://www.reptilebasics.com/arcadia-desert-12-uvb/arcadia-d3-12-uvb-t5-bulb-22/
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