I'm curious as to Cooper's method though. Cooper, can you please explain why the UVB is turned on later and turned off earlier than the regular basking bulb? I'd really appreciate insight from the beardie veterans Thanks so much!
I'm curious as to Cooper's method though. Cooper, can you please explain why the UVB is turned on later and turned off earlier than the regular basking bulb? I'd really appreciate insight from the beardie veterans Thanks so much!
I do that in order to try to mimic natural sunlight. The sunlight intensity (heat and UVB) increases throughout the morning, peaks, then decreases throughout the afternoon and evening. My thermostat is programmed to be able to dim (up) in the morning and dim (down) in the evening over about 45 minutes to simulate the sunrise/set. I can't (yet) do this with a UVB tube so I just have it kick on late morning and turn off late afternoon the way the sun (sort of) does.
Additionally to coopers comment and why I also am going to start doing it, it also mimics the natural color of light cycle throughout the day better. The Kelvin scale is what's used to describe a lights color
Sunrise and sunset have a Kelvin level of 2000-3000. The noon sun comes in around 5000-5400k. Since most basking bulbs provide a warmer colored light (usually in the 3k range) and our tube uvb bulbs provide a blue light (usually in the 5k+ range) it's more natural to start the day with just the warm colored bulb, then to turn on the bulb that provides around 5k, and then to end the day again with a sunset mimicking 3k kelvin. Thats in addition to trying to more mimic that natural cycle of uv exposure.
I think cooper would agree none of that is necessary for our dragons, its more of a why not type of thing.
Got it! That sounds like a nice thing to do for them too. Lately Tampico has been starting to fall asleep a bit early, but keeps opening her eyes here and there because ALL of her lights are on, maybe turning off the bight UVB would be pleasant to her. Haha
Currently on 6:30am , off 9pm.
Winter , everyone except Fluffy is awake and active. Fluffy disappears in her little house for a few days at a time and then comes out looking for a drink and a food top up.