uv lights again

[lpdjstitch]

i forgot to ask is uv light and uvb light the same does it all come from the uvb light or i need 2 diffrent lights i should of put it that way the first time lol

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

uvb is what the sun gives off. uva is the actualy light/brightness that comes from light in general.

There are lights called mercury vapor bulbs that have both uvb/uva in them. They cost a little bit more, but last twice as long.

 

[lpdjstitch]

yeah i heard of one of those but i dont like them cost to much im not cheap i just dont want to buy one i got my heat bulb and my reptisun 8.0 he loves it i just didnt know if i need to put a regular uv light fixture in there too

 

[OurSam]

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I am truly confused as we keep getting mixed information and need help as our baby "Sam" is not active and seems to sleep a lot.... Yes, we do have a coiled UV bulb and I see that this sight say's this is "Bad".... Why? I am going to a specialty pet shop and they are advising it is fine. I will not go to any chain pet stores as they all tell you something different and most is not accurate. I already have had one beardie die and the shop owner gave us a new one. Help.....

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

lpdjstitch - you need a heat source as well. Do you have a light in your tank other than the uvb? The heat helps them digest properly and function properly all together.

OurSam - coil bulbs have a tendency to cause SEIZURES in bearded dragons and cause eye problems as well. You may not see side effects now, but they may come. You can hear stories of people beardies not having seizures, but it's not a rish i would want to take when it can be easily avoided by having a fluorescent tube or mvb.

 

[OurSam]

Okay, that will be changed as we don't want any problems..... We have a 20 long, can you sugguest the lighting I should have the UV and heat as I need to get this right.

Thank You,

 

[NegativeCreep]

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I am truly confused as we keep getting mixed information and need help as our baby "Sam" is not active and seems to sleep a lot.... Yes, we do have a coiled UV bulb and I see that this sight say's this is "Bad".... Why? I am going to a specialty pet shop and they are advising it is fine. I will not go to any chain pet stores as they all tell you something different and most is not accurate. I already have had one beardie die and the shop owner gave us a new one. Help.....

Regarding the coil bulb. The UV levels that these bulbs are producing are not safe. Some of them have been known to cause permanent eye damage. Please take the time to read the info on this site: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
It has a lot of information about studies done on these light bulbs, several different brands.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

OurSam - if you're using a 20 long right now, I would suggest the Reptisun 10.0. It is the best fluorescent tube you can get. The MVB gives off a little to much to use for a 20 gallon tank. They're about $40 or so at the pet store, but if you shop on PetMountain.com they usually have deals along with cheaper prices than at the pet store.
As for heat, I'd just play around with some household bulbs until you get the correct temperature. If you get a floodlight, you can get a lower wattage with more heat.. energy efficient if you will. Since you have smaller tank I would start with a 75w maybe. Do you use anything to check your temperatures? That's really important. In order for a dragon to properly digest their food, the basking temperatures need to be between 105-110 for younger dragons and the cool side of the tank in the mid- to high 70's. The thermometer I would suggest would either be a digital thermometer with a wire probe (you can get one at wal-mart for $12 and it will measure both the cool and hot side at the same time) or a temperature gun. In order to get a proper reading on a digital thermometer, you need to set it directly on the basking surface (log, hammock, rock.. whatever it may be) and leave it there for 45 minutes.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.