What happens if a bearded dragon is too close to UVB light?

[thatgirlmikkel]

My dragon keeps crawling up to the top of her hammock on the strings & will be like 6 inches from the UVB light. I move her everytime but I want to make sure it’s not causing damage or course or how can I fix this?

 

[CooperDragon]

If the UVB is too intense for them, then they are likely to move away or avoid it if they have space to do so. If they consistently move closer to the UVB light, then they may need to have more exposure to it. They are very good at self regulating if we give them options.

If you'd like to provide details about your lighting setup, I'll be happy to review it with you. Generally speaking, I usually recommend providing about 3-6 UVI over the main basking area. This is similar to mid morning or late afternoon on a sunny day. They are able to tolerate higher levels than this, but they are often seen basking at times which correspond to (roughly) these levels. That's where the bulb type and recommended distance advice comes from.

Moved by moderator from Website Comments to Enclosures.

 

[thatgirlmikkel]

Right now she has temp lights bc my order was delayed for the tube lights. She’s going to be getting 10.0 uvb tube lighting. But Idk if it’s suppose to go inside the enclosure or on top?

Right now she has 2 of the 10.0 uvb reptisun bulbs. I know they are bad. But it’s all I could get by the time I found out my order was delayed for her proper lightening. I just want to make sure she wills be good.

 

[CooperDragon]

The distance really depends on the type of bulb you're getting. Did you order a T5 with a fixture that has a reflector? In that case they're pretty strong so you could either mount them 12-14'' above the basking area inside the enclosure, or you could mount it on top but bring the basking area a bit closer (elevate stones, put in taller branches etc) so that it's around 10'' or so to compensate for what gets lost to a screen top.

Are your current bulbs the ReptiSun compact fluorescents that screw into a standard socket? If so, do you know which wattage they are? If they are 26w they should be OK for now until your new one arrives. If it's the 13w version, those aren't really strong enough to provide adequate UVB. Probably not a huge deal in the short term, but I would supplement with some time outside for natural sunlight if you can in the case that the shipment of the new light is delayed for more than a week or so.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Bearded dragons are adapted to cope with EXTREME levels of UVA & UVB .

Common place for them to be exposed to UVI > 14 while basking in mornings and hunting during the day in their their more northern portions of their natural range in QLD, NT , SA and WA.