Lighting?

[kitedemon]

Hey all,
I have recently adopted a beardie!! He is a sweetheart I have a new enclosure in the works (the one he is in is a bit small) Temps are good 100 bask day ambient 80 night 86 bask and 77 ambient (he is almost 2). He seems healthy and is eating well (tons actually greens and crickets although I am going to breed Phoenix worms for him soon)

Ok so the question, UV I have a meter (solar meter by solar tech model 6.2 UV meter) I am getting 120 at his closest basking spot and that drops to 100 then to a low on the basking platform of 80 or so. Does this sound correct? I can increase the amount or decrease it but am having a hard time finding a firm number.

[Reesy]

Are you measuring UVA or UVB? Beardies require UVB in order to gain Vitamin D which only comes from UVB. Without Vitamin D their body cannot process the calcium which they require in thir diet for proper bone development. The best that you can do is a UVB bulb that is rated at 10.0 within 12 to 14 inches. We own a female that was not provided with the proper lighting and calcium by her previous owners and then suffered from Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), it's not pretty. Her front legs are twisted so she has to walk on her front elbows. Hope this helps.

[kitedemon]

Thanks for the responce!!

I did buy a UV meter 280-320 nm it seemed to me to be the only way to be sure of how much UVB especially with the issues of the chineese bulbs people are having. I was hoping for a specfic amount of UVB for a beardie.

the concern
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm
the meter
http://www.solarmeter.com/model62.html

[kitedemon]

I have an answer for anyone whom cares. From 150-100 µW/cm² UVB at the basking spot.

photo-kerato-conjunctivitis aka snow blindness is the result of too much for too long. Sun burnt corneas. This is greatly simplified UVB is only part of the equation UVI (index) needs to be calculated to be perfectly precise. I am still learning all this but beware not all bulbs are created equal.