Finally got my baby BD!!

The mercury vapor bulbs are INCREDIBLY expensive at pet stores($65+). I would order it online($40 + shipping at reptileuv.com) and just get the $4 flood bulb at WalMart for now.

What kind of UV bulb do you have now?

I would be careful with a MV bulb in smaller enclosures.......they are generally high wattage bulbs(100W+) and can easily bake something if not ventilated properly.

Personally, I would go with a desert type 10.0 fluorescent bulb and a low wattage ( 60W or less) heat bulb until you get that guy into a bigger enclosure.

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Originally Posted by mischevious21

Heres a picture of his enclosure (you can see him on the floor, eating crickts), and you can kind of see the light. The light it a 20 Watt (but it says on the case it equels out to 75), and its a Desert Coild-Lamp from ESU Reptiles. The replile store by me that Im at all the time said I should get it for a 15, and theyve always led me into the right direction. Id be lost without you guys and them :)
http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...eggiescage.jpg

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Maybe you missed me post it- but I do have a dessert light, but is it ok for now untill I get the murcury one? And yea, I will order that online. Thank you very much for all the help, by the way :)
Oh yea, and in the quote incase you didnt know what I meant by 'a 15', I mean that hes only in a 15 gal, for now.

What % of UVB does it put out? Should be a 10.0

And I know with the MVB's, they have to be at a minimum of 18 inches away, or they get too much UV.

I would go on reptileuv.com and read their studies on the outputs of the different uv lights. It's pretty cool to read.

You can always just use what you have now in conjunction with the 40watt flood bulb until you move him to the bigger enclosure(just so the UV light is adequate).

Hmm.. It only puts out 7%.. Should I go get a new bulb?

Becky speaks the truth :)

I'd reccomend the reptisun 10.0, and then go to home depot etc and get a lamp dimmer, the one you plug into the wall then add your light to it. Also get a 40 or 50W halogen bright white flood light its gonna be small but they work great.

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Originally Posted by chris B

Becky speaks the truth :)

I'd reccomend the reptisun 10.0, and then go to home depot etc and get a lamp dimmer, the one you plug into the wall then add your light to it. Also get a 40 or 50W halogen bright white flood light its gonna be small but they work great.

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I agree, I use the reptisun 10.0 for all my indoor enclosures. I use a Mercury Vapor too but that is for my green house and only in the winter and it is high above the cage so it is not too close/intense. I design plastic net / screen cages for outside. I have some beardies that spend most of the summer outside. Nothing beats the real deal, :sunny: Sunlight! But make sure there are lots of shady hide spots. I alternate my beardies so they always get some real sun. Brings out the color and they love it! Mother nature knows best. Good luck with the new beardie.

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Originally Posted by mischevious21

Im just having one problem- His cage is infornt of a window, so hes getting natural sun plus the special light, but I cant get the temp up to 100, or even in the 90's. Its at 88 and wont budge. Ive even got the undertank heater on to try to get it to help, but I cant get it to. What should I do?

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I used to use ceramic heaters but they get REal HOT and I have burnt myself and melted contacts on lamp and bulbs :( . Now I just use 100watt light bulbs for heat on a timer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chris B

Becky speaks the truth :)

I'd reccomend the reptisun 10.0, and then go to home depot etc and get a lamp dimmer, the one you plug into the wall then add your light to it. Also get a 40 or 50W halogen bright white flood light its gonna be small but they work great.

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Does the lamp dimmer increase the heat and/or UV that the light produces? Im sorry- I feel dumb asking questions like this, but if I didnt then I wouldent learn I guess. lol.

Your gonna just want to put a lamp dimmer on the halogen, the UV just plug into the wall socket. The lamp dimmer is gonna let you control your temp's on the basking site. For example, you have a 50w halogen flood, and its heating up to around 120* once you add the dimmer it will allow you to drop the voltage to it to make it around where you want it. If you want if you have any light bulb's at home you could use those too, 60 watt, 75 watt etc. Just make sure they're they normal white light bulb's. Any more question's dont hesistate to ask.