Lighting a beardie vivarium

[Daigga]

My husband and I have been getting really heavy into the DIY caging, and we're working on a new vivarium for our bearded dragon. The build is under way, but we're a little confused about the lighting, specifically what type of bulb to use. We're looking at a simple 2ft T5 single bulb fixture that we'll be placing along the top of the back of the terrarium. Do we have to get the reptile bulbs, or do the horticulture bulbs work as well?

[jclaiborne]

For UVB generally what I have seen is the horticulture bulbs don't have the correct output. Most of them are in the lower range of the spectrum...for a beardie you should be using the 10.0 spectrum...I ended using the 3 ft sun blaster fixture that I got from a hydroponics shop and using a zoo med bulb in it...the guys at the hydro shop told me that they don't carry anything rated that high as it will toast most plants.

[hungba]

The reptile bulbs for uvb in t5 size do not operate on normal t5 ballasts.You need a t5ho ballast for them to work.

If you don't want the expense, you can put in a normal electronic ballast t8 fixture and use a t8 uvb tube like reptisun 10.

Make sure everything is correct distance though.

[Sauzo]

Just go to your local grow shop or plant nursery. They have T5 fixtures in all sizes ready to go. I picked up two 2' ones for my beardie. As for bulbs, yes you need a reptile UVB bulb. My recommendation is a Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0. I use one of those, one 4500k daylight T5, one 100 watt incandescent heat lamp and a CHE on a lamp dimmer at night for my beardie. The more light you have, the happier your beardie will be. And of course hungba said, make sure you got the T5 UVB at the right distance as it needs to be much farther than a T8 does.

[hungba]

To add to this, if you go with reptisun please get the tube bulbs, NOT the coil bulbs. The coil bulbs are dangerous at worst and at best they suck.

You also need heat for a basking spot as the tubes don't give much heat.

[Daigga]

Oh we finished this about a week ago and did all the lighting about a week after I posted this. Went with the reptile uvb strip from the pet stores and a 75 watt basking bulb in the appropriate fixtures (higher wattages got too hot).

[kitedemon]

I would go farther myself with the UV. I would actually measure it rather rely on a manufacturers advise. UV is very odd, the reflectors can change it, the fixture it self, where it is. All can have an effect, it can be dangerous if you have too much and very unhealthy if you have too little. The current belief is that UVi can be used index meters are cheap and easy to buy. There are even little cards available. A max of 8-10 UVI is likely perfect it should fall off to 1-3 UVI or so.

If you cover the ceiling with a sheet of aluminum you can increase the UV up to 20% and a matte dark colour can reduce it about the same.

[hungba]

Very good start.

It looks a little dark in there. A white LED light strip with a diffuser would probably make your beardie happier.