Lighting Confussion Help Advise from Real Owners

[Peppino]

I have a 3 bulb system using 2 light sources, this configuration I am about to explain maybe wrong but was told to me from PetSmart employee whom I hope has great Bearded Dragon knowledge. My tank is 30" wide by 12.5" deep and 13 high, inside is carpet, a 5" by 4" water dish, a climbing tree with place to go inside ( highest point about 3" from the tank top ) and finally a branch on the from glass ( highest point about 8" from tank top) center glass. The top is a slide able screen mesh. Now with the tank settings my light configuration is I have a 2 bulb dome that has in it a 75 watt neodymium basking bulb (day time) and the other side has a 100 watt Nighttime Incandescent Heat Bulb (Night Time).and they a on the left side of the tank (looking at the tank) over the log and branch. The other light source is a huge silver dome with houses 1 bulb, that bulb is a 26W Reptile UVB 150 which stays in the center of the tank. Now that I put you to sleep with the details here is the question, Is this configuration good for my Zeus or do I need to rearrange the bulbs, housing, placement....so on. The reason for this is at 1:06AM the night time bulb went out, (Please don't laugh, okay just a little) I stay up with him all night to ensure he was okay. Note: I keep the temperature of my house around 68 at night and temp outside was averaging 59.

As a new owner and avid reader I still lack the education that many longtime owners know, so thank you in advance for sharing you knowledge and your hard knocks.

-Pep

 

[PatsyB]

We all hope that one day people in pet stores will get proper knowledge of tank set ups.

Bearded dragons need a basking bulb and a UVB bulb and MAYBE a bulb called a CHE(ceramic heat emitter) for night time heat. The basking spot temperature for a juvenile bearded dragon should be between 105-110 degrees. The cool side of the tank during the day should be around 80-85 degrees. At night the temps can and should drop to mimic the natural environment. As long as your temps at night don't drop below 65 degrees there is no need for a CHE. Incandescent bulbs should not be used at night. Bearded dragons have a third eye on top of their head and they can sense the light over head and it will disrupt their sleep schedule.

As far as the UVB light, I find that the tube style fluorescent work good for me. I know there are other bulbs like Solar Glo that give off heat and UVB but I don't know how they work. Typically you want your UVB to cover 2/3's of the tank. Those 26Watt coil bulbs only concentrate your UVB to one small area of the tank.

You also want some sort of digital temperature measuring device on both the basking spot and on the cool side. A heat gun works good too. Analog temperature gauges that attach to the glass are not going to give you accurate readings were your bearded dragon is.

Sorry I didn't get to this sooner. Some pet store employees are knowledgeable of their care and some just go buy what the corporation tells them to say to sell more product. I have a tendency to listen to them but also come to this forum to see what everyone else says too and then go by what the majority says.

 

[jarich]

Id agree with what Patsy said. Can you post a picture of your enclosure too Pep? It will help us to get a better idea of how you have the lights situated and the best way to move them around too.