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Building a stand, need help with lighting

Justin Witt

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
3
Hey guys. Just joined. I know nothing about bearded dragons, but my girlfriend has one that’s almost 2 if I remember right. For Christmas I’ve been building her a stand for her 75 gallon tank, and the bottom is complete minus finishing the shelf and some decorative pieces. I would post a pic of it but in the off chance she’s on this forum I won’t until after she gets it. My main question, and hope this is in correct section, is on lighting for the enclosure. Right now, she has 2 uvb fluorescent style lights on each side of the top of the tank on the back part. Then a big double fixture that has 2 bulbs in it (both put out heat and light so I think basking??? Then on the other side she has 2 smaller, separate heat emitters. At night she is always flipping the double fixture over to the coil side and putting the two heat emitters on the warm side. Is this necessary? Or can the cool side become the warmer side at night when the two basking lights are off? I’m asking this because the stand will have a top to it also but I need to know if the lights can stay where they are or if it’s necessary to keep one side warm and one side cool constantly. Thanks
 

Justin Witt

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
3
She only needs one good UVB fixture in the tank and one good bright white basking bulb that keeps basking temps 95-105--- NO colored bulbs and no COIL UVB's ---- the fixture for the UVB tank should not be the same length of the tank as they need to be able to get out of the UVB rays and not haft to hide from it !!!!!!!!!!!! The heat emitter should only be used if the tank is getting below 65 degrees at nite --- there should be no lights left on at nite --- they like dark and cool----------------- temps should be 80's during the day on the cool side of the tank -------------------
So is it fine if the warm side becomes the cool side at night?
 

Justin Witt

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
3
Yes the over all temp at nite should not be below 65-- if it does get below 65 I would invest in a CHE ceramic heat emitter - they come in different wattages so depending on what size tank you have - I use a 100 watt on my 120 gallon tanks - it sits in the middle of the tank on top of screen - they require a dome like your basking light and you can order on line from Amazon the bulb like $12 or so and the dome you can get at your pet store - just make sure you get a dome for the wattage your gonna use -- the CHE keeps my tanks around 70 at nite during the winter - they also have no light just heat --
And then for uvb it only needs the 1 fluorescent uvb bulb and fixture, it doesn’t need to go completely across the tank?
 
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