Do I have the proper lighting setup?

[Charlie Brock]

Hello,
I just found this forum and I’m so glad I did because I have some questions regarding my heating/lighting setup for my 5 month old bearded dragon, Carl. I am not new to owning reptiles and I have a leopard gecko, a Russian tortoise, and frequently take care of my friends snakes. However, I am new to owning a bearded dragon. Before buying him, I did research a lot about what I needed to have and had it all set up for him when I bought him.

I bought Carl 3 days ago from a reptile expo. He has settled once quite well but he does still have his stress marks. He was in shed when I bought him though and he is not anymore. Every day, he gets greens and he gets a mix between crickets and dubias usually twice a day with as many as he can eat in a sitting which is usually quite a good amount. They are of course calcium and vitamin dusted. Right now, he has an infrared lamp for night time and for the day time, he has a 100w basking spot light (because the 75w didn’t get the correct temperatures) and a reptisun 10.0 uvb bulb. However, the bulb is not the long tube bulb, it’s the other one. I have heard that the tube bulb is better but I have a 40 gallon Exo Terra enclosure and the screen top has plastic supports and the tube light would have melted them. His basking spot is about 7 inches from the lights and his temp is normally between 100 and 110. I have noticed he squints one eye sometimes when the light is put on in the morning and I’m not sure if that’s normal or not. I have both a temperature gauge in the tank and one of those temperature guns to read a more accurate temp. I also of course have a cool side for him. I’m hoping his stress marks start to go away soon.

Also, how long do you guys usually wait to hold your bearded dragon after buying them? I’ve let him settle in for 3 days but his stress marks still aren’t completely gone so I’m not sure what the call is on that but I have been spending time with him and hand feeding him. I’ve also heard they love baths/soaking but I don’t know if that will just stress him out more since he’s still kind of new.

Let me know what you guys think, if you have any suggestions or things I should change, I am new to this and appreciate all help and suggestions. Carl and I thank you in advance!

 

[PatsyB]

Your tank will be fine with the 10.0 UVB bulb going across the top of the tank. I have the Exoterra and have a T5 tube bulb (T5's go on top of the tank, T8's go inside of the tank) along the whole length of the tank and the plastic has never melted from the UVB. It doesn't put out a whole lot of heat and the bulb itself doesn't rest on the supports. He could be squinting because the bulb you are using could be hurting his eye or he could just be squinting because they do that, just keep an eye on it. if he's keeping an eye closed for a long period of time then there could be a problem. You want them to have a period of complete darkness at night. They see lights and shadows with their third eye so any color of light at night throws off their sleep cycle. If the tank is cooler than 65 degree at night try using a CHE to bump it up. They only need 65-70 degrees at night. Also any colored light during the day could hurt their eyes too because they color doesn't allow their pupils to constrict properly and can cause retina damage over time.

As far as handling it depends on the dragon. I was just looking at old video of my girl Dexter when I first got her and she liked to be handled right away where some just need some time. Pet him and hold him while he's in his tank and talk to him and see how he feels.

 

[BeardedHippy]

well done, it all sounds good. Looks like you did your homework before you got him. The compact coil bulb you have is crap, get a tube like Patsy says. T10 tubes are ok, T8s have better penetration and T5s have the highest concentration and penetration but come at a cost. T5s are better for larger enclosures, mine needed them as they are 2ft high. A T10 or 8 would be fine for a 40 gallon tank though.

 

[PatsyB]

well done, it all sounds good. Looks like you did your homework before you got him. The compact coil bulb you have is crap, get a tube like Patsy says. T10 tubes are ok, T8s have better penetration and T5s have the highest concentration and penetration but come at a cost. T5s are better for larger enclosures, mine needed them as they are 2ft high. A T10 or 8 would be fine for a 40 gallon tank though.

I don't think they make T10 reptile bulbs. The only ones that I've ever seen are T8 or T5.

@Charlie Brock if you are in the states there is a place online called Reptile Basics and they have these inexpensive T5 light fixtures. Just bought a few for my chameleon and they are really nice. Slim very basic and they can connect 2 together if you needed to, and not all that expensive.

 

[BeardedHippy]

oh, I thought he had one of these types
https://www.cdaquatics.co.uk/exo-terra-repti-glo-10.0-compact-desert-lamp-t10-13w-p-2970

the tubes are standard size I think, y'know, this kind

https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/ex...MIosehr5i53gIVzb3tCh0veAa7EAQYASABEgLs9_D_BwE

 

[PatsyB]

oh, I thought he had one of these types
https://www.cdaquatics.co.uk/exo-terra-repti-glo-10.0-compact-desert-lamp-t10-13w-p-2970

the tubes are standard size I think, y'know, this kind

https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/ex...MIosehr5i53gIVzb3tCh0veAa7EAQYASABEgLs9_D_BwE

Yeah he has the compact bulb right now but is afraid to use the other because he doesn't want the stabilizing bars to melt. He needs a 10.0 T size tube bulb. You mentioned a T10 bulb but I've never seen them in size 10 for reptile tanks. They have T5 10.0 bulbs and T8 10.0 bulbs.

Is the ReptiGlo brand popular across the pond? Someone else got one of those and I realized they are in the UK. I don't even see them here anymore, mostly it's the Reptisun and the Arcadia bulbs.

 

[BeardedHippy]

seems like most pet stores sell them here, with a few specialised shops selling the other kinds. I just get everything online these days, spoiled for choice on there