uvb light

[bouncer36]

hi i have a bearded dragon since auguest 7th, 2011 and i have got uvb light on his tank i thought it was repisun but i don't know how but i must have read it wrong and got repiglow instead i have been using it but now i have a reptisun 10.0 24inch i did buy a light fixuture under the cabint one the light fit
want to put it on the inside of tank but how do you put it in? it is a 40 gallon breeder tank with a screen lid please reply soon as you can thank you

Bea

 

[Dragonsx6]

Hope you manage to get an answer Bea, unfortunately that is a different type of enclosure to what I use in the UK so really dont know how you would fix it. I'm sure you will get your answer soon

 

[bouncer36]

thank you

 

[42dragon*]

Hello Bea,
I would not put the light inside the tank I would put the uvb on the screen. I think it will burn the dragon inside the tank. It is fine on the top that is what I do and have researched it and lights don't need to be in to be effective. I use chicken wire because the thin wire bows in the center of the bigger lids. I use Repti Glo 10.0 UVB and all living things UVA. I just got the UVB today and is there a difference in types of UVB bulbs? I am not an expert but I have done a ton of research because I just got my beardie in July. I hope I helped you and good luck with your baby they are precious

 

[Dragonsx6]

Hi 42dragon I would just like to ler you know that having the lights inside the enclosure does not burn the dragons. Here in the UK our enclosures are mostly wooden with a front sliding doors, and the lighting & basking bulbs go one the inside of the enclosure, but you ensure they are at a distance where the dragond cannot touch them. I have 6 dragons and none have ever been burned with a light.

 

[bouncer36]

yes i can it is just a forty gallon breeder tank it is glass has a sliding out screen on top right now i have a uvb light on tob of my screen which is fine but i brought a new light fixture for a 24 iinch reptisun light 10.0 tube but it made that i can't lay it on the screen would melt it so i was going to put it on the inside of it the uvb light that on there now is a reptiglo 10.0 i have heard some bad things about that light so i brought the reptisun i can buy another fixture for it i guess that i can sit it on top i will post a picture soon of the tank

 

[naich]

Hello Bea,
I would not put the light inside the tank I would put the uvb on the screen. I think it will burn the dragon inside the tank. It is fine on the top that is what I do and have researched it and lights don't need to be in to be effective. I use chicken wire because the thin wire bows in the center of the bigger lids. I use Repti Glo 10.0 UVB and all living things UVA. I just got the UVB today and is there a difference in types of UVB bulbs? I am not an expert but I have done a ton of research because I just got my beardie in July. I hope I helped you and good luck with your baby they are precious

Uvb tubes arm warm to the touch for humas. a desert lizard would never get burnt on that. Its the basking bulbs that shouldnt be inside the cage without a cover or a safe distance away. Also the repti glo series are horrible for dragons, the output is wrong and can turn your beardie blind. They dont do half as good of a job as the repti sun series or the MVB out there. Give it a quick google search, you will see.

Also a 40 gallon breeder in 18 inches tall. An adult can easily jump that high esspicial if you have furniture in the for him to climb on top of.
Screen does dimenish some of the uvb output, so what you can do is just cut the screen directly under the bulb. I dont recomend have any bulbs inside of a cage of that height and size.

 

[bouncer36]

my uvb light that i have and want to put in the tank did have a cover to put on it i just didn't know if by putting it on would harm the uvb rays can i put that on it and put it in there
my question was how i would put it in there

 

[richard]

yes i can it is just a forty gallon breeder tank it is glass has a sliding out screen on top right now i have a uvb light on tob of my screen which is fine but i brought a new light fixture for a 24 iinch reptisun light 10.0 tube but it made that i can't lay it on the screen would melt it so i was going to put it on the inside of it the uvb light that on there now is a reptiglo 10.0 i have heard some bad things about that light so i brought the reptisun i can buy another fixture for it i guess that i can sit it on top i will post a picture soon of the tank

40 gallon breeders with screen tops usually have the screen tops made of metal. i have 125's and 160 watt mvb in their domes sitting directly on the screen and have never melted one.

 

[bouncer36]

ok what i think i am going to do is to buy another fixture that i can lay on top of the tank the kind i got wont lay down on top of my tank thank for all your answers i am sure i will have more question
i like the site

 

[Brett]

my uvb light that i have and want to put in the tank did have a cover to put on it i just didn't know if by putting it on would harm the uvb rays can i put that on it and put it in there
my question was how i would put it in there

Yes if you fixture come with a glass or plastic cover it will block UVB and render the bulb useless, it must be removed

 

[lauren]

Hi, I personally keep mine in the enclosures. Some of them at least. Some have MVB's which you dont want them near at all...The tube can just lay in there. They lay on it and also helps keep them warm. Never had a burn, over toxic uv shock, not growing right prob. It works just fine. But u have to make sure you clean that fixture very well and if you feed in the enclosure, make sure you un-hook the fixture and remove it so the prey doesnt get inside the fixture and breed etc in.
That's my personal experience, you can do what you want but like Brett said, take that covering off and I have tested reptisuns with meters both A and B output and 6 inches is the current height away from the dragon for sufficiant UV exposure, no matter what that box says. I have freinds around the world that have meters and we all talk to make sure its not just the batch we personally got.. I double my tubes up too for a few months at a time. But that's my preference.
Hope this helps.
Lauren

 

[lauren]

Bouncer, I wanted to update you on current info I have recieved and now tested. Your uv supply needs to be above the dragon. This is why, simply b/c they absorb the uv through their back scales. Their belly scales are too thick and do not aid in uv absortion. The dragon can handle it, but long term ((which I have only been doing ground way for 3 months)) which isnt long enough but starting a bad thing. I converted my cages to make it work. I have always done the above the head but tried this way, never heard of problems. So I tried...I learned. Now Im trying to help you.
Now I can answer your question. I figured out a way to make the glass tank work with a screen top and being able to open it etc. We know not to put on screen bc it stops uv absortion and it has to be 6 inches away. You know those suction cups the thermometer with probes come with or just a suction cup with that tip. I dont know what kind of fixture u have but I use the kind from wal-mart. $9.99 a piece. Rip the plastic shell off, take bulb out, write in perm marker on your reptisun when u started using it ((replace in 6-8 months)) and hook it up. Get some aquarium clear sealant. Or silicone, it wont hurt the dragon unless you put him in right after you applied this product. Either way, do this at night. Put him in a tupperware w a towel for the night in a warm safe place with lid and some wholes. Size can be huge or just enough for him to sleep for night. Go to lowes or anywhere and you can find these things.
One ceramic small bathroom tile.
Aquarium sealant
large suction cups to fit in back of fixture for extra support
A way to cut the tile. Ask the guys at home depot or lowes a good way to cut one, they might just help you cut it.
You want the sections to be wide enough to prop the fixture on the piece. You will use the sealant to secure the tile piece. You might want 2 tiles and not cut at all and seal them jetting out off the glass. Like a step...u understand i hope. lol. Place fixture on there with the suction cups in back holes, if u desire. Make sure the tiles arent too big or all in the way of the uv rays. End to end I suggest.
I hope I helped you and not confused you.
Lauren~

 

[lauren]

The tiles shouldnt be but a few inches long pretty much and also, the sealant has to dry for about 8-12 hours , thats why I said night time to give it plenty of time for next day use without disturbing the dragons ray time. Also, for support on holding the tiles in place jetting off of the glass, lol... use a book or something big enough to hold it up while it dries when you do this. Remember the bulb has to be 6 inches away.
Lauren~

 

[Brett]

I don't know if i agree with 6 inches the average uv during summer hr with natural sunlight runs about 150nm The powersun and repti glo out of the box run 300 nm at 12 inches so i don't think it is necessary to have it that close. I keep all mine 12 to 14 inches from the bottom of the enclosure. I will agree about screening, Depending on the type of screen it can reduce those numbers to half.

 

[bouncer36]

ok i have got my fixture in and the log that he can sit on is about 8" under it got them up with suction cups

 

[bouncer36]

here is some pics of him and tank with the uvb light inside it is 8" from he log, i will have to try to find something to put behind the log so he can get completly under it i think he can get under it on the left side of his log tell me what you think

 

[richard]

hope it works but your putting an awful lot of trust in those suction cups. if they come loose that fixture could crack him in the head. also, you'd get better uvb coverage with the lamp overhead with the proper fixture with reflector. might i ask why you want the light inside?

 

[bouncer36]

so i can open the lid without having to take everything off i have thought of that too but i am getting alot of different opinions on here some say you can put it in some say no don't put it in i don't know what to do i don't know any other way of putting it in

 

[richard]

im not being critical, its just my opinion that it could be hazardous to put the light inside with the dragon. if you must leave it in, i would back up your suction cups with something else like a coat hanger or something to catch the fixture if it gives way. when i first started i used the 10.0 bulbs also but i used the 36in bulbs which go in a fixture that is actually about 40 inches and spanned completely across the top. my tank had the tops that slide on so i didnt have to move the light when i removed the top. i now use the mvb's and have the fixtures hung over the tanks as i dont want to have to move the lights either. i like your setup though, just a little cautious.