Bearded dragon lighting questions

[Guinea_Pig]

Hi everyone, I am worried that my bearded dragon (Megumi) isn't getting the proper lighting that she needs. right now I just have an incandescent house bulb in her 20 gal. tank. I was wondering what is the best lighting setup I can buy for relatively cheap? I am a High School student and I don't have a very large income. I bought my baby bearded dragon as a hatchling at the Tucson reptile expo last year in October. I don't know for sure how old she is, but I can post pictures of her when I first bought her Vs. her now. I was also wondering what size and weight she should be if I bought her on October 3rd. her current staple foods are kale and the occasional fruit and veggie, and Black Soldier Fly Larvae. She also gets roaches as an occasional treat.
Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[Guinea_Pig]

Also, I don't know if this is too much to ask, but does anyone know what type she is? the breeder just said she was a hypo. I was thinking maybe citrus hypo?

 

[Sadie]

Hi everyone, I am worried that my bearded dragon (Megumi) isn't getting the proper lighting that she needs. right now I just have an incandescent house bulb in her 20 gal. tank. I was wondering what is the best lighting setup I can buy for relatively cheap? I am a High School student and I don't have a very large income. I bought my baby bearded dragon as a hatchling at the Tucson reptile expo last year in October. I don't know for sure how old she is, but I can post pictures of her when I first bought her Vs. her now. I was also wondering what size and weight she should be if I bought her on October 3rd. her current staple foods are kale and the occasional fruit and veggie, and Black Soldier Fly Larvae. She also gets roaches as an occasional treat.
Thank you everyone for your help!

Are you using any uvb at all? This critical- if not you need to get one as soon as you can- at this time w/ no uvb she is developing mbd- how are you getting surface basking temps-- ? Stick ons are inaccurate

 

[Guinea_Pig]

Are you using any uvb at all? This critical- if not you need to get one as soon as you can- at this time w/ no uvb she is developing mbd- how are you getting surface basking temps-- ? Stick ons are inaccurate

I don't have a uvb bulb, but I take her out for long periods to sun bask during the day, especially after I feed her. I read somewhere to take them out for sun so they don't get mbd, but I guess that's what a uvb bulb does. What kind of uvb bulb do you recommend? is there any specific one? I use a temperature gun, and the last time I checked the temps in her cage it was 98 on the basking spot and 79ish in the cool area. is that too cold? also, can I just use a regular heat lamp so long as I use the right type of bulb?

 

[Sadie]

I don't have a uvb bulb, but I take her out for long periods to sun bask during the day, especially after I feed her. I read somewhere to take them out for sun so they don't get mbd, but I guess that's what a uvb bulb does. What kind of uvb bulb do you recommend? is there any specific one? I use a temperature gun, and the last time I checked the temps in her cage it was 98 on the basking spot and 79ish in the cool area. is that too cold? also, can I just use a regular heat lamp so long as I use the right type of bulb?

Outside sun is great --- so you have warded off the MBD for now - when winter comes your going to need it - here are some links to good UVB bulbs - for a 20 gallon tank I would recommend this fixture and use the 5.0 bulb that comes w/ it but it will need to be unobstructed meaning NO screen and your basking decor would need to be 6-8 inches directly underneath --- when you upgrade the tank your going to need the Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb here are the links to that fixture and bulb
24" this will go right into a 75-120 gallon tank

Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood

Efficient and sleek t5 UVB light fixture for reptiles terrariums and more! Order your lighting and supplies today from Pangea Reptile.

www.pangeareptile.com

22" https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...y-vapor/products/zoo-med-reptisun-10-0-uvb-t5
please get 2 digital probe thermometers to get accurate surface basking temps - the other for your cool side of the tank -- the incandescent house bulb is good it is a bright white solid bulb so that is good - but you need the correct basking temps - they should be 105-110 for a baby--

Zoo Med Digital Thermometer

Measure the temperatures within your terrariums and reptile cages easily with this digital thermometer by Zoo Med! Order temeprature and humidity guages from Pangea Reptile.

www.pangeareptile.com

Her diet is good BSFL are a great staple feeder for babies the roaches are another great staple feeder - please be dusting the roaches tho -- they need to be dusted 5 x per week w/ calcium D3 ONCE per feeding lightly coated along w/ vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding and lightly coated - the BSFL do not dust they are high in calcium-
the temps in your tank should be 105-110 for surface basking -- middle of the tank 90's and cool side 80's the 79 is fine -- you can use stick ons for ambient temps but you need the digital probe for the surface temps - they are the most accurate for temps --
here is a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
If your basking bulb is not getting temps high enough but I am going to assume they are you can go to a higher wattage bulb - I used a 75 Exo Terra Intense basking bulb in my 20 gallon tank - but you must have that probe to watch the temps -- you dont want to burn her up

 

[Guinea_Pig]

Outside sun is great --- so you have warded off the MBD for now - when winter comes your going to need it - here are some links to good UVB bulbs - for a 20 gallon tank I would recommend this fixture and use the 5.0 bulb that comes w/ it but it will need to be unobstructed meaning NO screen and your basking decor would need to be 6-8 inches directly underneath --- when you upgrade the tank your going to need the Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb here are the links to that fixture and bulb
24" this will go right into a 75-120 gallon tank

Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood

Efficient and sleek t5 UVB light fixture for reptiles terrariums and more! Order your lighting and supplies today from Pangea Reptile.

www.pangeareptile.com

22" https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...y-vapor/products/zoo-med-reptisun-10-0-uvb-t5
please get 2 digital probe thermometers to get accurate surface basking temps - the other for your cool side of the tank -- the incandescent house bulb is good it is a bright white solid bulb so that is good - but you need the correct basking temps - they should be 105-110 for a baby--

Zoo Med Digital Thermometer

Measure the temperatures within your terrariums and reptile cages easily with this digital thermometer by Zoo Med! Order temeprature and humidity guages from Pangea Reptile.

www.pangeareptile.com

Her diet is good BSFL are a great staple feeder for babies the roaches are another great staple feeder - please be dusting the roaches tho -- they need to be dusted 5 x per week w/ calcium D3 ONCE per feeding lightly coated along w/ vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding and lightly coated - the BSFL do not dust they are high in calcium-
the temps in your tank should be 105-110 for surface basking -- middle of the tank 90's and cool side 80's the 79 is fine -- you can use stick ons for ambient temps but you need the digital probe for the surface temps - they are the most accurate for temps --
here is a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
If your basking bulb is not getting temps high enough but I am going to assume they are you can go to a higher wattage bulb - I used a 75 Exo Terra Intense basking bulb in my 20 gallon tank - but you must have that probe to watch the temps -- you dont want to burn her up

ok, thank you for the feedback! I did buy calcium with vitamin D that I dust the roaches with. I do think that the cage temps are good at he moment. She seems comfortable, and doesn't spend the whole day in one side of her tank. I have her basking bulb unobstructed, suspended about 6-7 inches above her basking spot. I will get another probe as soon as possible. we have another 50 gallon tank that I used to keep baby desert tortoises in for the winter, but they have outgrown it now. I was planning on using that for my upgrade tank. about when do you think I should have her change cages?

 

[Sadie]

ok, thank you for the feedback! I did buy calcium with vitamin D that I dust the roaches with. I do think that the cage temps are good at he moment. She seems comfortable, and doesn't spend the whole day in one side of her tank. I have her basking bulb unobstructed, suspended about 6-7 inches above her basking spot. I will get another probe as soon as possible. we have another 50 gallon tank that I used to keep baby desert tortoises in for the winter, but they have outgrown it now. I was planning on using that for my upgrade tank. about when do you think I should have her change cages?

Ok your going to need to get the reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb - the 5.0 bulb is not strong enough for the 50 gallon and I would move her when you get the uvb-- that way she will acclimate to the tank and surroundings quicker- also the uvb placement and distance will be determined by the screen on your tank

 

[Guinea_Pig]

Ok your going to need to get the reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb - the 5.0 bulb is not strong enough for the 50 gallon and I would move her when you get the uvb-- that way she will acclimate to the tank and surroundings quicker- also the uvb placement and distance will be determined by the screen on your tank

alright, do I need to move her yet though?

 

[Sadie]

alright, do I need to move her yet though?

You can move her I would get her lighting uvb and her surface basking temps in order first-

 

[Guinea_Pig]

You can move her I would get her lighting uvb and her surface basking temps in order first-

oh, ok. what is the max age I should move her at?

 

[Sadie]

oh, ok. what is the max age I should move her at?

You want to get her out by 5 months unless she's really small- I moved blaze into a 120 gallon at 4 months - was in a 20 gallon long tank

 

[Guinea_Pig]

yeah, the tank is really long. she's pretty small.. sometimes I'm worried that she's too small. what size should she be at this age? I don't know her exact age, but she was a hatchling on oct. 3 when I bought her.

 

[Sadie]

yeah, the tank is really long. she's pretty small.. sometimes I'm worried that she's too small. what size should she be at this age? I don't know her exact age, but she was a hatchling on oct. 3 when I bought her.

Please post a pic of her- dragons grow at their own rate- but diet good and proper basking temps along w/ good uvb all play a factor in her growth- did she have uvb over the winter?

 

[Guinea_Pig]

Please post a pic of her- dragons grow at their own rate- but diet good and proper basking temps along w/ good uvb all play a factor in her growth- did she have uvb over the winter?

I didn't know anything about bearded dragons when I bought her, and I wasn't part of the forum, but it was a strangely warm winter here and I would take her out for sun on warm days. I included a picture of her in my initial post, but if it isn't enough I can get another picture tomorrow. I just measured her and she is 11 and a half inches from tail tip to nose tip.

 

[Sadie]

I didn't know anything about bearded dragons when I bought her, and I wasn't part of the forum, but it was a strangely warm winter here and I would take her out for sun on warm days. I included a picture of her in my initial post, but if it isn't enough I can get another picture tomorrow. I just measured her and she is 11 and a half inches from tail tip to nose tip.

She needs to go into the 50 gallon and please get the uvb-- as soon as possible - outside sun is great but she will need the uvb over the winter - temps need to be at least 60 degrees- and then she needs direct sunlight for that temp- please let me know when you get the uvb I will help you place it for your tank- the screen will determine where it goes

 

[Guinea_Pig]

She needs to go into the 50 gallon and please get the uvb-- as soon as possible - outside sun is great but she will need the uvb over the winter - temps need to be at least 60 degrees- and then she needs direct sunlight for that temp- please let me know when you get the uvb I will help you place it for your tank- the screen will determine where it goes

ok, thank you!

 

[Guinea_Pig]

She needs to go into the 50 gallon and please get the uvb-- as soon as possible - outside sun is great but she will need the uvb over the winter - temps need to be at least 60 degrees- and then she needs direct sunlight for that temp- please let me know when you get the uvb I will help you place it for your tank- the screen will determine where it goes

also, I have a few questions about brumation--

what age do they start to brumate?

Is it safe to let her brumate this year if she tries to?

Should I keep her light on while she brumates?

do I have to try to feed her if she goes into brumation?

should I let her brumate at all?

how long so they typically brumate for?

sorry about all of the questions. Thank you so much for all of your help!

 

[Guinea_Pig]

She needs to go into the 50 gallon and please get the uvb-- as soon as possible - outside sun is great but she will need the uvb over the winter - temps need to be at least 60 degrees- and then she needs direct sunlight for that temp- please let me know when you get the uvb I will help you place it for your tank- the screen will determine where it goes

I just have one more lighting question.. is this a good light?
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Powe...t=&hvlocphy=9030186&hvtargid=pla-830534099505
The light hood is way too expensive for me. I don't have a lot of money laying around, and this is marked down to $12.00 from $38.00. I looked up what light bulbs are best for beardies and this came up as almost the number one choice.
this also was on the top of the list:

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Compact-Fluorescent/dp/B00A8RHTYU/ref=asc_df_B00A8RHTYU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167149786275&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8919967817914955080&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030186&hvtargid=pla-304425347740&psc=1

I thought maybe it was a little too small, but what do you think? I'm looking for the best value with as little monthly cost as possible.

 

[Sadie]

also, I have a few questions about brumation--

what age do they start to brumate? a year or older - babies do not brumate / juvies unless the juvie is really big like over 300 grams

Is it safe to let her brumate this year if she tries to? only if she is over a year and they should be healthy enough to do that like weight plays a factor

Should I keep her light on while she brumates? You can keep a regular cycle - you can also shut lights off earlier during the time of brumation example if you normally shut lights out at 8PM and shes sleeping at 7 PM you can shut them off -

do I have to try to feed her if she goes into brumation? No - if they are in a deep brumation they will not come out to eat - the only thing I recommend is getting them out every 10 days - 2 weeks to do a weight check on them and offer water - you want them kept hydrated

should I let her brumate at all? If shes trying to brumate now under the age of 1 there is something else going on and that would be incorrect UVB and basking temps - low temps in the tank will simulate brumation behavior as well as UVB

how long so they typically brumate for? You do not want them brumating longer than 3 months - anything over there is a issue going on

sorry about all of the questions. Thank you so much for all of your help!

 

[Sadie]

I just have one more lighting question.. is this a good light?
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Powe...t=&hvlocphy=9030186&hvtargid=pla-830534099505
The light hood is way too expensive for me. I don't have a lot of money laying around, and this is marked down to $12.00 from $38.00. I looked up what light bulbs are best for beardies and this came up as almost the number one choice.
this also was on the top of the list:

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Compact-Fluorescent/dp/B00A8RHTYU/ref=asc_df_B00A8RHTYU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167149786275&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8919967817914955080&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030186&hvtargid=pla-304425347740&psc=1

I thought maybe it was a little too small, but what do you think? I'm looking for the best value with as little monthly cost as possible.

If that PowerSun is marked down to $12 there is something wrong w/ it -- do not buy it -- most PowerSuns are $40 and up depending on the wattage -- and if your going to go w/ a MVB they are a great basking bulb but low on UVB -- I always recommend a back up UVB long tube fixture like posted earlier - you do not want her lacking UVB rays -
DO NOT buy the coil -- they are a health hazard to dragons and most end up dying under them ---
So a good PowerSun is going to cost $54 - the long hood I posted earlier above is $55 -- and can be used on the 20 gallon tank and the 50 gallon tank - you can use the bulb it comes w/ on both but it would need to be unobstructed for both tanks - when you get the extra $22 upgrade the bulb to the T 5 Reptisun bulb --- if you get the MVB your going to spend more because your going to need to add another long tube UVB for the rays they (MVB) do not give out ----
I went to the website I posted for you www.pangeareptiles.com and looked to see if they had the Arcadia Pro T 5 w/ 12% bulb and they are sold out - they are a really good UVB as well - please get a long tube for UVB and stay w the clear solid bright white basking bulbs - you will need a higher wattage basking bulb going to a 50 gallon tank - Flukers makes reasonable priced bulbs -- also please get the UVB from pangea they are less expensive than Amazon - shipping from Pangea is $7 -- they are fast and good