6 month old dragons do not btumate- they can slow down on eating normal but they should be basking quite a bit- let's go over surface basking temps how are you getting them? No stickons a digital probe thermometer is most accurate - uvb? Coil or long tube fixture? These are crucial and control the behavior and health of the dragon - what are you feeding for staple insect?
I have a digital thermometer and it’s reading at 98. Is that too cold for this time of year? Should it still be closer to 105? I have whatever bulb came with the ZooMed bearded dragon kit, it looks like a small, red flood light? And then a large white flood light type bulb for the uvb. They are both in housing on top of the mesh, about a foot above the basking rock. I have them on a timer and both of them turn on at 8 am and turn off at 6 pm.
The dragon is hiding from the red bulb - get rid of it please-- they cause long term eye damage and disturb sleep- the basking bulb is ok as long as it is a clear bright white bulb- the temp is good as long as it's the surface basking temp- you need to get a long tube uvb- that basking bulb is it a mvb? Look on the bulb it will give brand name and wattage - the tank needs to be up to par w/ the uvb- night time temps should be 65 - 75 ambient
How frustrating that ZooMed would supply the red light if it’s dangerous for them! Not very helpful for beginner owners.
Crickets are good-- are you feeding him 2 times per day? These box stores are horrible about selling bad equipment for dragons it's all a money game- so your using 2 heat bulbs ? The 160 is a mvb I am thinking- do you have the brand? You want to get a long tube fixture uvb- the mvb's are good for heat not so much uvb- screens block uvb rays and for beginner owners are not recommended - distance and placement for them is hard to get just right for temps and uvb- it's easier to get a regular basking bulb like flukers basking exo terra intense or Arcadia halogen- I can post 3 good uvb's for you in the morning- it's good you caught his behavior now - please do not listen to the pet store people they haven't a clue as to how to care for a dragon- keep offering his salads - when you get your lighting on par his behavior will change
www.pangeareptile.com
hydrobuilder.com
Wow, thank you! I will get one of these asap! What about the heat lamp? I just need a white one? Same 100w power? Or stronger?These fixtures are good for 40 + gallon tanks
This comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you want a 10.0 bulb I will post link for that as well
Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Terrarium Hood (24 inch)
joshsfrogs.com
same fixture different vendor you want the 12% bulb 24 wattArcadia ProT5 12% UVB Bulb With Hood
Arcadia ProT5 12% UVB Bulb With Hood is a highly adaptable lighting kit with high-quality internal electronics designed for optimal reptile husbandry. Get yours today from Pangea Reptile!
or this one you want the 24" or 2 ft fixture and you will need to change the bulb out to the one posted aboveArcadia ProT5 UVB Kit 24"
ProT5 is a highly adaptable lighting kit with high quality internal electronics, a high effective but removable reflector, power cable, fittings kit & bulbwww.reptilebasics.com
this is a great bulb and is interchangeable w/ both the Zoo Med fixtures and this one I am postingArcadia D3+ T5 Bulb- 22"
A revolutionary new range of high performance T5 reptile lamps from Arcadia. Offering a significant increase in both visible light and UV output compared with T8 lamps of similar length.www.reptilebasics.com
https://www.reptilebasics.com/arcadia-desert-12-uvb/arcadia-d3-12-uvb-t5-bulb-22/
Please let me know when you get the UVB I will help you get it set up for the tankSunBlaster NanoTech T5 HO - Fluorescent Fixture with 6400K Lamp
SunBlaster NanoTech T5HO Fixture This fixture incorporates our ever popular Sun Blaster T5 HO fluorescent fixture and our NanoTech reflector and combines them into one fixture. These fixtures include electronic ballast, 6400K lamp, power cord, jumper plug with both hanging and flat surface...
You want a solid clear bright white basking bulb - one that will keep temps to what I posted 95-100-- examples are Flukers Exo Terra Intense or Arcadia Halogens - did you tank come w/ a white bright basking bulb - maybe a Thrive ? Your digital probe thermometer is going to tell you the wattage you need - if its keeping temps now at 98 that is good - your looking for surface basking temps- ambient area of hot side around a 100 or so --
It just came with the red ZooMed one I have now. I’ll get a different one asap as well
Please get rid of that bulb and get one of the clear bright white bulbs I mentioned above -- Walmart sells the Flukers basking bulb go on line type in search on Walmarts site Flukers basking bulb - I would start w/ a 100 watt and go from there - I keep different wattages in the house of those as I am in MN and winter time I use 150 watt along w/ 75's and sometimes 100 depends on the temps outside - all mine are in different domes so I can turn them off or on when needed -- my tanks are 120 gallonIt just came with the red ZooMed one I have now. I’ll get a different one asap as well
I got a white 100w heat lamp and a long tube T5 10 uvb lamp, but the temperature is a lot lower than it was before I changed them out. Does the long tube one not produce as much heat as the regular uvb bulb I had before? Is it too far away? I’m not sure why it would be so much lower, my thermometer is reading at 87 degrees rather than the 98 it was before.
Cute set up --- your digital probe thermometer is going to tell you what wattage you need for the surface basking temp - 87 is too cool for hot side - you want surface basking temps the place where he sits to bask 98-105 -- cool side of the tank 80ish- the area around your basking area ambient temps around 100 or so -- the UVB does not put out heat -- it is for UVB rays - measure the distance from under the UVB to the place where he would sit directly under it 8-10 inches --
The basking spot was reading 87, and with the other 100w bulb it was closer to 100. So I’m not sure why it would have changed so drastically. Should I up the wattage? And it sounds like I need to get him something under the uvb to climb up on as well? Not just under the heat lamp?
Or does the uvb lamp need to be hung under the mesh instead since my tank is taller than the 8-10 inches?
Are you getting surface basking temps w/ a digital probe thermometer? What size is the tank? L x W x H
Yeah, I have the probe down by the flat rock he basks on, and it used to be at least 10 degrees higher with the red lamp you suggested I change out. I had a double housing for that and the uvb lamp, maybe that produce more heat? It’s currently a 40g while he’s smaller (and because that’s what PetSmart told me I needed, last time I ask them for any advice!), so I think it’s 18“ tall and 36“ wide.
Ok so you can pull the screen towards the one side of the tank so you can have the basking bulb on the screen and the UVB open sitting next to it so there is no screen blocking the UVB it can sit width wise instead of long ways - have the distance for the UVB w/ the decor sitting under it approx 12-15 inches - you will haft to move your decor pieces around so your getting the right temps and UVB distance - what wattage is the basking bulb now? Hes going to need to be upgraded to a larger tank here in a few months- I have links for 120 gallon tanks if you want them -- your UVB you have now will go right into the bigger tank -
I don’t think I can do that with the way the screens are set up :/ But I can definitely get my decor to be closer to the light. I have a bridge thing that I am currently using to hold sand in that I can use. Just gotta get him to let me pick him up and out of his cage to clean and move everything. Still working on the handling!
