GREAT NEW ARTICLE ON REPTILE LIGHTING

[PatsyB]

This is a great read especially for newbies. It goes over what we have been saying all along. No colored lights, and the heat and UVB need to overlap each other. It explains how the body processes D3 and it also goes over different bulbs and their UVB coverage.

Frances Baine is THE reptile lighting expert, she is someone to listen to.

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/An-In-Depth-Look-At-UV-Light-And-Its-Proper-Use-With-Reptiles/

 

[Canicke]

thanks, Patsy

 

[Mushuandcricket]

Thanks!!

 

[PatsyB]

The one thing that I found most interesting in this article was the use of UVB an hypomelanastic dragons. I knew that with albinos and silkies you needed to use a lower UVB because they could get burned but never gave it a thought with a hypo. Dexter basks and does sit under her UVB sometimes, but out of all my dragons she's the one that spends the most time under her hammock away from her UVB.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Great article and unlike some it's easy reading.

 

[Reptilelady86]

Thank you PatsyB for posting this. Great article and easy to read!

 

[dugost]

Thanks for posting that article, PatsyB! I actually came across another one today after buying a new UVB CFL to find they aren't recommended and now I worry. It's very disheartening to read stuff like this after dropping over $20 on a lightbulb and trying to find a definitive answer to whether or not they should be used.

What are people's thoughts on CFL's not being recommended here?
http://beardeddragoncaresheet.weebly.com/lighting.html
http://beardeddragoncaresheet.weebly.com/lighting.html

They claim they're related to health problems because they stop emitting UVB after a month or so when manufacturers claim 6 months to a year.

 

[PatsyB]

Thanks for posting that article, PatsyB! I actually came across another one today after buying a new UVB CFL to find they aren't recommended and now I worry. It's very disheartening to read stuff like this after dropping over $20 on a lightbulb and trying to find a definitive answer to whether or not they should be used.

What are people's thoughts on CFL's not being recommended here?
http://beardeddragoncaresheet.weebly.com/lighting.html

They claim they're related to health problems because they stop emitting UVB after a month or so when manufacturers claim 6 months to a year.

CFL’s have their uses. They are good in a smaller temporary situation until you get a better UVB and they are okay for other reptiles and frogs. The real problem with using them for bearded dragons is they don’t penetrate the depth of the tank like you need it too. Your dragon can be 14” award from a T5 bulb and still benefit from it. With a CFL they need to be like 3” away.

 

[magpie]

This is a great article, thank you for sharing. Do people here actually use UV index meters, or is it more of knowing the light you have, tank size, distance, and past knowledge of members?

 

[PatsyB]

This is a great article, thank you for sharing. Do people here actually use UV index meters, or is it more of knowing the light you have, tank size, distance, and past knowledge of members?

Most people don’t have a meter. They mostly go by the reviews of the light purchased and by the health of the dragon. If a dragon starts acting different, one of the first things to check is the bulb. I have a meter because I have 7 UVB bulbs in my house and just changing them because I think they are going can get expensive.

 

[magpie]

Perfect, thanks.

 

[Mark the Mailman]

Thanks for this article...helps us understand what is really going on...however, i find myself reading alot and then wondering if what i'm doing is right. The joy i've gotten from the 2 short weeks of us having this little animal is much more than i had anticipated so i want to make sure she's in good hands.

I am currently using a Zilla 120W Desert 50 and a Zilla 150W basking bulb.
She sits in a basking spot just less than 8 inches from the basking bulb and the Desert 50 coil bulb for UVB sits nearly 1 foot away from her. I prop the shade of the UVB bulb on the basking shade so they overlap.
Already thinking about getting a meter and upgrading bulbs. I suspect a mercury vapor bulb would nd to sit higher. (she spends alot of time in this spot so maybe a fluorescent would work bc its so close) Thank you so much for the stuff i've learned on here. You guys and girls are awesome

 

[PatsyB]

Thanks for this article...helps us understand what is really going on...however, i find myself reading alot and then wondering if what i'm doing is right. The joy i've gotten from the 2 short weeks of us having this little animal is much more than i had anticipated so i want to make sure she's in good hands.

I am currently using a Zilla 120W Desert 50 and a Zilla 150W basking bulb.
She sits in a basking spot just less than 8 inches from the basking bulb and the Desert 50 coil bulb for UVB sits nearly 1 foot away from her. I prop the shade of the UVB bulb on the basking shade so they overlap.
Already thinking about getting a meter and upgrading bulbs. I suspect a mercury vapor bulb would nd to sit higher. (she spends alot of time in this spot so maybe a fluorescent would work bc its so close) Thank you so much for the stuff i've learned on here. You guys and girls are awesome

Coil bulbs are horrible. They have been known to cause eye problems. Also, they don’t penetrate UVB far enough down into the tank for the dragon to benefit. Your dragon would need to sit on it to get UVB. Some people use MVB’s and it works for them. I don’t know much about them to recommend them. I really like a tube style bulb, either a Reptisun 10.0 T5 size of an Arcadia 12% T5 bulb. Your UVB should really cover at least 2/3rds of the tank.

You also need your UVB and your heat bulb to overlap. The UVB provides D3 and the heat synthesizes it to calcium.

 

[lauruven]

This is a great read especially for newbies. It goes over what we have been saying all along. No colored lights, and the heat and UVB need to overlap each other. It explains how the body processes D3 and it also goes over different bulbs and their UVB coverage.

Frances Baine is THE reptile lighting expert, she is someone to listen to.

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/An-In-Depth-Look-At-UV-Light-And-Its-Proper-Use-With-Reptiles/

 

[lauruven]

Very good detailed article. I had to re-read a few sentences to fully understand, particularly when it came to wavelengths & the numbers. Makes me wanna run out and get a solar meter