Janelle is giving you some great advice here. I just want to add about the red light. They need a period of darkness at night and coolness to rest their brain and further process nutrients. I say rest their brain because they have a "third eye" on top of their head that allows them to see shadows and lights and alerts them to predators coming to get them while they have their eyes closed. Any colored light at night can cast a shadow and therefore disrupt their sleep cycle. Which would make for a cranky lazy dragon the next day.
The guy at the store fed you a line of BS, most likely to get rid of that T8 fixture and bulb. The T5HO bulbs are much better than the T8. The mesh blocks about 35% or more of the UVB. You'll need to change the T8 bulb in about 4 months. With a T5 bulb, they are high output and they have a reflector so it penetrates the mesh better and pushes the UVB further down into your tank. T5 bulbs are nice because they can last up to a year before needing to be changed.
The guy at the store fed you a line of BS, most likely to get rid of that T8 fixture and bulb. The T5HO bulbs are much better than the T8. The mesh blocks about 35% or more of the UVB. You'll need to change the T8 bulb in about 4 months. With a T5 bulb, they are high output and they have a reflector so it penetrates the mesh better and pushes the UVB further down into your tank. T5 bulbs are nice because they can last up to a year before needing to be changed.
