New beardie momma

[Oppossum]

Okay so I just got an enclosure for my beardie I’m getting soon. I need help with the lights and safe decoration and substrate. I have pictures of how I have it temporarily set up now until I can get everything else for it next week! I have a reptisun T5 HO and it has a 10.0 uvb bulb but do I need to get the 5.0 bulb or is the 10.0 okay? The tank is a 20 gallon btw! It’s just until I can get a 40 or 120 gallon tank.

 

[Sadie]

Okay so I just got an enclosure for my beardie I’m getting soon. I need help with the lights and safe decoration and substrate. I have pictures of how I have it temporarily set up now until I can get everything else for it next week! I have a reptisun T5 HO and it has a 10.0 uvb bulb but do I need to get the 5.0 bulb or is the 10.0 okay? The tank is a 20 gallon btw! It’s just until I can get a 40 or 120 gallon tank.

Ok so the 5.0 bulb can be used on the 20 gallon but it MUST be unobstructed- and decor piece should be directly under it approx 6-8 inches or if the 10.0 bulb is used depending on the screen on the tank the fixture can sit on the screen this 24" fixture will fit right into the 120 gallon tank- w/ that the distance should be 8-10 inches - the screen should be a wide hole for this placement - I would go directly to a 120 gallon from the 20 gallon and get the tank around 4-5 months of dragons age - substrate I would use some textured NON adhesive shelf liner cut to the size of the tank clean w/ vinegar/ water 50-50-- you need two digital probe thermometers -- you want accurate surface basking temps of 105-110 for a dragon up to 6 months of age then temps should go to 95-100-- I can post links for tanks if you like -- for the 120 gallon tanks there is a black mat that Zen Habitats sells that is nice -- if you need more help please ask - w/ all your lighting and temps on par the dragon should thrive and adapt to his tank quicker

 

[Oppossum]

Thank you! Is the placement right for the basking bulb and uvb? Also the life of the tank is a screen one. So I should be able to just use the 10.0 uvb bulb that came with my uvb fixture? Will the 75 watt basking bulb I have reach the temperatures the baby will need or do I need to move up a wattage? I do need some help with the automatic timer I have, I’m not sure how to use it and videos I saw don’t explain much. It’s winter in Mississippi right now so I’m not sure how long I need to have the lights on.

 

[Sadie]

Thank you! Is the placement right for the basking bulb and uvb? Also the life of the tank is a screen one. So I should be able to just use the 10.0 uvb bulb that came with my uvb fixture? Will the 75 watt basking bulb I have reach the temperatures the baby will need or do I need to move up a wattage? I do need some help with the automatic timer I have, I’m not sure how to use it and videos I saw don’t explain much. It’s winter in Mississippi right now so I’m not sure how long I need to have the lights on.

Photo period 12 hrs on 12 hrs off- do not feed the dragon w/ less than 3 hrs before lights out- your digital probe thermometer is going to tell you the wattage you need- basking bulb should not be closer than 6" to basking decor or he can get burned- so go by my post for the uvb bulb you decide to use- the screen is fine mesh like a screen door or a wide hole type?

 

[Oppossum]

Photo period 12 hrs on 12 hrs off- do not feed the dragon w/ less than 3 hrs before lights out- your digital probe thermometer is going to tell you the wattage you need- basking bulb should not be closer than 6" to basking decor or he can get burned- so go by my post for the uvb bulb you decide to use- the screen is fine mesh like a screen door or a wide hole type?

The screen is like this it’s a wider hole top. Where can I get a digital probe thermometer? Also could you give me an idea of what time the lights would need to come on and then go off?

 

[Sadie]

The screen is like this it’s a wider hole top. Where can I get a digital probe thermometer? Also could you give me an idea of what time the lights would need to come on and then go off?

Its a wide hole type and it looks kinda thick so I would place the decor about 8" under it -- you can get Zoo Med gauges at PetSmart or Petco - get the digital probe ones - photo op I turn my lights on at 8 AM and off around 8 PM so you go by your schedule -- you want to feed him about an hour after lights on for a baby dragon - and he should be eating 2-3 times per day - salads fed once and the insects 2-3 depending on how much hes eating at one time -- what kind of automatic time do you have? Is it one that your lights plug into I am assuming it is?

 

[Oppossum]

Its a wide hole type and it looks kinda thick so I would place the decor about 8" under it -- you can get Zoo Med gauges at PetSmart or Petco - get the digital probe ones - photo op I turn my lights on at 8 AM and off around 8 PM so you go by your schedule -- you want to feed him about an hour after lights on for a baby dragon - and he should be eating 2-3 times per day - salads fed once and the insects 2-3 depending on how much hes eating at one time -- what kind of automatic time do you have? Is it one that your lights plug into I am assuming it is?

Yes it’s this one I listed below. Could I get photos of the gauges please so I know exactly what I’m looking for.

 

[Oppossum]

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[Sadie]

Yes it’s this one I listed below. Could I get photos of the gauges please so I know exactly what I’m looking for.

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/humidity-and-temperature-control/zoo-med-reptile-terrarium-digital-thermometer-14914.html

I've got someone weighing in on the timer

 

[Sadie]

I dont know if this will help but this was his response
The timer is just a mechanical one that controls the whole power strip. That should work well. I used similar mechanical timers that have 2 outlets on the sides. The advantage of that over a power strip is that I could set different time ranges for different lights using multiple timers. This is generally overkill, but if you wanted to set your basking light to come on before the UVB, or set up a heat emitter to only come on overnight, then it's a good way to go. The zoomed timer/controller should be reliable and a good way to automate the cycle of the basking and UVB light in this case.

 

[Oppossum]

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/humidity-and-temperature-control/zoo-med-reptile-terrarium-digital-thermometer-14914.html

I've got someone weighing in on the timer

Alrighty thank you! I have some thermometer and humidity gauge in one I ordered from Amazon am I still able to use it? Even though it isn’t the zoo med one

 

[Sadie]

Alrighty thank you! I have some thermometer and humidity gauge in one I ordered from Amazon am I still able to use it? Even though it isn’t the zoo med one

Yes