I have the exact same day bulb for a monitor, but I wouldn't use it for a bearded dragon. The dual reflectors concentrate the light into a smaller area which is why your temps are so high. They also create a floor temp of up to 120F because they are so intense. If you switch to a regular bulb with a broader beam, it will get your temps down. If your girlfriend already has the 40 gallon tank, I'd get him moved into that. This is the bulb that I use.
I have the exact same day bulb for a monitor, but I wouldn't use it for a bearded dragon. The dual reflectors concentrate the light into a smaller area which is why your temps are so high. They also create a floor temp of up to 120F because they are so intense. If you switch to a regular bulb with a broader beam, it will get your temps down. If your girlfriend already has the 40 gallon tank, I'd get him moved into that. This is the bulb that I use.
Lights at night are bad, even red ones. They can see it and it can make it difficult for them to fall asleep. If your temps don't fall below 65 at night, you don't need supplemental heat. A nighttime drop is actually beneficial for our dragons. If you do need supplemental heat, ceramic heat emitters are perfect. They create heat with zero light output.
I also didn't notice a UVB light. The zoomed bulb provides UVA, but not UVB. It's arguably the most important aspect of a dragons life, without it, they can have serious health issues. An elevated area, or piece of cage furniture will he required to get your dragon closer to the UVB. The UVB when filtered through a screen top is really only effecrive 6 to 8 inches from the source. Youll notice your dragon will actually bask in the UVB light. Tube styles are the best since they span the entire enclosure. You need one light fixture, a 3ft fixture would be best for a 40 gallon, though you may have to order one if your local shops don't carry them.
And then there's the bulb. This is the bulb that pretty much all of us use. It's the love child of the dragon world.
And last but not least, an infrared heat gun. You can live without it, but life is sooo much easier with it. Standard probe thermometers can give you general air temp, but not the temp of a specific spot, like the basking spot. This is important, especially for our dragons, since adults prefer to be around 95F.
I know it sounds like a lot, but these are all really important aspects to good husbandry and our dragon's health. The changes you need to make can't be done effectively in a 20 gallon, and creating a proper gradient in a 40 is cake. With these changes, your dragons appetite should pick back up, and the MBD should stop progressing with correct lighting and calcium supplementation. Without these changes, the MBD will progress, which is a death sentence for your girlfriend's young companion.
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I don't believe the reptisun bulbs provide UVA, just UVB. Some basking lights provide UVA, but it isn't a necessity.
Thanks for that info
I wasn't sure about the UVA output. That just confirms how awesome the reptisun 10.0 T5 HO bulb is! Amazon has some good pricing on hoods as well. I saw some as low as $40 with good ratings. Most of your local pet supply stores stock 24 inch hoods , but you'll be paying a little more up front.
Yes your correct these coil bulbs are known to cause eye damage. So the sooner the you can put a tube style the better, lots of outside time will help too.
