Thought about the vivarium I built (good and bad)

[Matthew Edwards]

2 75 watt zoo med basking bulbs
Coil type uvb between the two basking bulbs
1 18" 15 watt 50 uvb t5 tube bulb fixed to the back
110° in basking area
80° in cool area
Enclosure 4x2x2

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[Matthew Edwards]

Wanna know everyone's thoughts. Good and bad. What could be better.

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[PatsyB]

Coil bulbs are horrible for their eyes and can damage them. If it's not coil and it's compact fluorescent, it's a little better but the UVB doesn't get far enough down into the tank to be of any benefit. The tube UVB is too small. You want the UVB to cover 1/2 to 2/3 of the tank. It's also too low in the tank. You want the UVB to be overhead if possible or as far up high in the tank as it can go. You don't want your dragon to be able to stare into the UVB light. By having two 75 watt bulbs you essentially have 2 basking spots next to each other which may or may not combine to make one basking spot in the correct temperature. I would have gone with just one light.

Also make sure that the wood is sealed so that it won't warp and that the heat from the bulbs won't cause any toxic reaction with the finish on the wood.

 

[Matthew Edwards]

This is the uvb. I haven't been able to find a longer bulb at the store. I'll be moving the other uvb bulb to the top. My beardie doesn't really goto the other side of the vivarium. He likes climbing and going under those rocks

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[PatsyB]

That's a compact fluorescent and doesn't provide enough UVB. The dragon probably doesn't go to the other side of the tank because it's darker and not so inviting. I think getting a longer UVB bulb and adding some things for it to do, maybe a hammock or a bridge or something, then your dragon would more willingly utilize the whole tank.

 

[Matthew Edwards]

I put the tube up top and now both sides are well lit. So the compact is ok to use ? I just figure with it being so close to basking area that it would make up for the other being a little short. Also found out it's a t8 not t5. I don't know the difference I moved the two basking bulbs (75 watt each) beside another. With them separated the basking rock was 105° - 110° It shouldn't be much different now besides allowing the other side to cool more effectively.

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[Matthew Edwards]

https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=112482

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[PatsyB]

"The reason I find compact lamps with "safer" spectra difficult to use in vivaria is because they are not ideal for either "shade" or "patch of sunlight" methods.
They produce a small zone of light with a steep UVB gradient - so unless you are illuminating a very small reptile in a very small vivarium, they do not provide a big enough zone for the "shade" method.
But the output is nowhere near high enough to create a "patch of sunlight" even if placed right next to the basking lamp. You are very unlikely to be able to produce a decent-sized basking zone with UV Index 3.0 or 4.0, for example, under a compact lamp with a safer spectrum."

I love Frances, she's the reptile lighting guru. She has a FB page. It's called Reptile Lighting.

There is also a great book called Bio-Activity and The Theory of Wild Re-Creation by John Courteney-Smith. It covers just about everything setting up a healthy home for your reptile. Talks a lot about UVB and heat and lots of other stuff.

The difference between T8 and T5 is the size of the bulb. The T8 is bigger than the T5. The T8 bulb works best mounted inside your tank like you have. Where the T5 can be set on top of the mesh of a tank and still provide sufficient UVB coverage. Mesh blocks out about 35% of the UVB so a weaker bulb like a T8 would not provide enough UVB with mesh in between.

 

[Matthew Edwards]

So it wouldn't hurt to use the compact with the t8 since my t8 is only about half the size of my vivarium

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[Hdrydr31]

the compact is an ONLY short term type of bulb like for emergencies...
Use a T5 HO 10.0 bulb that covers 2/3rd of your viv..