Beardie Lighting Setup

[aussie_lad]

Hey Guys/Girls
Long time lurker first time poster, loving this site . I recently purchased the Reptile one Suburra 120 tank and stand from the Gold Coast reptile expo $399 (very happy with the purchase).
However this leads me to my questions.

When I purchased the tank I was told by a different company (not mentioning names) that the mesh that the uv light sits on is not suitable for Beardie dragons as it stops the uv light from getting through, to which I replied was not a problem as I would just mount the light under the mesh or modify it (I enjoy diy) But the person was adamant that I did not purchase from reptile one I kind of got the impression that there was a personal vendetta going on behind the scene as this company also made enclosures but were just modified tv cabinets which were pricier than the reptile one tanks.... So I guess what im getting at here is would it be a problem to mount the lights above the mesh or is there some truth behind the statement?

Also any info I could get on lighting setups would be great as its my first reptile and I want to give it the best environment possible. I need to know temps (ive heard one end 40-45 degrees) and what is the difference between a uva and uvb? also how long do I keep the lights on? do they hook up to a timer or a thermostat that automatically controls everything? Any links to suggested materials would be appreciated

Sorry bout the long post just a complete noob to this. Will also get reptile license this week and want to get temps sorted before even getting the beardie...

 

[leamos]

Mesh can absorb/reflect the some of the UV rays, I use a 10.0uv tube on my mesh top beardie enclosure to insure enough uv gets through. You want a provide a basking spot of 40 - 45 deg, I use household spotlight type globes, which is connected to a thermostat and this is then plugged into a timer 12hrs on 12 off. uva and uvb are just different wavelengths within the uv light spectrum

 

[Chris1]

UVB doesnt pass thru glass or plastic, mesh might block a bit but alot will still make it thru.

UVA light is provided by all basking lights, UVB light is a special globe that enables your lizard to convert the calcium it eats to a form it can use, without UVB light beardies suffer from metabolic bone disease (calcium deficiency) that can cripple/deform/kill them.

a good calcium supplement is also very important, just calcium with vitamin D3 added, depending on the age of ur lizard it will need calcium between 1 and 5 times a week. if you feel the need to use a multivitammin use it sparingly, i dont use one at all, but i offer a healthy varied diet. (i use repcal calcium, it has a pink label)

 

[damian83]

+1 to chris, I have a 10.0 above mesh ATM until I change their tanks to bigger ones ill put fittings in them

 

[mad_at_arms]

Isn't the Saburra 120 the wooden enclosure?
Where is the mesh on it?

 

[animal805]

Isn't the Saburra 120 the wooden enclosure?
Where is the mesh on it?

There is a rebated light box at the back with a mesh shelf as it were. I have MVB's in a dome set up sitting on the mesh, no problems at all. You can see the rebated light box at the rear in this pic. I have 2 of the 120's and one 90 all set up similar with domes on the mesh. So easy

 

[aussie_lad]

Wow thanks for the quick and informative replies guys/girls. So a uvb should be alright above the mesh if its a stronger one like uv10? Or should i just play it safe and get it below the mesh somehow... Is there a diagram somewhere that shows the whole lighting setup like with the timers/thermo/basking light and all that and lastly does anyone have any links to the equipment they recommend? For the one leamos recommended just a housing spotlight, i take it i could pop down bunnings and get one rather than spend more on a ''reptile'' one that are expensive and essentially do the same thing? I could also purchase a temp gun while im down there

 

[animal805]

Follow this as a guide
Central Bearded Dragon Care Sheet



Enclosure Set-Up

Hatchlings can initially be housed together and I would recommend a 2ft/ 60cm long enclosure as a minimum for 1-3 hatchlings. A smaller enclosure allows the hatchlings to locate their food easily. This enclosure can be a glass reptile tank, converted fishtank or melamine/wooden enclosure.

Bearded Dragons grow quickly so a larger enclosure may be required in 2-3 months. A 4ft / 120cm long enclosure would be suitable for 2-3 adult Dragons.


Substrate and Furniture.
I use washed beach sand as a substrate for hatchlings and adults and have done for many years successfully. Other options include bark chips, fake grass, marine carpet and newspaper or butchers paper. All substrates have their pros and cons so consider your own situation and needs when choosing. Remembering the goal is to provide a clean hygienic environment for your Bearded Dragons.
A rock or stack of pavers under the basking spot will give them a place to soak up the rays. Logs, rocks and hides will provide security and decoration.


Housing
Bearded dragons may be housed together as hatchlings as long as they are all around the same size. As they mature you will notice that 1 or 2 might grow quicker and act more dominant than the rest. This is not indicative of gender; some just grow at a faster rate.

I would recommend separating the smaller hatchlings at this stage for safety reasons and you’ll find they will eventually catch up to the others. Female Bearded Dragons can continue to be housed together at similar sizes or once they have reached their full growth.

Mature males on the other hand will fight during breeding season and will need to be separated once they reach maturity around 1-2 years of age. They can be kept together during the off season.

Heating & lighting
Bearded Dragons are reptiles that love the full sun so plenty of lighting is essential if your Beardies are to remain healthy. If kept in a fish tank use a normal fluro as lighting and have the heat globe at one end. The same set-up can be used in enclosed cabinets though I would recommend using a thermostat with your heating in this instance.

I use Mercury Vapour globes (MV globes) to provide ultraviolet light. MV globes and standard ultraviolet globes are available from pet stores and these put out high levels of uva/uvb rays just like natural sunlight. Normal globes such as the spot tone types don't emit any uva so your dragon will not be as active and will have a smaller appetite. With good UV, efficient lighting and heat your Bearded Dragon will be happy, healthy and active.

I use only 50w halogen spotlights on hatchlings and 100W MV globes on the adults. Again, if kept in enclosed cabinets I would recommend using a thermostat with your heating. During the night I turn off all heating and lighting.

Hatchling temps should range from 20-26 DegC at the cool end to 26-30 DegC at the hot end with a 30-40 DegC basking spot.. Adult temps should range from 20-28 DegC at the cool end to 28-35 DegC at the hot end with a 35-45 DegC basking spot..

I can’t get through to people just how necessary natural sunlight is for healthy Bearded Dragons and I recommend a few hours of sun a day or every chance you get. They will grow twice as quick and eat a lot more if given plenty of sun. This also avoids the chance of your beardie developing any illnesses such as MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). This is a common problem in bearded dragons if not given enough UV and calcium. The first signs of MBD are twitching legs along with loss of appetite and body weakening. Any signs of this and you should take your beardie to your vet.

One way of achieving some sunlight time is to build or buy a suitable portable enclosure or an outdoor enclosure. Any enclosure will need to have water and some shade to escape the heat if needed. One cheap option is a large plastic tub with wire mesh inserted in the the lid. Cut away the centre of the lid, leaving the edges and locking mechanism intact. Cut wire mesh to suit the hole and hot glue it into place.

Be cautious on hot days – direct sun can quickly overheat your Beardies and result in tragedy.

Food & Feeding

Bearded dragons live naturally on insects and plants. You can buy live insects (crickets, woodies and mealworms) from your pet store or online.

Feed your dragon twice a day offering them fresh greens before the insects, this often helps them to get started on greens and vegetables. For hatchlings, cut the vegetables and fruit into small pieces. Only feed them enough insects that they will consume in 5-10 mins.

Insects should be dusted with calcium powder every 2nd day and dusted with a vitamin powder once or twice a week. Do this before feeding to your Beardies. I only use Rep-Cal brand as I’ve found this to be the best product. There are many pellet forms of food available but I don’t use them myself.

As Beardies grow they will eat more fruit and vegetables. Some suitable food items are fancy lettuces (NOT iceberg as it can cause diarrhea), cabbage, bok choy, beans, corn, peas, hibiscus and dandelion flowers, apple, orange, grapes etc.

A good rule of thumb is to not feed anything bigger than the width of their eyes/head. This will avoid any choking or compaction problems.

Make sure they always have fresh water in a solid bowl to avoid them knocking it over. Hatchlings will sometimes not drink from a bowl so misting them everyday will keep them hydrated and will also help their shedding process. Good luck with your beardies hope this helps

 

[aussie_lad]

Hey animal805 sorry about the long delayed reply, ive been busy with uni I haven't ignored you. Firstly I would just like to say thanks for writing up this massive piece of information it is greatly appreciated .

Just a few questions though. Are you saying that if I have a MV globe this is the uva/uvb in one globe? wouldnt this only cover the spot that the globe covers not the whole tank (mines 120cm long)? and then i need a basking spot (spotlight) and a thermostat and timer hooked up somewhere in it. I am getting sooo confused, is there a diagram that shows all this somewhere like drawn in ms paint or something lol


so far I am thinking something like this

(MV Globe UVA/B)----------------(Basking spotlight)---[thermostat]---[wall outlet/timer]

Not sure if that makes any sense?

Also if anyone can post links to the items I can use that would be greatly appreciated

 

[sniffmylizard]

Great info animal805.

Here is a link with some good info. www.beardeddragonbook.com

 

[aussie_lad]

Can some one please take a pic of there lighting setup and post it up with a list of what the items are?

 

[animal805]

Can some one please take a pic of there lighting setup and post it up with a list of what the items are?

I have, at the moment, in both my dragon enclosures, 1 MVB and nothing else, they light up the entire enclosures. Will be too hot for summer but I change the globes and add a UVB My enclosures are 120x60x60 as well

 

[aussie_lad]

Hey so just the 1 mvb globe is enough to light the cage up and provide a basking spot and heat one end of the tank providing a cooler end on the other side? Why do you add a uvb in summer? I have the exact same tank so ill just be able to set it up like yours with the one mvb with a thermo and timer and i should be all good?

 

[book]

I have 2 of the same enclosures. The first I used for years for Blue Tongues with a UV tube on the mesh in that light box area. I suspended a heat lamp through one of the black plastic sections which you can get a fitting past and then close around the cord.
The enclosure is not solid wood but particle board with a kind of thin plastic contact finish, rather than a good solid melamine.
I knew this but they look good and has not been an issue in the past. I purchased the next one, second hand, for a bearded dragon. This is where I found the limitation of the design.

The second hand one had burn marks in the light box area and I can understand why. When I tried using a halogen downlight on the mesh as a heat lamp, the light box area got extremely hot.

I don't know how you can get a MVB (Mercury Vapor Bulb) to sit in there with out melting or burning the finish. The lowest wattage I have seen them in is 50W but still very hot and physically larger than most other bulbs.
I was hoping to use a MVB but even using one below the mesh is too hot for a beardie in that size cabinet. I do use MVB over mesh on top of different enclosures and inside a melamine one I built with more height, allowing for the heat they produce.


A MVB can't be used on a thermostat if you don't want to shorten the life a the bulb considerably. If they are too hot you have to use a different kind of heat lamp and provide UV with a florescent bulb or tube.
UV is reduced by passing through mesh and the tubes don't put out anything like a MVB. To get more UV to the beardie from the tube I ended up modifying the light box. I took out the mesh the lights would normally sit on and stuck it to the back of the cabinet to cover the space at the back of the light fitting area.

 

[aussie_lad]

Hey book that looks fantastic you did a clean job of it, I had a similat idea regarding the mesh out the back as the lighting can all be accessed at the top anyway. With the florescent tube are they specially made for reptiles as it just looks like something i culd pick up from bunnings? (I am a complete noob with this type of stuff and so far your post has been the most informative). Also the same with the heat spot lamp is that also just a globe from bunnings? and what wattage is it and how did you get it to fit like is there a special fitting that hods it there? Also is the florescent bulb a UVA and UVB source? Sorry bout all the questions lol

 

[animal805]

"I don't know how you can get a MVB (Mercury Vapor Bulb) to sit in there with out melting or burning the finish. The lowest wattage I have seen them in is 50W but still very hot and physically larger than most other bulbs."


I have modified the top of the light box, basically removing the back half of the roof and installing MVB's in modified mini deep domes so I have about 100mm of adjustment up or down to suit temps

 

[book]

Hey book that looks fantastic you did a clean job of it, I had a similat idea regarding the mesh out the back as the lighting can all be accessed at the top anyway. With the florescent tube are they specially made for reptiles as it just looks like something i culd pick up from bunnings? (I am a complete noob with this type of stuff and so far your post has been the most informative). Also the same with the heat spot lamp is that also just a globe from bunnings? and what wattage is it and how did you get it to fit like is there a special fitting that hods it there? Also is the florescent bulb a UVA and UVB source? Sorry bout all the questions lol

The florescent tube is a reptile UVA and UVB tube. The bare batten fitting for the tube is from an electrical supplier.
The heat lamp is just an Edison Screw focused beam spot light, sold in places like Bunnings, Electrical / Lighting stores or some Supermarkets.
I use 40 or 60W lamps depending on the heat produced at the basking point at different times of the year, rather than putting it on a thermostat. The mount for the heat lamp is a Clamp Lamp. These are sold by a number of Reptile Stores and online. The clamp locks around the ceramic fitting and the other end squeezes open like a peg to clamp onto a piece of wood I have screwed in across the end of the light box.

 

[aussie_lad]

Hey, is the Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb suitable for beardies in a Reptile one Suburra 120 tank? Its got 10% UVB 15% UVA and ill put it below the mesh in the tank. Hear is the link Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB Bulb Reptile Fluorescent Bulbs.

Also with the spot light if you do not have it on a thermo do you just have it on a timer? Do you have any heat for the night time? Whats a good thermo to controll the temperature with a timer as well?

 

[dragonlover1]

going back to your original question; mesh can cut up to 50% of UV rays depending on size and type of mesh.
If you don't have a MVB you should always use a 10 UVB flouro in conjunction with a spot lamp or other type of basking light (but not an infra red )
I have timers on all my tanks 12 hours on 12 hours off and do not use thermostats at all
Definitely no heat at night (except in winter in cold places like Melbourne)dragons come from the desert where it is extremely cold at night so it is normal for them

 

[aussie_lad]

Hey dragonlover thanks for the info. Regarding the mesh with the UVB im modifying the tank so the mesh will no longer be an issue. With the basking spot i've been reading that a lot of people just get a spot light from Bunnings but not sure what wattage globe to get? also did you just get a timer from Bunnings as well?