How To Set Up Lights For Bearded Dragon
Understanding the lighting requirements for bearded dragons (and most reptiles in full general) can exist disruptive for beginners – which is completely understandable.
There are tons of different options and picking out the wrong fixture tin can actually be harmful to your bearded dragon's health.
Dont worry, though! This article will teach you everything you demand to know nigh Bearded Dragon lighting. Hither are a few things we will encompass:
- The Verbal types of bulbs that you demand (and why they're of import)
- Where yous should place each low-cal
- Achieving an ideal temperature in your tank
- Frequently asked questions about disguised dragon lighting
Bulb Placement
Seedling placement is a little more complicated than just mounting the light fixture anywhere on the top of your tank. As a result, improper bulb placement is one of the most mutual mistakes made past beginning-fourth dimension bearded dragon owners.
Here is an simple infographic that shows yous how to ready your bulbs the correct way.
Note: Since we haven't explained seedling types at all, don't worry if you don't really understand what the labeling means – we volition cover that shortly.
Over the course of this article, we are going to embrace exactly what each of these lights are used for and how you should organize your disguised dragon's tank in regards to lighting.
UVB Lighting
UBV fluorescent lighting is the backbone on any bearded dragon setup – without it, disguised dragons develop something called Metabolic Bone Disease (along with a few other health problems). Hither are a few things you should know about UVB lighting:
What is UVB light and why is it important?
UVB (or untraviolet-B) light is electromagnetic radiation that falls betwixt 280 – 315 nm. For humans, this might not hateful too much – after all, our eyes aren't adapted to run across this spectrum of lite.
For bearded dragons and many other reptiles, though, UVB lite is the key to survival.
So we know that UVB calorie-free is necessary for reptiles – and that a lack of UVB lite can lead to a range on health conditions – only why?
In reptiles, UVB light helps regulate the production of Vitamin D3 within the skin. Vitamin D3 is extremely important because it allows your bearded dragon to absorb and use calcium. Every bit a effect, reptiles without proper UVB low-cal will have low Vitamin D3 levels, and therefore low calcium levels.
As we discussed higher up, bearded dragons with depression calcium levels often suffer from something called Metabolic Bone Affliction (juveniles are specially susceptible).
This is a very painful disease that causes bone issues and deformities, and so make sure yous provide proper lighting from the beginning.
UVB Lighting Placement and Sizing
Choosing the right size UVB light is very important in keeping your disguised dragon salubrious. Ideally, the UVB seedling should span 2/iii to 3/4 the length of your tank. This allows your bearded dragon to blot benign UVB rays no matter where is chooses to residue/sit.
When placing your UVB low-cal, mount it all the way to i side of your tank (preferably the side with the basking light).
Giving your beardie a small portion of the tank (1/iii to 1/4) with no lighting helps create a "cool zone", which can be necessary for body temperature command.
What is the best UVB light for Bearded Dragons?
When it comes to picking out a UVB fluorescent bulb, at that place is ane clear winner that dominates the pack – the Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB Lamp is definitely the way to get. Zoo Med is a great company and their UVB bulbs have a solid reputation among reptile enthusiasts.
But wait…just when y'all thought our choice was elementary, there are a few more things that we accept to cover.
First of all, the Zoo Med ReptiSun is available in ii versions: T5 and T8.
In my opinion, the T5 is vastly superior – it has a much higher UVB output and can be placed 12″ to 18″ away from your bearded dragon.
In addition, T5 fixtures tin can sometimes be mounted higher up the mesh top of your enclosure. If you programme to do this, though, use a reflector to maximize UVB output (since brew screens can filter out 30-50% of UVB rays).
T8 bulbs, on the other hand, should be placed inside 8″ of your Bearded Dragon. Since UVB output is much lower in T8 fixtures, the bulb must exist placed inside of the tank.
What fixture should I use?
Equally we just learned, picking out the right UVB bulb for your Bearded Dragon is a pretty specific process. Choosing a fixture to business firm your UVB seedling is on the completely different end of the spectrum – you accept a lot of flexibility (any T5 fixture of suitable size should do).
If you're looking for a really squeamish fixture, I recommend the SubBlaster NanoTech T5HO Reflector Combo. It's a trivial more expensive than the fixtures y'all might find at a hardware store, but it's fitted with a nice reflector that will really increase your UVB output.
Mounting the UVB fixture inside of your tank is actually pretty simple – just pick upwards a few command hooks and attach them to the back of your tank. Information technology may seem funny that the fixture is mounted towards the back side of your tank, but this is completely normal.
How oftentimes should I replace UVB bulbs?
Equally UVB bulbs age, their output falls out of the 280-315 nm range. As a effect, it is extremely important that you supplant your UVB bulbs regularly – every six to twelve months is a good dominion (T8 fixtures burn down out quicker, commonly around 6 months. T5 bulbs tin last upward to a year).
Retrieve – humans can't come across UVB low-cal. So although a two year old bulb looks perfectly fine to the naked eye, it is most likely completely ineffective for Vitamin D3 synthesis in bearded dragons.
The Basking Light
The basking light is a very of import part of any reptile enclosure. Past mimicking natural oestrus produced by the sun, basking lights requite reptiles a style to blot warmth and regulate their trunk temperature.
In that location are tons of basking low-cal options on the marketplace made specifically for retiles.
In my experience, a simple flood lite with a element of group vii seedling paired with a Flukers Clamp Lamp works perfect and is much more affordable. The most important thing when information technology comes to basking light is making sure it delivers enough heat. I recommend picking up a inexpensive digital laser thermometer to keep track of temperatures.
Infant bearded dragons adopt slightly warmer temperatures, somewhere between 105-110°F. Mature Bearded like information technology a few degrees cooler, usually between 100-105°F.
When it comes to wattage and placement, you really only have to experience it out. Personally, I've found that a xc to 100 watt bulb at 20" gives me a basking temperature around 105-110°F.
Depending on insulation and seedling type, though, every tank volition be different. Movement your low-cal up and down to increase/decrease the basking surface temperature.
The "Cool Side"
Equally you can encounter from our illustration, a proper bearded dragon setup should have some sort of "cool side". Giving your disguised dragon a place to escape the heat of the basking lamp helps them cool off and regulate body temperature.
While the basking zone usually sits around 100-110°F, the cool zone should hover around fourscore-90°F.
Achieving a proper temperature slope is of import in whatever Disguised Dragon enclosure – this is why nosotros identify the basking and the cool zone lamp on opposite sides of the tank. If the zone straight nether the basking lamp is too hot, your bearded dragon can gradually move towards to absurd zone until information technology finds the perfect temperature.
And then…is a low-cal really required on the cool side of your tank? Not at all. In fact, a lot of bearded dragon owners don't use whatsoever light at all on the absurd side. That said, it can be helpful if your room is dark (since beardies tend to similar visual lite). In addition to increased action, a flake of visual light on the cool side can too help encourage a strong appetite in your bearded dragon.
A elementary household bulb should be fine for the cool side lamp – just make sure it doesn't bump the temperature up as well high. If it does, effort switching to an LED seedling as they put off much less heat.
Ceramic Oestrus Emitters
Ceramic Estrus Emitters are exactly equally they sound – ceramic fixtures that utilize invisible infrared light to heat up your bearded dragon's enclosure.
Information technology is of import to note that Ceramic Estrus Emitters are Not always necessary. As long as the temperature in your tank doesn't drop below 70°F at dark, a CHE isn't really required.
If the temperature in your tank drops into the mid to low 60'southward at nighttime, you should probably consider investing in a CHE – they are pretty inexpensive and will aid bring the nigh fourth dimension temperature into the perfect 70'south range. The Ceramic Reptile Estrus Emitter is our recommended option.
Ceramic Heat Emitters don't require any specific placement like we saw with lighting.
Some people lite to place their CHE to 1 side of their tank (as to get a practiced temperature gradient), while others similar to place it about the middle – just endeavor to figure out what works best in your setup.
Creating a Temperature Gradient
Notice how a few of our "zones" overlap? That is what we telephone call a temperature gradient.
Basically, creating a temperature gradient allows your disguised dragon to cull a comfy temperature by adjusting its position in the tank.
So what practice you practise if you purchase all of your lights and set them up, only to find that your temperature is all out of whack?
The almost mutual way to fine tune the temperature in your tank is by adjusting the elevation of your lights. If the tank is too hot, movement you lights upward (with a clip or something similar).
A setup that runs too cold is a little trickier. In this example, you lot'll probably take to increase the wattage of your basking low-cal. As we stated before, though, whatsoever element of group vii seedling should work (so it shouldn't exist expensive at all).
Lighting at Night – Yes or No?
Just every bit humans don't appreciate bright lights during sleep, either exercise bearded dragons! In fact, they sleep best with no light at all.
Unfortunately, in that location's a lot of misinformation regarding this subject area. There are tons of blood-red and blue "night lights" on the market that look dainty, only will actually upset your Disguised Dragons sleep cycle.
Truthfully, it seems as though these were made uncomplicated every bit another product to sell to new disguised dragon owners…
Only put – you lot're Bearded Dragon'southward tank shouldn't have any lights running at night.
Another reason that people tend to run lights at night is to keep the temperate up. If you tank temperature falls into the lx's at dark, invest in a Ceramic Estrus Emitter instead of running the lights 24/7.
CHEs produce rut without the use of visible light, so they're perfect for heating your tank without upsetting your dragon's sleep cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the nearly ordinarily asked questions about bearded dragon lighting:
UVA vs. UVB – What's the difference?
We could go into the technical details about the unlike types of UV lite – but you probably don't care about that. What you really need to know is that UVA low-cal is emitted from just almost every type of light bulb, while UVB light is non. While UVA light is helpful for stimulating appetite in your bearded dragon, it doesn't help with the production of calcium. As a upshot, UVA isn't a proper substitute for UVB calorie-free in a reptile setup.
Should I mount my UVB light inside or outside the tank?
Ideally, the UVB tube seedling should exist mounted inside of your tank. The reason for this is that drinking glass/mesh tops filter out a large amount of UVB rays (commonly between 30-50%). The exception to this rule if you're using a T5 seedling (which I recommend) with a reflector. If y'all're using a T8 bulb, your light fixture definitely needs to be mounted inside of the tank.
How do I hang the fixture inside of my tank?
When I was setting up my first bearded dragon habitat, I was very confused at the thought of mounting a fixture inside of my tank. In reality, it's actually very simple – but purchase a few 3M command hooks, stick them to the within of your tank (on the back wall), and mount information technology from those.
How many hours should I run my lights?
I recommend running your lights 12-14 hours a day. Bearded dragons can be sensitive to lighting schedule changes, and so I recommend picking upward a timer to automate everything.
Practice I need to heat my tank at nighttime?
If the temperature in your house doesn't fall below 70°F, yous probably don't need to worry most heating your tank at night. Once temperatures start to fall into the 60's, though, y'all should consider picking up a ceramic heat emitter (otherwise your disguised dragon may go into brumation). CHEs oestrus your tank without the use of visible light (as to not mess with your disguised dragon'south slumber schedule).
What is the platonic temperature?
The ideal temperature for you lot breaded dragon largely depends on its age. Baby bearded dragons are almost comfy when the basking zone ranges from 105-110°F. Adults, on the other paw, prefer it slightly cooler at 100-105°F. When information technology comes to the cool zone, anywhere from eighty-ninety°F should work (regardless of age).
Quick Summary
If you lot don't take time to read our unabridged commodity, here is a quick summary of what you need to know:
- A UVB tube light is an absolute must – we recommend the ReptiSun T5 10.0 UVB. Mount information technology inside of your setup with 3M command hooks.
- A basking light is every bit important – a halogen seedling should work fine (don't waste your money of "reptile bulbs"). Mount it all the way to 1 side of your setup.
- If the temperature in your house drops into the 60's at night, invest in a ceramic heater. Merely run it at dark.
- A absurd side lamp isn't required, just can brand your tank more visually appealing.
Last update on 2022-04-xix / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Ad API
How To Set Up Lights For Bearded Dragon,
Source: https://www.reptileadvisor.com/bearded-dragon-lighting/#:~:text=When%20placing%20your%20UVB%20light,necessary%20for%20body%20temperature%20control.
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