Lighting is very important for your dragon’s health.
Your dragon must get daily exposure to a UVB source, either being regularly exposed to direct sunlight, or to UVB-Producing flourescent
tubes in order to grow properly. Incandescent lights, while suitable for use as heat sources, do not provide the full
spectrum required by reptiles, including no UVA and never any UVB. Plant lights and many aquarium lights are wide-spectrum
rather than full-spectrum lights, and so should not be used other than as supplemental lighting or heating in addition to
the full-spectrum lighting. The term "full spectrum" is incorrectly used by incandescent light manufacturers whose lights
are suitable only for producing heat and light; they do not produce the UVB required for calcium metabolism. MOST reptile
lights do not have UVB, and when choosing a light make sure that it specifically tells you the intensity of its UVB output.
Do not get a light that only says UV, UVA, or Full Spectrum. These lights are often trying to fool buyers into thinking that
they provide all the necessary wavelengths for reptiles. It MUST say UVB. When placing your UVB light on the tank you must
make sure that there is no glass or plastic in front of it. Regular glass and plastic can filter out most UVB rays. Even very
small screen can block many UVB rays.
A UVB-producing tube that also produces white light may also
be paired with a fluorescent BL black light (not a screw-in Halloween or so-called poster light) to provide additional UVB,
the wavelength that is essential in the metabolism of vitamin D3. Some herpetoculturists feel that it is beneficial to
provide additional UVB to desert lizards. Fluorescent bulbs age rather quickly.
You cannot tell by looking at the bulb, but the UVB component drops by 50% after 6 months. You may think the bulb is OK, but
it is really rather weak. If you use fluorescent bulbs, you must replace the bulb after 6 months to be effective. I find it
convenient to write the date you install the bulb, on the bulb itself, with a felt tip marker. If you are using 2 fluorescent
bulbs, alternate the replacements so your beardie always has a fresh bulb - so with two bulbs, you are replacing one every
3 months. MVBs last much longer - over two years (never write on the surface of a MVB bulb), so the price is fairly close
when you consider all the costs.
Allowing your dragon to spend time in the sun is great for him/her, but make sure you build a very secure
outdoor cage. Remember, not only must your dragon not be able to get out, but nothing else should be able to get in! Remember
though, the temperatures must be appropriate outside for your beardie when he/she is outside!
Make daily
lighting easy for you. By plugging the light fixture into an appliance timer, such as those made for table lamps, you
can set the light to go on and off automatically. When you use a timer, your lizard won't be left in the dark all day or in
the light all night if you work late or have to go out of town for a day. A typical timer schedule is 14 hrs awake and 10
to sleep. During brumation (hibernation) a schedule that is 12/14 is needed.
UVB Bulbs:
- Mega-Ray Flood EB
- Mega-Ray SB
- Repti-Sun 5.0
- Repti-Glo 8.0
Links:
Exo Terra:
http://www.exo-terra.com/
Reptile UV:
http://reptileuv.tripod.com/index.html
