Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[ToonTomH]

Hi Everyone,

I'm thinking of making a Beardie vivarium to house one Bearded Dragon... The size of it will be just under 4 feet, by 2 feet wide and 2 feet high. Now, after asking on here yesterday, I'd been told that a spot light and a ReptiGlo Compact 10.0 (or something similar) would be fine for the heat and UVB source. As well as that I would put on tube light along the top for an extra light source. However, I've just been told by someone else that the ReptiGlo Compact 10.0 wouldn't be good enough for a vivarium that size.

I just wondered what your opinions on this are? And what you use for your Beardie vivs?

Thanks,

Tom
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1.1.1 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon

[Jaffa]

Hi, I'm just building a big viv from my beardie, its 6x2x3ft and I'm using a repti glo 10 4ft tube with 2 ceramic heat emitters.

Spoken to a local shop and breeder and both recommended these

[Bri.]

I've found compacts give you an intense light in one area. This is fine for a small viv, but with a larger one you might find a fall off in light from one end to the other.
I tend to use a tube running as much of the length of the viv as possible. That way you get a constant light level throughout the viv.

[agh100]

yeah I would say a tube UV is better.

The ReptiSun 10.0 or Arcadia D3 12% are meant to be better than the ReptiGlo 10.0 which has some reported issues with it

Get a Reflector on the tube also to make it even more effective..
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Cheers!

[ToonTomH]

Thanks for your replies They've definitely helped!

Thanks,

Tom
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1.1.1 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon

[tigerbaby2k]

[Dracowoman2]

I personally use a Mercury Vapour Bulb which produces considerably more UV than a tube and also sorts out the heating, they degrade less than a tube and don't need to be changed quite so often. I wouldn't use anything else now for my beardies, and the difference in them and their colour since I changed over is unbelievable.

Have a look at this link and make up your own minds The lady that did most of this research bred beardies for years and really knows her stuff. She has been using Mercury Vapour bulbs for many years, even importing specially from canada and converting them with a step down transformer for british current. She offered me loads of advice and support with my beardies even before I got them. You can now get Self Balasted Merc Vapour bulbs, I paid about £42 for mine from South West Exotics. In a 2 foot high viv with a ceramic fitting screwed to the roof there is JUST enough distance between the surface of the bulb and the floor so that they are not at risk from burns from it (UV Burns, not heat) But mine weill be moving into a 4 foot high viv soon and this bulb is ideal for that purpose. My female wasn't getting enough UV from a tube to take up her calcium properly, and I had only replaced the tube about 6 weeks prior to me noticing a problem, she's been a different beardie ever since

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

Sorry for the essay

Forgot to say the bulb I have is the Mega-Ray 150watt version, probably the best bulb there is.
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www.draco2.co.uk

"Life without animals isn't life, they give much and take little"

Claire

[tigerbaby2k]

[ToonTomH]

Forgot about this thread after I got the first couple of replies But thanks for the rest of them.

I decided against making a vivarium and took the wiser option of buying a 4ft x 1.5ft x 1.75 ft vivarium online. I took the advice on a 3ft 10.0 UV Tube and have also got a basking light. The UV tube runs along the top, but there are plenty of places where s/he can get up and closer to the UV tube if s/he wants.

Thanks a lot for all your help!

Tom
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1.1.1 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon