One of Bearded dragons essential requirements is a space where they can live. Setting up the best bearded dragon terrarium may be quite challenging for a beginner, though. The best man-made habitat setup will allow them to move freely, do a lot of climbing, bask in the man-made lighting…The man-made habita needs to have all the essential elements to provide the proper health for your pet. These include the enclosure, a substrate, a heating device, a water dish, and the Uvb Bulb. Without one of these or substituting elements that are below standards, your beardie will experience some health problems. It may also affect the overall look of the dragon.
Contents
- Benefits of Uvb Bulb For Bearded Dragon
- Recommended Best Uvb Bulb for Bearded Dragons
- 1. 100 Watt UVA UVB Mercury Vapor Bulb
- 2. T5HO 22 Reptile Lighting Fluorescent Tube 10.0 UVB
- 3. Zilla UVB Fluorescent Bulb 18 inch
- 4. T5HO 54 watt 46” Reptile Lighting Fluorescent Tube
- 5. UVB Light and UVA 2-in-1 Reptile Bulb 100W
- 6. STTQYB UVA + UVB Full Spectrum Sun Lamp
- 7. Mega-Ray Mercury Vapor Bulb – 70 Watts
- 8. Mega-Ray Mercury Vapor Bulb -160 Watts
- 9. Zilla Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamps Mini Halogen Bulb
- 10. Fluker’s Clamp Lamps
Benefits of Uvb Bulb For Bearded Dragon
Bearded dragons spend most of their time basking under the sun in their natural habitat. They need the heat from the sun to warm their bodies as they are ectothermic. Ectotherms like the bearded dragons, bullfrogs, butterflies, honey bees, and many other insects seek external sources of heat or shelter from heat to achieve their optimum body temperature. “Beardies” also need the UV to manufacture vitamin D from the food they eat. This allows them to metabolize calcium easily.
You will notice your pet displaying various behavioral patterns that will either compensate the low heat in their environment or regulate its body temperature to a useful level. To allow your docile dragon to be satisfied and grow healthy in this makeshift environment, you need to ensure that proper lighting is provided for it.
It is also vital to have a temperature monitor to be installed as this will allow you to control the temperature within the enclosure. It will also alert you when you need to turn on or off the heat or light sources. This will also allow your beardie to move about in his new habitat without any difficulty. Providing adequate heating/light sources for your pet is a sure way for it not to suffer from a health issue like the Metabolic Bone Disease.
Recommended Best Uvb Bulb for Bearded Dragons
Nothing equals to the UV provided by the sun. However, if you can find and set up the right lighting products in the beardie’s home, you can replicate the UV level that it requires and enough to provide your bearded dragon proper health.
There is a number of commercial lighting products available online. But what will be best suited for your pet? Below is a list of the best UVB bulb for Bearded Dragon that we have come up with. Note also that these Uvb Bulb may lose their strengths so you may need to replace them from time to time. You can read the product manufacturer’s manual for additional information related to this.
1. 100 Watt UVA UVB Mercury Vapor Bulb
100 Watt UVA/UVB is an excellent heat source for your bearded dragon. It’s a powerful source of heat and UVA/UVB/visible light. It’s also manufactured to be completely self-ballasted and emits no harmful UVC. This quality bulb can be used in setting up a habitat for different types of reptiles and amphibians, including the bearded dragons, chameleons, turtles, geckos, snakes, iguanas, lizards, and more. In addition to this, you can have it installed in any type of enclosures (vivariums, tanks, terrariums, vision cages, etc.). Finally, this UVB/UVA lamp has been tested to provide a proper working condition for your pet. 100 Watt UVA/UVB is made to last longer than many other products in its class.
2. T5HO 22 Reptile Lighting Fluorescent Tube 10.0 UVB
Zoo Med Repti Sun 10.0 UVB T5HO is a quality product of Carolina Designer Dragons, LLC. A UVB 10.0 provides 10% UVB output. This’s adequate to allow the bearded dragon to synthesize vitamin D3, an essential element for the effective metabolism of dietary calcium needed for the proper development of its bones and blood circulation.
The T5HO 22“ UVB10.0 fits all 3 of the T5HO fixtures provided by Carolina Custom Cages (a division of Carolina Designer Dragons, LLC): the Standard Fixture and Reflector, the Fixture and Reflector with Undermount Assembly. Take note, however, that this tube needs to be installed any closer than 10″ directly under the fixture (or 6″ diagonally from the sides or ends of the enclosure). Always refer to the product manual for proper installation.
3. Zilla UVB Fluorescent Bulb 18 inch
This fluorescent bulb by Zilla is a full spectrum light source. As such it is able to enhance both the surrounding as well as the animal’s natural color.
The product manufacturer indicates that this product is recommended for use with Zilla T8 Strip Light Fixtures. Zilla Uvb Bulb also has to be replaced every 12 months for the bulb to provide the adequate heat/light intensity that your pet may need to properly synthesize essential calcium it needs to maintain optimum health.
4. T5HO 54 watt 46” Reptile Lighting Fluorescent Tube
Another quality product from Zoo Medi. T5HO 46″ Uvb Bulb is considered as one of the best fluorescent tubes available in the market for your bearded dragon.
This T5HO 46″ UVB 10.0 fluorescent tube fits the Reptile T5HO 46″ Standard Fixture and Reflector. T5HO 46″ UVB is perfect for oversized enclosures greater than 36” in length. Breeders also find this lighting tube working perfectly when installed perpendicular to a plastic enclosure. This lighting fixture works well not only for your beardie, but for other reptiles as well, including Rankin dragons, horned toad lizards, uromastyx, and turtles. Once installed, you need to make sure that your pet will be no closer than 10” directly under the tube and no closer than 6” diagonally from the sides or ends of the heat source.
5. UVB Light and UVA 2-in-1 Reptile Bulb 100W
This Uvb Bulb is also a full spectrum heat and light source. It is manufactured to have a 10,000-hour lifespan and provides natural sunlight benefits and heat for your bearded dragon. It also works perfectly well for other reptiles, such as turtles, lizards, birds, and in different settings (terrariums and aviaries). With this product, you get the benefits of two products for the price of one as this can be used as a basking or heat lamp that also provides UVB light.
6. STTQYB UVA + UVB Full Spectrum Sun Lamp
This full spectrum bulb is made with a three-dimensional convex surface reflection for optimum release of light/heat for your pet. It can be used for a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, including the bearded dragon, blue tongues, chameleons, chuckwallas, frogs, geckos, iguanas, lizards, snakes, tegus, toads, turtles, monitors, uromastyx, and more. The bulb emits 97% UVA and 3% UVB.
7. Mega-Ray Mercury Vapor Bulb – 70 Watts
The Mega-Ray 70 Watt Mercury Vapor Reptile Bulb is considered the tiniest and the best self-ballasted light. It provides high levels of UVA and UVB lights. This lighting source is made to be the only bulb that uses a translucent magnesium oxide inner coating. It provides essential visible light, UVB, UVA, and heat for UVB-dependent basking reptiles. Many pet owners found this product to provide excellent value for their pets.
8. Mega-Ray Mercury Vapor Bulb -160 Watts
Many have found this mercury vapor bulb to provide excellent lighting (both UVA and UVB) for their pets. This self-ballasted basking spot lamp is recommended to be used with a compatible lighting fixture such as a wire clamp lamp. It is also not for use with dimmers and rheostats. If used properly, your little guy will surely love basking in this commercially made heat source.
9. Zilla Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamps Mini Halogen Bulb
The Zilla Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamp is a 25-watt mini halogen bulb and emits heat that is equivalent to a 50 to a 75-watt incandescent bulb. It is found to be 250% more efficient than incandescent lights. It’s manufactured with thicker glass and stronger filament bulbs. It lasts more than 1,000 hours on average compared to an incandescent light. This product fits with Zilla fixtures (Halogen Mini Dome, Heat and Uvb light, Mini Heat and UVB, etc.).
10. Fluker’s Clamp Lamps
This 5.5″-diameter dome lamp is made of a heavy duty gauge painted aluminum. It has ceramic socket E27 that can be used with incandescent bulbs, ceramic heat emitters, and compact fluorescent bulbs. It also comes with a 6-ft long cord that affords convenient plugging to far outlets. The lamp is rated up to 75watts. It can be easily attached to the rim of any terrarium.
Providing sufficient UVB is not as simple as installing the product that you have purchased to complete the make-shift habitat for your beardie. You also need to know the specific times when the light is turned on and off to provide the adequate heat/light that it needs when necessary. A timer will set the amount of time that the installed lighting sources are turned on, which should be about 10 to 14 hours each day. Finally, ensure to monitor the temperature within the enclosure to make sure that the temperature won’t be too hot for them.