Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i read that uvb rays are only effective 1 foot is that true? if so i am planning on building a cage that is 2 feet high how would they get the uvb?

Yes it's true. They have to be closer then 12 inches away from a flourescent type bulb like repti-sun. For a larger tank that high you would have to get a mercury vapor bulb, they throw uvb rays a whole lot farther, or you would have to built up the basking spot to get the dragon close to the flourescent light.
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Mystical Dragons

i wanted to use a iguana 5.0 ive read rave reviews about them, should i just raise up the basking spot and the whole side affected by the uvb?

The Iguana light 5.0 is the same exact bulb as the repti-sun 5.0 just different names. When I used the rept-sun type bulbs I would angle a branch big enough for them to bask on up to the corner that had the bulb. This side was the basking side so the dragon stayed there most of the day. I also at the time had a glass tank so in the other corner on the same side I put a hammock for them too. Now I have melamine cages 4x2x2 so it's wood. I now use the stronger mercury vapors for heat and uvb and have a cheap regular flourescent to light up the whole length of the cage. With the mercury vapor powersun you can have the basking spot low cause the rays are a lot stronger and travel farther..
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Mystical Dragons