Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a indoor cage. It's 7'long x 2'deep x 2 1/2'high and has two light sockets. What are the best and safest bulbs for me to use? I have the two light sockets on two separate dimer switches. my house temp is 70-73 all the time.

flood or spot style bulbs for heat, unless you intend to use a mercury vapor bulb to provide heat and UVB light. With a cage that large though, you may need both sockets for heat and install a 4 or 5' long florescent tube fixture for the uvb light....lowered so its 8-12" above the basking area.
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PHLdyPayne

I was thinking of going with Exo-terra solar glo 125w or Zoo med powersun 100w for the basking end. And a normal 100w bulb on a dimer switch for the other end. I don't want the cage to get to hot. What are your thoughts? Are these bulbs good ones?

Solar Glow is an awesome bulb. For an enclosure that size, you may want to go to a 160w. I dont think the 120 will be enough. I have used alot of bulbs, and I love the solar glow.
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www.moonstonedragons.com

You should post a picture of the enclosure, it's difficult to visualize from a description. If the sockets are mounted to the top or lid then a mercury vapor will be way to close to the animal unless you are going to have no raised basking spot at all. The best thing about long fluorescent tubes is they brighten the entire enclosure. You should only be heating one side. The cool side will be fine based on your room temperature.

In the picture below, the center column of cages are 5' x 3.5' deep x 2' tall. This time of year I use (2) thermostatically controlled 50W Par 20 floodlight bulbs for heat. My room temp. is 68. In the summer I switch out the 50's for 35's. The fluorescents are (2) 3' Zoo Med Reptisun 10's.

thanks to everyone for your help. I'll see if I can post a pic.

that fluorescent bulbs were the way to go for the full spectrum light and incandescent for the heat because the incandescents that are used for full spectrum are too strong and can damage the dragon's eyes.
Is this correct?
Thank you!
Aaron
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www.voodoomagicboas.com

The coating on the earlier (and some still out there) was not up to par with the mercury vapor bulbs that your talking about.

I prefer them and see increased appetites and activity from dragons kept under these bulbs.

Thank you!
So you're saying the screw-in incandecsentl full spectrum bulbs are now safe and as good as the tube fluorescents but mercury vapor bulbs are the best of them all?
Thanks again!
Aaron
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www.voodoomagicboas.com

Mercury Vapor bulbs are safe at the correct distance. There is no incandescent bulb that provides UVB except mercury vapor. There are screw in compact fluorescent UVB bulbs. These were the ones linked to eye damage. I still wouldn't trust them.

The disadvantages of mercury vapor are that the bulb must face straight down for maximum light. You need at least 18" (depending on the bulb) from the basking spot to the bulb. They do not put out enough heat to work as a single source in most setups. They also only provide light in a cone directly below the bulb. Therefore the rest of the cage is generally dark and has no UVB at all. Dragons need brightly lit cages. This is more easily accomplished with a fluorescent tube (or 2) that covers the entire cage.

Thank you so much!
I think I'll put either one or two incandescent fixtures for the heat and one or two fluorescent fixtures for the full spectrum per cage. Do I need separate basking spots for each lizard in the cage?
Of course, there will be only one male.
Thanks again!
Aaron
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www.voodoomagicboas.com

The fixture I use are (2) sockets setups normally used for 2 outdoor spotlights. This gives me 2 equal basking spots.

I would strongly recommend that you do not house 2 dragons together regardless of sex until you have significant experience. I have 27 BD's and only 3 setups that house 2 dragons. 1 M/F and 2 F/F. So I have 21 of 27 that live alone. This is not because I choose to but because the other 21 cannot get along with a cagemate. In the beginning of the breeding season even the females fight each other and could cause harm. Dragons are really best housed alone in almost all circumstances.

Thanks again, BDlvr!

I had heard that if you were wanting to have them together to breed, you needed to raise them together. So they're fine to raise to adulthood separately and then introduce as adults for breeding?

I'm sorry I keep having questions, but you guys are really helping. I'm also reading books and websites and I feel that I'm really starting to get an idea. Better to do the research BEFORE getting the animal, right?

Thanks again for your time and help!
Aaron
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www.voodoomagicboas.com

The amount of heat they product is what counts, and how much is available to your dragon. Both as an ambient and basking surface temperature. Knowing your temperatures is far more important than the bulb that creates them.