Welcome to Cactus Reptiles
At Cactus Reptiles we are proud to be a small breeder of high-quality reptiles and amphibians. Our passion for these unique creatures drives us to provide exceptional care and service to both our animals and customers.
Bearded dragons must have a
good linear UVB light
Recommended brands are ZooMed T5 10.0 and Arcadia T5 12.0

Bearded Dragon Basic Care
LIGHTING
Bearded dragons are diurnal, meaning they are active duribg the day and sleep at night. The circadian rythm and activity levels depend on good bright light and a period of darkness for night. The use of colored bulbs is not reccomended. If heat is needed at night the a ceramic heat emmiter that produces no light can be used. More on those in HEATING. A lot of behavior problems are due to poor husbandry, or poor conditions with light, heat, temp.These are fixable before a problem arises.
UVB
One of the most important bulbs you can have is one that produces UVB. Without UVB a dragon can not absorb nutrients from food, can devolp MBD, and have numorous other problems. UVB can be produced by a flourescent tube type bulb or a mercury vapor bulb. LED is becomming an option, but is still unproven. A good linear tube light is recommended. The coiled compact UVB bulbs are not a good choice because the light is concentrated in a narrow beam that can harm the dragon. A linear bulb comes in two sizes, a t8 and t5. The t8 is fatter and the t5 is more powerful. A t8 can not go through mesh and must be installed inside of the enclosure. Glass and plastic also block UVB, so a window nearby is not an option. These bulbs will come in different intensities as well. A 5.0 is more tripical, a 10.0 is desert and the lowest that is recommended. 12.0 and 14.0 are also readily available. The more intense the output, the farther away it can be from the basking area.
10.0-usually 9"-11" on mesh and 14"-17" without
14.0-usually 10"-12" on mesh and 14"-18" without
Mesh blocks up to 45% of output and the best way to test is with a solarmeter. These are expensive and another option is a uvb card. It color changes acording to uvb output. The UVB bulb should be at least 1/2 of the enclosure length, starting on the warm side.
Mercury vapor bulbs are another option for UVB and they combine heat with UVB. Problem is thay are pricey, expire in 6 months, and have too narrow a beam to cover 1/2 the enclosure.
UVB bulbs expire in 6 to 12 months. The problem is they still produce light, just no UVB.
Basking bulbs and heat bulbs produce visible light along with heat. Most if not all of your heat will come from the light bulbs so that leads us to heating. Remember dragons love light and if your tank is still too dim with the proper wattage bulb, an led light can supplement with little heat.
HEATING
All lizards need a distinct day and night cycle to maintain their natural rythm. Nightime temps can drop to about 50, but ideally they should be kept at 60-75.
Dragons are a basking type of lizard meaning they use heat directly from an overhead source that mimics the sun. There must be a temperature gradient in order for the dragon to regulte body temerature. They need to be able to escape the heat even though high temps can be tolerated. They can and will overheat. Yr basing bulbs should be on one side or the other in orer to create a temperature gradient. Basking surfaces can be made from stone, tiles, branches, or logs, but stay away from most plastics ar adhesives as they can fume when heated. Stone absords mor heat than stone, but both are good options.
Basking bulbs should be about 10"-14" from the basking surface. If the bulb( which should be checked with a temp gun) needs to be closer to the animal then a protective shield should be on the fixture to keep from causing burns. Its best to use a high wattage bulb to create the necessary heat for your dragon. The wattage = heat output. To make the basking area hotter the area can be raised or wattage increased. Same for cooler, less wattage. The bulbs can also be put on dimmers to make it custom. Be aware though that halogen bulbs provide hotter temps at lower watts. I just remember how flammable they were and tend not to use them.
If supplemental heat is needed a long with the bulbs, or nightime is too cold, a CHE, or ceramic heat emitter can be used. These are heat bulbs that produce no light and can also be dimmed. Using a temp gun a nice temp can be achieved using both bulbs and the bulb can stay on all night if it helps make the temps right. Having a temp gun is essential to create proper ambient temp and gradient. These should be used in addition to the digital thermometers in both ends of the enclosure.
CAGE TEMP HUMIDITY
warm side: 78-90 ambient 30%-40%
basking: 95-110
cool side: 68-75
night: 60-75
Frequently Asked Questions
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Location
CactusReptiles1.com
North Richland Hills, Texas
About us
Cactus Reptiles is a small breeder located in North Richland Hills, Texas, specializing in high-quality reptiles and amphibians. Our team of passionate experts is dedicated to providing exceptional care and service to both our animals and customers.
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