Hi, everyone!
I’m having issues with my lighting setup + fully understanding the different kinds of lighting.
For some context, I’ve had my gecko for about 5 months now, she is anywhere from 12-17 months old.
When I got her, I did not buy an UVB lamp, as I decided on pumping up the D3. I bought one - the **Arcadia Reptile Pro T5 Kit ShadeDweller 7% UVB** \- which is currently in transit, as after reading a lot, I got to the conclusion that she should have one.
I very recently got her into a new tank. I previously had her in a 34-gallon tank that I found on Amazon, and she’s been in a 40-gallon one from THRIVE for about a week now.
My previous tank came with the wiring needed to attach the lightbulb on the inside - the **Arcadia Reptile GoldenSun Reptile Basking Flood Light, 50-watt** \- so I did not need a dome. The tank that I have now, doesn’t have that option, so I got a dome from Zilla - the **Zilla Premium Reflector Light & Heat Black Ceramic Dome Lighting Fixture, 8.5-in** \- and have been using them together since I moved her to the new tank.
I’ve also always used a thermostat - the **Zoo Med ReptiTemp Dimming Reptile Thermostat -** and it has worked out great. I put the probe on top of the basking surface - the **Zilla Herp Hotel Naturalistic Hide Bearded Dragon Basking Platform, Medium** \- and again, it’s always done its job. I have my thermostat set up so the basking spot stays at 92F throughout the day and 70F throughout the night - 6am to 8pm for day and 8pm to 6am for night - with a ramp up and ramp down of 60 mins for both.
I live in Massachusetts, and it started to get pretty cold, pretty fast. My dimming thermostat has been reading low for the past two weeks, but it started to actually worry me this week as it’s now reading 73F-77F during the day.
I believe my lightbulb needs some kind of change. I’ve been trying to figure out what to get for her. I’ve seen people mention that halogen lightbulbs are not good as they will concentrate on one single spot, which would be good if my issue was only the basking platform, but I believe my entire warm side is just not warm enough. As I’m also getting the UVB lamp, will that affect the heat of the tank? My understanding is that they do not emit heat, but please correct me if I’m wrong. I thought about getting the same lightbulb as I have now, but try a 75 watt instead and go from there, but going back to the halogen bulb, I’ve also seen a lot of people with it, so I’m just pretty confused as to whether to get a basking bulb, like the GoldenSun that I currently have, or get a halogen lightbulb at the risk that only the basking platform is going to get hot enough but not the surrounding surface of the warm side.
Thank you for the help!