Bearded Dragon Lighting Setup

What is the best light setup for a bearded dragon? Today we answer this question in my simple no nonsense guide! Also turn off all lights at night for your bearded dragon just like nighttime!
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[@droe9828]

I have been so confused about lighting. I've had my beardy for a little over a year now and am constantly making adjustments. The way you explain things is easy to follow and I appreciate it so much.

[@jeddracul6]

Your videos are some of the best and descriptive reptile videos out there especially for those of us who are new to the hobby, always glad to see a new upload!

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Happy to help! That’s definitely my goal is to help new keepers feel good about there setup in the hobby since it’s all so confusing and stressful at first.

[@Kay20135]

Thank you so much I’m getting a bearded dragon and I don’t know anything

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

@@Kay20135 congratulations 🎊 I have guides on everything that you may need on the channel hopefully I can answer any questions you have.

[@MilQuetoastMushrooM]

I agree!

[@my_isabell]

Love your way of explaining, very informative and clarifying . Thank you Chief!

[@JoseVega-js6dq]

Bro u saved my beard dragons I starte watching ur video like 3 weeks ago because I have 3 of them and I have them together and one died my first one 😢 and I start looking to see why and I found your videos and now I follow every single thing u do and I just buy my 3 and I have 3 different cages with everything that u use the same mix of dirk lights and everything thank you very much for real I Lear a lot from you 💯💪🏻. Maybe one day I open my KZbin channel and u will see.

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Happy to help! Sorry to hear about your dragon but now you can give all your dragons great care and they can live long happy lives

[@alexisjones1152]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for these videos. They’re quick and to the point. 😄 I have a couple questions… Back story first. I just adopted a young adult Bearded Dragon. The previous owners didn’t give him the care he needed, but it wasn’t out of cruelty, just lack of knowledge. I’m coming back into the reptile hobby. I had some Beardies 20 years ago. However I kind of cringe thinking back to how I was told to care for them. Again, lack of knowledge! Uuugh 😕 Anyway, I just installed an Arcadia 12% UVB tube light for him. There was a coil uvb in there before. 😢 I also purchased an Arcadia flood lamp for heat with a dimmer switch and bought an infrared thermometer to keep an eye on temps. I haven’t installed it yet. I’m kind of freaking out because he came with a ceramic heat emitter that is still in there right now, with no cage. I’m reading some scary things about the heat emitter, but not only that, heating elements INSIDE closed topped enclosures in general. That’s what I have. Do you have any videos on how you setup just closed enclosures? Safety?! Hazards?! Concerns?! Do’s and donts?!! I know the setup is different from a mesh top. Anyway, thank you. I’m gonna switch that out ASAP!

[@IOOO2233]

Thanks man! I’m learning so much from your channel 🙏🏽

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Happy to help

[@ElJefeDeMundo]

Can you please do a video on whether you prefer male or female bearded dragons and which ones can be housed together for what period of time? Thanks!!

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Will do.

[@TheDragonry]

Thank you for making these thoughtful videos. I really appreciate them!

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Happy to help!

[@chd7946]

great setting!!, wondering could I use Zoo Med PowerSun at hot zone to provide UVA&UVB, and put this Arcadia t5 uvb on cold zone for some extra uvb and bright light?

[@mtr3y449]

U really be on it wit the post 👌🏾

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Appreciate you 😁

[@glorias.2930]

Can you please offer consultations for a fee? Please consider this. I have questions. I just got a baby bearded dragon.

[@bl1969]

The best Bearded Dragon videos!

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Thank you so much

[@Swooptywoop]

What about night time heat?

[@donnamcdermott443]

You're right about the led light you are better off having that on the basking side the third eye the dragon has on the top of their heads has been evolved to see brightness and it helps them find a prime basking spot in the wild so if you led side is brighter than the heated and UVB side your dragon will go to the wrong side to bask a lot of great information looks like you already know this I was just explaining why for any one interested

[@EnriqueHernandez-x2e]

So for the dubia 120 gallon tank can I just set the uvb on top or do I have to mount it in the enclosure

[@justingold1679]

Omg love the detail in this video. Huge help! I have a 4x2x2 Zen Habitats and was wondering if using a T5 10.0 UVB bulb is okay on top of the mesh? I know the T5s are powerful but is it enough to get my guy the right UVB levels through the mesh and 2 feet down to the bottom of the tank?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

I would install it inside just for my own ease of mind. Unless your basking area is like 12 inches away then you would be ok

[@justingold1679]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse Got it, thanks man!

[@codyschwoch5451]

I would like to point out to those that have glass tops UVB lighting does not shine through glass very well so if you are going to have a glass top, you better put your UVB lamp mounted on the top of the cage. Otherwise, you are just basically just giving it extra UV light.

[@stevenmwarehimee]

Great content! Is there any way you can show the bearded dragon cages you have set up with the different tanks styles you have. We have a bearded dragon about 6 months old and a large tank but know we will need a bigger one in maybe 6 months. Really unsure of the style I want to get.

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

I do have a bearded dragon setup guide that shows some of my stuff and how I would design a new one

[@stevenmwarehimee]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse thanks for replying. I have watched a lot of your videos just haven’t seen full setups of different styles. It is possible I have not watched them all yet. What is the number one cage you would recommend out of all the styles?

[@TheZ883]

How big is that cage? Awesome video by the way. I just bought a 48x 18x 18 and I'm having such a hard time heating it up. I have a ceramic heating lamp and a 100 watt but, it reads like it's in the 80s in the basking area. Ofc, if I was reading near those lamps it would be way higher. I need to work on getting him higher. I have wood but it's not high enough. Any advice or video helps. This is just an overall read of the cage. Please and thank you 😊

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Happy to help! So I do use two Arcadia 100 watt halogens to heat my 48x18x18 cage up side by side with the uvb. Now if that’s too hot you could do 1 75 watt and 100 watt but ceramic heat emitted do suck a lot at throwing heat on the basking area.

[@TheZ883]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse I use the ceramic at nite for heat. During the day I'll have both on (100 watt and ceramic ) But it's winter now and I can't afford to have heat all day. Especially if I'm not home as long as he's comfortable I'm good . What trips me is the overall distribution that reads with the thermometer and gun 80ish. But, ill try your suggestions. Thank you you just earned a new subbie 😊

[@qiushuangel]

can you use a heat bulb that already has uvb along with a seperate uvb light like the arcadia?

[@civic30045]

Why not just use a power sun or solar glow bulb that does uva and uvb??

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Bulbs go out way too much and they produce some weak uvb. Like the 80 watt is pretty much producing nothing past 12 inches.

[@rachi9198]

Hello! I was just wondering if lighting is the same for pygmy dragon?

[@yuglee4931]

I am wondering this as well. From my research, i think it is the same set up

[@Johan_FRLN]

Quick question: what type of woods are safe for bearded dragons? What kind of leaf litter can be used? Are every leaves safe?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Most leaves are safe I’ve used pecan leaves oak leaves. The real stuff to stay away from is cedar trees. Pine is only safe if it’s heat treated lumber. But cut straight out the wild avoid. I use oak tree limbs from outside.

[@Little-_Z]

Oak is amazing. I collect southern live oak leaves and boil them for 10 minutes. I also use cholla wood that I’ve collected and disinfected with diluted vinegar water

[@X-iy6bh]

Which Arcadia should I use if I choose to put it inside of the tank at the top?

[@richardgilbert8682]

hi i will need two heat lamps for my 6ft viv on the basking side and i have the evo 2 thermostat adjustable is it possible to join the 2 lamp cables to a terminal block so i am using only one plug and that will free up my second evo 2 channel for my night time heater hope you see what im getting at thanks

[@haleyrose3631]

Many of my Veterinary colleagues all agree UVB/UVA needs to radiate the entire length of the enclosure. You can provide burrow space, but if your reptile spends too much time in there, they need to be removed, as UVB/UVA is ESSENTIAL for their metabolism. Where did you learn they don't need that exposure? I'm curious where that information came from.

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

I never said they didn’t need exposure to it at all. I say in all my videos how important the exposure to uvb and heat is to a reptile. However this info is from the top reptile lighting experts in the world you can actually consult with one of them here tomaskas.co.uk/ the uvb doesn’t have to be the entire tank just the basking zone which should take up half the tank. If a lizard is burrowing a lot well you have improper temps beardies won’t burrow unless they brumate or estivate one natural one cause by excessive heat. So if all correct the bearded dragon will bask and receive the appropriate heat and uvb. They don’t need much exposure to proper uvb to start synthesizing vitamin d3 which helps with the absorption of calcium. Now despite lots of bulbs saying they produce uva that’s simply not true you can read learn all about that in this reptile lighting podcast which includes data from the leading reptile researchers in the world. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqOXeqBuZ8iIpq8si=rsqRiZfpOssiHPRC

[@eelycarlosb]

Thank you so much for your videos!!! I have been using them as my guide to help my son’s new Bearded dragon. We purchased the 40 gallon ZooMed starter kit. It came with a combo Deep dome fixture which I’m not a fan of. How would I position the UV 12% Arcadia I purchased? I can’t go diagonal like yours, it’s either behind the lights or in-front should I mount it inside the cage directly beneath the basking light? Any tips or advice are greatly appreciated. ❤Thank you so much!

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Happy to help I actually have a recent video I posted showing how to do it on a 40 gallon!

[@krijgercapital8947]

I could just be slow... but can you explain the strip light fixture?? Every time I research to buy the Arcadia like you recommend, it's only the bulb for sale. Does any 24 inch fixture for a strip bulb work? Or do I need a specific hood light fixture for reptiles? I am so confused... I bought a zoo med reptisun like the pic you had in the video and was shocked to find just the bulb when I opened it. I don't know what I'm shopping for. Please help!!

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

No worries you are not slow it can be very confusing at first. So what I would do is go petsmart and buy the zoo med reptisun t5 10.0 kit

[@tselehstiyakrijger5555]

I’m on a time crunch trying to buy this for my daughters birthday on the 1st and they are out of stock everywhere. Can you answer my question on the lighting fixture? Can I just go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and get a 24 w light fixture and put the uvb bulb from zoo med in that? No one has the hoods or light strip fixtures.

[@jp_shark6031]

The second enclosure you showed. Isn’t the uvb way too long?

[@nikiabryant280]

Thank you🙏🏾

[@michaeljennings8381]

It’s okay to set them directly on top of the covering?

[@amolicelestia]

I just got a bearded dragon and i have a few questions. My bearded dragon looks like a teen its not to big or small. What if my bearded dragon isn’t eating? Can i use desert sand at its current age? Should mist him? Or just give water from a dropper on his nose? What if my basking lamp is too big like it tilts on top of the mesh on top, should i get a smaller light or a bigger lid to put it in?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Sometimes when you first get them they take a week to settle in and don’t eat you can give him water on the nose. The basking lamp wouldn’t matter. Just the heat from the bulb would matter to get appropriate temps

[@majorwakanda8858]

Where can I find more information on the inserts/background you have on the back and sides of the enclosure?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX2ToIl4adZ2nJIsi=R3wSAHNFH9k4yFRT

[@noahsanimalworld6856]

Can you send the link of the lights in the description? Thank you!

[@gabrielagarcia3311]

What do I use at night?

[@ramonfeliciano1963]

@ChiefSweetsUniverse how would i mount the UVB if I already have the THRIVE 40 gallon tank with the small screen holes on top?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

You can just lay it on top but make sure your basking spot is 10 inches below the screen

[@elisa0119]

If I have a 40 gallon tank and a 12% Arcadia 24w should it be mounted inside ?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

No that will be fine on top of screen

[@shayleeclay6345]

Will that same uvb bulb be best for a 50 gallon tank or do you prefer the 14%? At what tank size would you recommend going up to the 14%, your responses are much appreciated!!

[@evinsjoseph9629]

I have a zilla slimline desert 50 uvb t8 fluorescent fixture, and it's in the inside of the cage. It's it only produces 7% uvb and a little bit of uva. Is this a good thing I have a 4x2x2 zen habitat enclosure

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

For the 4x2x2 it would be too weak. You’ll need to upgrade to a t5 Arcadia or zoo med

[@chefpadfoot9437]

What watt bulb u have for 120 gallon

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Two 75 watts

[@K4yThen]

I have a few questions and concerns, I've been planning to get a baby or juvenile age bearded dragon and currently have a 2ft 20gal tank for it's juvenile age, and will later upgrade to a 4ft for it's adult stage. Seeing this video assuming it's a 4ft enclosure, That specific UVB linear light that you used and demonstrated in video would fill my entire 2ft enclosure with UVB. Will this affect my bearded dragon in any way if the enclosure is all covered in UVB? And is there any better versions of a UVB CIRCULAR and not Linear bulb than the ZooMed 10.0 reptisun so that I can just use a double fixture and put the basking bulb, AND UVB bulb in one side? First time very soon to be owner of one, and also afraid of making a mistake in its care. Thanks!

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

No worries so for a 20 gallon those are usually 12 inches tall you would use the Arcadia 6% 24 inch uvb bulb. Then get a 12 or 14% when you get the larger enclosure

[@kiptonnichols2475]

What heat lamps do you use?

[@TedTheRedDragon]

Hey just wanted to ask a question about my lights, i bought the tank you have on amazon and i got a 36 inch UBV light to go across the whole tank, and on light for basking and i hit 100-105. is it not ok that the UBV is across the whole tank?

[@wakeup8006]

I agree I did the same thing

[@danagarner7798]

I also had bought a 36 inch light for our 4x2x2 tank and was yelled at in a beardie group for having the light extend across the tank, but the basking lights are only on one side and he still has plenty of shaded areas on other. But I'm not sure if this will cause issues later on?

[@jennyle7273]

Do you cover the uvb light with another mesh just in case it blows up?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Nope never had one do that not very common so don’t have to worry

[@ItsGrimProductions]

Can I use a 125 or 150w bulb or is 100 the highest I should go ?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

You can use higher wattages. Use whatever wattage that gets you appropriate temperatures

[@EmbraceTheChakra]

is that 2 uvbs youre using there

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

No just one and a led day light bar

[@rammsteinfan1984]

Is a branch better than something like slate for them to bask on?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Either one will work great. Rocks or branches.

[@shellbeevillain33]

hi, im doing my research before buying a beardie, i will be getting a 4x 2x 2 viv, im confused about the heat lamps, would a 75w basking spot bulb be sufficient or am i better with 100w? it will be a closed top viv so bulbs will be on the inside.

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Closed top id go with. 75 watt. For my closed tops I use 50 watts and get desired temps so try 75 watt at first

[@shellbeevillain33]

thank you, with the arcadia proT5 kit 14% do i need with or without D3 or is it get both and alternate them. im not sure how old the beardie will be and am a bit confused on supplements when and which for each age range.

[@jessehesson]

I was told to put uvb on both sides

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

No you don’t have too. It’s good to have one side shaded so they don’t bask under it and don’t get heat cause sometimes they will

[@Little-_Z]

Boosting to commenting algorithm

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Appreciate ya

[@amolicelestia]

I also have school for 8 hours mon-fri. So what should i do?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

You can leave the lights on but use a thermostat so it makes sure your house doesn’t catch fire while gone. You can also drop 3-5 crickets or insects for him to eat while you are at school

[@richardgilbert8682]

hiya how do you know what size wattage to use as the arcadia 12% dragon kit comes with different size wattages which no one seems to explain thankyou . by the way love your tutorials 👍👍

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Happy to help you only need 24 watts. wattage goes along with inches usually and you only need half the cage covered

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

So if you had a 8ft tank you would get the 48watt 48 inch Arcadia. If you had a 6ft you would get the 36inch one

[@richardgilbert8682]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse thakyou for a quick reply and now i understand

[@richardgilbert8682]

sorry to bother you again but regarding led lighting arcadia lumeneze i have a 6ft viv and a 3ft uvb a dhp and a basking lamp one end and i am led to believe you need the other end darkish so what length and wattage arcadia lumeneze bar would you use as a rough guide please @@ChiefSweetsUniverse

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

@@richardgilbert8682 that would be perfect for the 6ft viv. 3ft uvb and halogen on the light side and your good

[@brendenavalos-martinez5033]

How long should the uvb light be on

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

During the day off at night

[@brendenavalos-martinez5033]

Thank you love your content keep up the work man

[@TheReptileJedi]

Will you do an in depth video for Ball Pythons soon?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Whoa how did you know! That’s a video that will be out later this week or next.

[@BeverlyJones-m4u]

Thank you for your informative video. I'm realizing that we have our lights set up incorrectly. We have UVB and heat but in different parts of the cage. We are considering moving her tank because she loves to look out the window and also sit in the sun (on the floor). Do you recommend putting a bearded dragon tank next to a window? It would be a small amount of direct sunlight for a small portion of the day.

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

No worries a lot of people accidentally set up lights wrong very normal glad you fixed it. So you can totally sit it infront of a window just make sure on sunny days it doesn’t raise temps too much inside the tank. Sometimes when the sun beams through the glass it turns into a giant magnifying glass and can get really hot inside the tank. Also glass does block 99% of uvb so still leave the uvb light on

[@sammythai99]

I wish we had Arcadia in Thailand. We only have Zoo Med. I know it's still good, but still disappointed

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Zoo med is still pretty good tho but I understand

[@roadlion7195]

Thank you for this video! What brand and size are your domes? Which Arcadia basking bulbs are you using?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

The domes I use are just some generic ones from tractor supply haha

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Arcadia basking bulbs are the 100watt floodlights

[@roadlion7195]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse thank you! Can I grab those at Petsmart ?

[@roadlion7195]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse that’s a great idea!

[@roadlion7195]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse so 2 of the 100 watt basking bulbs, the Arcadia 12% D3 24watt 12”, and a regular LED light on one side. Just ordered a 120 from Dubia and want to have it all set up before I get one.

[@SavannahShelburne-l4q]

Do all the lights turn off at night?

[@SavannahShelburne-l4q]

To Confirm there would be no heat light at night

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Yes I actually recently made a video about this it may help

[@sweatycrow2097]

Yo man, what background is that in your tank?

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

I make all my backgrounds. I do have a few videos that show the process

[@sweatycrow2097]

@@ChiefSweetsUniverse incredible mate 👍

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

@@sweatycrow2097 I appreciate you

[@Foxxygail]

I need help with my male dragon

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

You can join my discord or message me on Instagram

[@garyheth9136]

Good video, but please slow down a little. You talk soo fast

[@ChiefSweetsUniverse]

Haha yes next video I will be much slower.