Providing sufficient UVB Is not as simple of putting a fluorescent fixture on top of the enclosure. Glass & plastic block 100% of the UVB. Screen blocks 50%. The UVB is also decreased by 50% for every inch you move away from the source. When you place the fixture on the screen they would need to get pretty close to it to receive a sufficient amount of UVB. We recommend that the UVB coverage only be ½ the length of the enclosure so they can get away from it if they want. You can suspend the fluorescent fixture from the screen inside the enclosure. If you fixture is more than ½ the length of the enclosure tape something over part of the bulb to block some of the light (UVB).
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Another issue is the basking temperature & temperature gradient. Unfortunately aquariums & aquarium type enclosure retain heat. Bearded dragons live at room temperature. They only need to heat up to digest their food. This is why basking lights are spot lights. They only heat a spot, not the entire enclosure. Most of the commercial bearded dragon enclosures have a little ventilation, but it is generally inadequate to provide a proper temp gradient so the dragon can thermoregulate. Additionally if you place the basking light on the screen top then the 1st thing you are heating is the cool air intake so you are actually pre-warming the cool air which decreases the temp gradient. This can be address by adding ventilation & moving the basking fixture inside the enclosure. Here are a few things we have done to “modify” the bearded dragon enclosures so they are appropriate for bearded dragons.
We dis-assembled the dome light and made a hole in the screen top. We then attached the ceramic socket on the inside of the screen. You could also attach a fixture similar to the one for the aquarium above.
We had the glass beneath the door cut into 3 pieces so we can add a vent the entire length of the enclousre. You could also replace the glass with acrylic. The 3" vent is attached with 100% pure silicone.
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