Equipment
Bearded Dragon Lighting Guide
Updated August 1, 2026
Why lighting matters: bearded dragons are diurnal basking lizards from Australia's arid regions. Proper UVB is non-negotiable — without it, they cannot metabolize calcium and develop metabolic bone disease (MBD), a fatal and irreversible condition.
☀️ UVB tubes are essential
Bearded dragons need UVB to metabolize calcium. Without it, they develop MBD — weak bones, deformities, tremors, and death.
✅ Do:
- • Use a linear T5 or T8 tube
- • Position over 2/3 of the tank
- • Replace every 12 months (even if still lit)
- • Use a T5 HO 10-12% or T8 10% tube
❌ Don't:
- • Use compact UVB coils (cause eye problems)
- • Use Mercury vapor bulbs (uncontrollable UVB/heat)
- • Place mesh between dragon and UVB
- • Rely on ambient room light for UVB
🔦 T5 vs T8
T5 HO (High Output)
- • Stronger UVB output
- • Can be placed up to 12" from dragon
- • Best for large/tall enclosures
- • Slightly more expensive
- • Requires T5 fixture
T8
- • Weaker UVB output
- • Must be within 6-8" of dragon
- • Good for smaller enclosures
- • Less expensive
- • Standard T8 fixture works
Recommendation: T5 HO 10-12% is the gold standard. Arcadia 12% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 are trusted brands.
🔥 Basking bulbs
Basking bulbs create the hot spot dragons need to digest food and thermoregulate.
- Target basking temp: 100-110°F (38-43°C) on the basking spot
- Wattage: depends on enclosure size and room temp — 75-100W typical
- Type: halogen flood bulbs work great; avoid colored bulbs
- Position: 6-12" above the basking platform
- ALWAYS use with a thermostat to prevent overheating
💡 LED / ambient light
LEDs don't provide UVB but are great for general illumination and viewing. They save energy and produce little heat.
- Use a daylight LED (5000-6500K) for natural-looking light
- Position to fill in shadows from UVB tube
- LEDs can run 12-14 hours alongside UVB
⏰ Photoperiod (day/night cycle)
Bearded dragons need consistent day/night cycles:
- Day: 12-14 hours of light (UVB + basking + LED)
- Night: 10-12 hours of complete darkness
- No light at night: even colored night bulbs disrupt sleep
- Use a timer: automate the on/off for consistency
In winter, some keepers reduce to 10 hours of light to mimic seasonal changes — but this is optional.
📏 Placement guide
Typical setup
- • UVB tube: spans 2/3 of tank length, on warm side
- • Basking platform: directly under UVB, at correct distance for temp
- • Basking bulb: over basking platform
- • LED: fills remaining tank length
- • Timer: all lights on same schedule
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