What UVB bulb and lighting schedule does my anole need while I'm gone?

Hello. For the best health & living conditions for your anole, please only use products designed for them. Heating pads are dangerous & reptiles are not plants & require a very specific spectrum of light to grow in a healthy manner. In the long run, you will have less problems & metabolic health issues if you prepare a proper environment for your pet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ideally, a 10 gallon tank is the smallest enclosure that should be used for one anole. You will need a UVB light source as well as a heat lamp. The brown color is likely due to stress. The link below will provide a list of items required as well as information on basic care. http://www.anapsid.org/anole.html

Natural sunlight can be substituted for artificial UV light as long as the light is not filtered. If the light has to travel through glass, or a mesh covering, then it will not allow UV light through and an artificial source will need to be substituted. If the sunlight is completely unobstructed, then you can subtract the amount of time that sunlight is available from the 10- 12 hours and have an artificial UV source for the rest of the time. The UV light will be limited, or nonexistent in the shade, but it's expected that he will not spend the entire day basking in UV light, so it's OK if he spends some time in the shade. Make sure that there is a good area of unobstructed light in the enclosure and he should get the necessary amount of UV rays. I hope that helps and all is well with Loki.

The ReptiSun 10.0 bulb by Zoo Med is widely recommended. It should not be obstructed by either glass or plexiglass or be more than 18 inches away from the basking area. If you can't get one just yet, natural unfiltered sunlight can be provided daily if you can do it safely and without risk of escape.

You can use this bulb but it will do nothing but provide light, which is fine, if only for a few days to a week at most. As a side note, all UVA/UVB lights should be changed every 6 months regardless of whether or not they are still "working". The light will no longer be producing UVA/UVB after 6 months.

A RES requires full spectrum lighting (UVA and UVB) and lighting that provides heat. The dry dock, or basking area, should be completely out of the water. Basking temps should range between 90F and 95F (32-35C). You should place the UVA/UVB bulb as close to the heat lamp as possible. It should be no more than 12" away from your RES and should not have a barrier between it and your turtle. Glass, acrylic and plastic block UVB while screens with grids under 1/2" can obstruct a good portion of UVB rays negating the health benefits. Lighting should be on for around 12 hours a day, depending on the time of year. Full UVA/UVB bulbs need replacing every 6 months. The simplest combination for adequate lighting is a UVA/UVB fluorescent bulb and an incandescent light bulb (for heat). Incandescent light bulbs are standard household lights easily purchased at stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. Make sure your RES cannot splash water on it or come into contact with it. You can also consider halogen lights and red heat bulbs for supplemental heat. You can buy the UVA/UVB bulbs at most pet stores. Search in the Reptile section. They can also be purchased online for around $30-$40. ReptiSun 10.0 (by ZooMed) or ReptiGlo lights are quality full spectrum bulbs.

One hour of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day should be sufficient until you get the bulbs. Do not mistake a basking light (which provides heat) for a UVB light which provides beneficial (and necessary) UVB rays. Make sure the nighttime temperatures do not get too cool.