Increasing daytime basking heat

Hey All,

Currently new to this and need some help and advise.

2 weeks ago I bought a 7 month beardie (named Rex) with a 90cm x 45 cm x 45xm exo terra Viv from a previous owner. The set-up also came with a exo terra starter kit, which used 2x Repti Glo 10.0 compact/coils and 2x 25W Exo Terra Sun Glo bulbs.

After a few days I recognised that my beardie was closing his left eye more than his right, although, there seems to be no other problems with his eye and has both eyes open when active. After doing some research I removed the Repti Glo 10.0 compact/coils and been treating the eye with a saline solution twice a day and there seems to be a small improvement.

I then investigated and purchased a 30W T8 fluorescent fitting, Repti Sun 36" 10.0 uvb and Arcadia Reflector, which I received today (1 week after removing the coils).

Now I have the problem of keeping the basking temperature above 100. Today the temp has stayed around 93-95 in his basking spot. I am using digital thermometers at the basking area to measure the temp.

So currently, I am using a 36" Repti Sun 10.0 uvb which is across the whole viv, plus a 150W bright white exo terra basking light, which came with the original setup. The basking light is approx. 8 inches above his elevated basking area and the uvb is approx. 10 inches away.

I have a spare small exo terra porcelain lamp which was previously plugged into a thermostat with a infra red bulb for night time. Although, the nighttime heat never really drops below 70.

What would be best way to increase the heat to 105-110? Should I buy another bulb, use one of the 25W Sun Glo bulbs (I don't think one will do a substantial amount) or ceramic heat emitter to keep temps up during the day?

Thanks in advance
Joe

Hi and welcome! :wave:

It seems really, really odd that you can't get a decent basking temp 8" away with a 150W :?
I use regular household bulbs 60-100W for my basking bulbs (not those energy efficient ones because I want that extra heat!) and they're more than 8" away on all my tanks. I'm guessing you're from the UK so I don't know what you have available in the way of household bulbs.
Are you placing the digital thermometers directly on the basking spot? Since that exo terra bulb came with the set-up, I would try replacing it with something else and see what happens with the temps before adding additional bulbs. Maybe you could post a pic of your viv?

Hi There,

Thanks for your response.

Yes, I am in the UK and my digital thermometer is at the exact height of his elevated basking spot.

I thought it was odd too, I will try replacing the Exo Terra basking bulb with an ordinary 150W household bulb and see how it affects the temp. Previously I had the 2 x 25W Sun Glo bulbs as well and the max temp I got was about 105.

Maybe it is because my room temperature is cold?

Well, good luck and let us know how it goes! Maybe someone else on here will have an idea if that doesn't work.

Out of curiosity, what kind of digi thermometer do you have?

The coldness of your room could be a possibility, but 8" and 150W? Weird... :dontknow:

Thankfully it's spring so soon it will warm up, the snow will melt, and then we will all be trying to bring temps down. :roll:

By kind of digi thermometer do you mean brand? if so, they are Exo Terra ones.

Well, here in the UK we don't get much sun anyway!!! so hopefully, but can't rely on the weather here

By the way, what is the best kind of household bulb to buy clear or pearl?

I'm not sure what you mean by pearl. I always get whichever bulb has the most lumens but is not an energy-saver. Those energy efficient bulbs don't produce enough heat.

Lol, can you ever rely on the weather? But that's right, I remember hearing about the overabundance of cloudy skies and rain in the UK.

A pearl bulb has like a thin white diffuser layer over the bottom of glass bulb, which I guess dulls and diffuses the light.

Should I use a clear bulb and not a pearl bulb so it helps protect his eyes from the UVB? My Exo Terra bulb I am currently using is not clear.

Yeah the UK's weather is not the greatest at all!!! Even when sunny it is cold haha

Sorry, I have one other question my basking and uvb lights are on timers 12 hours on 12 hours off. Should both lights go on and off both at the same time? Currently, I have the basking light come on 30 mins after the uvb in the morning and 30 mins before the uvb at night, is that ok?

Thanks for your help

I don't think clear or pearl really matters much, as long as it's there. I have both a clear bulb in one viv and a blueish-type bulb in the others and haven't had any problems. Ideally the basking light should provide heat and more UVA.

As for the timing of the lights, that sounds fine, it won't hurt him. I have mine go off and on at the same time and have thought about something more elaborate, but 8 vivs on 6 different timers complicates things. This guy here has a really interesting light set-up: http://www.hadesdragons.co.uk/spyrocage.html At first he talks about building fake rock (which is the info I wanted) but then at the end he talks about lighting and heating. A little too complicated for me atm, I think.

No worries about your questions, that's what the forum is for

Yeah, that timing on the website is too elaborate and complicated for me at the moment also

8 vivs!! do you have just beardies or other reptiles as well?

Found out today that you can't even buy 100W bulbs in the UK shops anymore! and on top of that they will only sell energy saving bulbs soon...

I have purchased a 150W pearl bulb online, which should be delivered in a few days. Will let you know how it changes my temps, fingers crossed!

Thanks again for all your help

Dang, that's unfortunate that you can't buy 100W bulbs You know, I heard the US is planning on switching to all energy-efficient bulbs as well. I see the point and all, but it's still frustrating. When the switchover happens I plan on buying a whole bunch of 50, 60, 100W bulbs and stocking up, like some crazy woman with canned food and toilet paper.

Well... I have 4 beardies, 3 iguanas, a leopard gecko, and a basking spot in the window in the living room, where the adult iguana now likes to catch the morning sun. It's also on a timer so I don't forget to turn it on in the morning. It's really funny, the adult ig Aladore and my female beardie Remi will actually fight over that spot. I kid you not. Aladore likes to get there early in the morning and "beat" Remi to it, and will sometimes spend whole days there so Remi can't have it. Kids :roll:

Yeah, definitely let me know how that new bulb works out for you! Here's a thought, though I may have asked something similar... do you put the thermometer directly in the basking spot where your beardie basks? Or just next to it?

I already stocked up on a variety of bulbs lol!

When you say the therm is the height of the basking spot what do you mean? Is it a digital one with a long wired probe, or a dial style one put at the same height at the basking spot??

It is a Exo Terra digital probe one which goes through a foam wall at his exact elevated basking height spot

Funny stuff, sounds like they get on really well!!!

I am happy with my one beardie seeing I am new to all this although I can see the addiction!!! maybe I will have more in the future

Still waiting for this bulb but I am going to stock up too once I have the temps right

Rex is still really happy and is just shedding his head and he seems to be digesting his food properly.

Although, when I got him from his previous owners they had 2 reptiglo 10.0 compact coils and I noticed in the first week he had an eye problem. I have been treating his eye two times a day with a saline solution and week after having him I changed his bulb to a reptisun 10.0 uvb tube in his viv. 2 weeks later I have not seen much improvement. He has no problem opening and closing and there is no sign of infection but he keeps his left eye closed the majority of the time when not active. It was the eye facing the compact coil and I hope it is not permanently damaged.

What if you put the thermometer exactly where Rex would bask? What is the temperature then?

Don't worry, the whole temp/lighting thing is the most difficult thing to get right, but you'll get there!

Yeah, they are characters together! I hope they get to keep "fighting" for a while, but Remi is really sick atm. Sick as in I'm pretty sure she won't make it out of surgery today. I'm currently waiting for the vets to phone me and let me know.
But you're right, they are addicting. There's a joke on this forum that beardies are like pringles, you can't have just one

I'm glad to hear that Rex is doing well, it's great that he has such a good dad. As for his eye... About the only thing I can suggest is to keep doing what you're doing, and to turn off his reptisun for two-ish days and see what happens. A couple days without UV won't hurt him and it will give his eye a chance to heal without exposure to UVB. It's great that there doesn't seem to be an infection, though, and that he does open and close it on his own.

Oh no, sorry to hear that. I hope Remi fights through it and recovers.

I am trying to do what I can. Will try turning off the UV for a few days but he went without for 1 week, about 1 week ago while I was waiting for the tube bulb, so I am cautious about it.

Best wishes with Remi

So did he already go without UV after you took away the reptiglo bulb? Normally his eye should have recovered during that period.... so if that's the case, nevermind about turning off the reptisun... how close to the reptisun is he? Darn coil bulbs, they should all be smashed.

Thanks... Remi did make it out of surgery, thank goodness, though her little heart stopped once. The next hurdle is waking up from anesthesia. So we'll see. Baby steps.

You know, you should post pics of your little guy. We all love pics