Warm in the winter

Hi I'm just coming towards my first Autumn/winter as a beardie owner and I'm a little concerned about how cold it gets here. I've got slate tiles as flooring which warm up ok in the day but get a bit chilly at night. Ive started putting a t shirt over her when shes out and about but im not sure about wrapping her up at night as I don't want her to feel unable to move or smothered. Do other people leave their beardies wrapped up at night?

Wrapping won't do much since they don't produce their own body heat like we do. Best thing to do is set up a CHE, ceramic heat emitter, at night like this.
https://www.amazon.com/Pecute-Heater-Ceramic-Emitter-Black/dp/B00PS4YD1A/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1504993268&sr=1-5&keywords=ceramic%2Bheat%2Bemitter&th=1

wattage will depend on your enclosure.

Thanks kyleena. This is probably a stupid question but is there any reason I can't replace the current basking light with this and just leave it on all the time and turn the uv light on and off as required? Just seems easier than trying to get more sockets in the viv

Sorry but what wattage would you recommend? I have a 4x2x2 viv with a 75w bulb at the moment but the pet shop I went to said I'd need an emmiter with more than 100 watts which would also mean getting a new thermostat as I'm using the microclimate mini stat 100 and that wouldn't cope with a higher wattage emmiter

No, the CHE can't replace the basking light because beardies are affected in a positive way by having a bright light during the day.

And you don't need a 100 watt CHE, why would the pet store think he needs more heat at night than during the day ? [ You said his basking bulb is 75 watt ]

The thing to do is get about a 60 watt CHE and just swap it out at night with the basking bulb.

Thanks AHBD Im currently arguing with the pet store I got the viv/beardie from and the one I asked about the ceramic light... I asked the one with the ceramic light if it's fit in the same socket with the ministat100 and they said no it needs a ceramic fitting too due to needing over 100w they also said (and they are right) that the ministat 100 says in its manufaturers comments it shouldn't be used in a light source which is how it's been set up by the other pet store. They are also saying the uv is wrong and I need over 100 watt for the 4x2x2 viv however I have a probe and my 75w have the temps about right. I have no idea what to do my beardie seems healthy but now I'm not only scared she'll be cold at night but also the whole set up is dodgy. I did post a pic on here ages ago and people weren't too concerned. Any thoughts anyone?

Doesn't your basking light have a ceramic socket ? At any rate, if your house does not get colder than 67 at night for a baby or 64 for adult then you won't need any heating. A soft towel can be slightly warmer for your dragon [ think of walking barefoot on a tile floor compared to carpet ] So while it's true that a reptile can't heat itself, the towel would keep it on a warmer area than plain tile.

I live in England so often drops to freezing in the winter so thought probably best to sort something out. The store have said if I go round they'll try to sort it out so fingers crossed think I need the ministat 300 really and at least a 100w bulb with a 75 or 60 ceramic for night time. Fortunately she seems a happy healthy dragon. Incidentally I've attached a pic of the current set up just so prople can see it.

I'm definitely seconding getting a ceramic heater. I live in New England, and we set up both a ceramic heater along with our UVB bulb. It keeps our beardie warm, even if she's brumating and not lounging around in the light as much.

This is what all my gang have in their rearing tubs and full size timber vivs :

viewtopic.php?f=75&t=224976

they all love to sleep on their warmed tiles.

I'm subtropical coastal, so never see temperatures in my house under 21 degC , is airconditioned 24/7 in winter and also in summer. Never colder than about 8 degC outside even on the worse winter night.

Ghoul":2eu3qqlf said:

I'm definitely seconding getting a ceramic heater. I live in New England, and we set up both a ceramic heater along with our UVB bulb. It keeps our beardie warm, even if she's brumating and not lounging around in the light as much.

Click to expand...

If you get a ceramic heat emitter , you need a ceramic (high temperature e27 socket) .

I suggest you also consider a solid timber lid for over winter , this will help hold the heat inside the viv see : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=236332&p=1816614#p1816614
where you can see the effect of a solid timber lid in insulating a glass viv .

Am I ok to use the ceramic heat emitter instead of the basking light? It's still light with just the uv but not as bright as before but it does let her sleep and I just amend the temp. If not it'll be a case of changing the bulb for the emitter every night and that seems awkward

They really need to see the basking spot light. What you can do is add a porcelain light socket and set it up with a switch to turn it on at night. You can get them at any hardware store and probably Walmart even. They look like this:
https://www.lightingdirect.com/craftmade-k212-o-one-piece-porcelain-keyless-lamp-holder/p1669024
They are easy and cheap to set up just google some videos on how to set one up.

Steve1878":1ihphk4t said:

Sorry but what wattage would you recommend? I have a 4x2x2 viv with a 75w bulb at the moment but the pet shop I went to said I'd need an emmiter with more than 100 watts which would also mean getting a new thermostat as I'm using the microclimate mini stat 100 and that wouldn't cope with a higher wattage emmiter

Click to expand...

Hi Steve the Ministat 100 is advertised as a non light emitting heat source and shouldn't be used with a regular light emitting "basking bulb" (could be dangerous having it run a light bulb ? )
http://www.microclimate.co.uk/mini/ministat100/

The B1 HT Thermostat is meant for a light source http://www.microclimate.co.uk/b-series-3/b1ht/

Or like you mentioned the Ministat 300 can run either, or the Evo will do both with two channels and can be set to switch between them day/night. http://www.microclimate.co.uk/evo/

I have the B1HT for my basking bulb and it seems fairly accurate, I also live in the U.K and just use a low wattage (40 watt in 5x2x2 viv) CHE to plug in during the colder nights, but I don't bother using a stat, as its just used to bring the temp up a few degrees and nowhere near basking temps.

I use this fitting and only needed to use it a few times last winter. https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/prorep-ceramic-lamp-holder-with-bracket/

Ive got the 600 pulse now with a 125 ceramic heat emitter which I turn down during the night and a normal bulb on timer with the uvb to add the light. She seems happy and warm