Lighting & heating help please

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Zeemex

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Right okay, I've had my beardie just over 3 months now, and my has he grown, everything has been fine up until about a week ago.

He is now about 5 months old. Last (possibly the week before, can't remember) I woke up to his basking light not turning on, I assumed the bulb had just fizzled so replaced it with the spare I had, which was a green one (original was white, both 100W), which exploded (yes, exploded, bang, glass flew and singed into my carpet) a few minutes after plugging it in and turning it on, luckily Mojo was on the other side of his tank and I also had his door open so some of the glass flew out and onto my bedroom carpet (which melted straight in, I may add). I figured the bulb somehow got too hot and just blew, due to how hot the pieces were to melt into stuff.

So naturally, I took him out, and thoroughly cleaned out his viv. I then went to Pets At Home to get him a new basking light since both I had somehow went in one morning. PAH only had ES fittings, I have BC (tried Homebase too, same case there). So I had no choice but to buy 2 ES bulbs (100W ProRep, white, 230v) and a BC-ES converter.

Got home, plugged converter in, plugged bulb in, week or so later now and no problems with the bulb.

HOWEVER. My problem is that the converter is a good inch maybe 2 inches, which has made the bulb lower, and is now making the baking spot VERY hot (thermo is reading 95, but when I press my fingers on it hurts) and am worried this is gonna (if it hasn't already) burn Mojo's belly.

Before this bulb (and converter) change everything was fine, basking spot wasn't too hot or anything. But this past week Mojo's eating and pooping has been a little off.

He used to be eating twice a day, about 6 medium locusts or more each meal. Pooped everyday around 2pm.

At points in the last week he hasn't eaten anything for 1-2 days, the past 2 days he's eaten about 20 locusts over all. He also hasn't been pooping everyday, I've had to bath him to get him to poop, and sometimes that doesn't work, sometimes he's gone 2 days without pooping.

I'm putting it down to the change in lighting, and maybe he is not getting full benefit from his basking spot?


Now I realise the instant answer would just be, go find a BC bulb and put it back to how it was, problem solved. Yes I'm gonna go do that in a bit, but wanted to run an idea through here first.

Now his viv temps are roughly 85-90 on the hot side, and about 80-85 on the cool side. I have a digital thermo each end, and the thermostat sensor hanging in the middle.

The basking lamp is hooked up the thermostat, and thus provides the heating for the entire viv. Now since the basking spot is meant to be 100+, but is hooked up to the thermostat, the basking lamp is turning off when the viv hits about 85-90, and I'm concerned this isn't providing my beardie with enough basking to digest properly perhaps.

My idea is to hook the basking light up to a dimmer switch, so I can keep that on for 12 hours constant with the UVB light (Arcadia), and to hook the heat mat that I bought (for emergency heating) up to the thermostat to control the overall viv temp, and I would put the heat mat underneath the carpet I have in the viv, so it wouldn't burn Mojo if it goes wrong. I was thinking to place the heat mat either under the hot side, which would then also be under carpet AND the basking rock, or in the middle of the viv under the carpet and 2 wood logs.

(Don't worry I'm providing pictures xD)

Would this be a good idea? And do you all agree with me as to the reasons for Mojo's eating/popping changes? Oh and is his log for where he can sit for UVB exposure adequate?

Here's some pictures to help: http://s201.photobucket.com/user/crypto90/library/Dragon
 

Zeemex

New member
Original Poster
Just been to the electrical shop and got a 60W BC, so that I could take the converter back out, it's been on for about 10 minutes and he already seems much happier, been walking all over his viv ^_^

My other questions still stand though :)

 
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