Basking Spot Too Hot! Should I Use a Dimmer?

Hi, everyone!

I’m a bit new to beardie husbandry and I’m trying my best to take care of a rescue I just received (long story). His name is Snugglelord and I got him a secondhand custom enclosure from Carolina Custom Cages that seems awesome except for one thing...

His basking spot is WAY too hot.

My best guess is that Snugglelord is about a year old or a little older, as I have another beardie who is probably eight or nine months and is much smaller. Her setup is working out great, but it’s quite different.

Snugglelord’s setup looks like so (except that we have now moved on to digital thermometers):





The UVB is located right next to the basking bulb, which is running at 119 degrees. ? I have read that a dimmer may work, but I’m not sure how to use it effectively with this setup. Is there a way to use the dimmer on just the basking bulb without dimming the UVB as well?

Should I just get another bulb? Currently we are using a 50W GU10 from Carolina Custom Cages.

Snugglelord thanks you for your assistance.

Depends on how it is wired up. If it only has one plug then a dimmer won't work. You could try a smaller wattage bulb. I'm pretty sure the gu10 is basically a track lighting bulb. Try to find one in a 40 watt at lowes or home depot. But it may need to be lower in wattage. If it has two plugs, one for uvb and one for basking, then a dimmer would work perfectly.
By the pic posted it appears the uvb and basking bulb are tied together some how.

Ok. So on further searching I found your light setup. Now, here is your easiest solution. You need to take the gu10 socket off the light. I'm thinking it must have a plug that goes into the end of the t5 to supply its power. Next step is to remove that code off the gu10 socket and replace it with a dimmer power cord. Similar to this:https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/1...MImebC16eA3wIVbx6tBh3_eQoDEAQYAiABEgITXvD_BwE

GU10 halogens are pretty hot.

2 things :
1) you need an all ceramic high temperature rated GU10 socket (DON"T USE one with ANY PLASTIC in it - it will melt and some even start to smolder).
2) I don't recommend dimming GU10 globes UNLESS the model is made to cope with being dimmed (some are some aren't) , I've not used GU10 halogens or GU10 dichrotics though a bought some to experiment with and found they were very hot little beasts).

If the GU10 50W halogen is too hot ,
>> move it further from the basking spot
or
>> move the basking spot lower , if the warm and cool zones are nice temperatures

if the entire tank is too warm
>> move it higher
or
>> try an inline dimmer
or
>> replace it with either a 35W GU10 , ie Philips Essential 35W GU10 Dichroic or even a 20W GU10 Dichrotic.

Kingofnobby the light fixture is something Carolina custom came out with that has the gu10 fixture attached to it. Your Solutions would work, but I'm not sure exactly how it wired up. This is the OP's light fixture in question:
https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Custom-Cages-Reflector-Assembly/dp/B00K2BIM1Q

Scion19801":3mfn1ilc said:

Kingofnobby the light fixture is something Carolina custom came out with that has the gu10 fixture attached to it. Your Solutions would work, but I'm not sure exactly how it wired up. This is the OP's light fixture in question:
https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Custom-Cages-Reflector-Assembly/dp/B00K2BIM1Q

Click to expand...

I've never seen one of those . I'd contact the manufacturer and ask them DIRECTLY if the GU10 fitting is FULLY CERAMIC.

In my benchtop tests , GU10 fittings made of a combination of ceramic and plastic failed when I ran then with 20W and 35W GU10 dichroic / halogens.

My observations were :
The plastic softened, sagged and started to smolder in under 20 minutes.
The plastic insulation on the wires failed.

==> DANGEROUS.

Tests with high temperature ALL CERAMIC GU10 with high temperature wiring near the socket were OK but got very hot and the plywood the GU10 fitting was attached to charred , I wouldn't use GU10 fittings or halogens unless
>> the GU10 fitting is fully ceramic and has high temperature rated wiring
>> the fitting is attached to metal bracket and not in direct contact with anything combustible.

I'm sorry for my late reply on this. I threw my back out on Friday and have been recovering. D: In the meantime, we removed the GU10 from Snugglelord's enclosure and replaced it with another basking bulb we have, which is 25W. Our digital thermometer is now reading in the upper 90s right where his basking spot is, which is pretty good, though not quite 100, which is what I'd prefer.

Amberizzle":1mpmff5p said:

I'm sorry for my late reply on this. I threw my back out on Friday and have been recovering. D: In the meantime, we removed the GU10 from Snugglelord's enclosure and replaced it with another basking bulb we have, which is 25W. Our digital thermometer is now reading in the upper 90s right where his basking spot is, which is pretty good, though not quite 100, which is what I'd prefer.

Click to expand...

High 90s F is good.

kingofnobbys":2icubnhn said:

Amberizzle":2icubnhn said:

I'm sorry for my late reply on this. I threw my back out on Friday and have been recovering. D: In the meantime, we removed the GU10 from Snugglelord's enclosure and replaced it with another basking bulb we have, which is 25W. Our digital thermometer is now reading in the upper 90s right where his basking spot is, which is pretty good, though not quite 100, which is what I'd prefer.

Click to expand...

High 90s F is good.

Click to expand...

Perfect! Then we should be all set.

Thank you so much for your help!