Terrarium too cold help!

Just got my baby bearded dragon a bigger tank. It’s a 55 gallon and I have a heat pad for 40-60 gallon tanks, a ceramic heater for 40-60 gallon tanks at night, a basking bulb that’s 150 watts, and a tube light that is a t5! How can I make my terrarium warmer?? It’s basking area is only reaching 90 and it’s super cold where I live! Any help would be appreciated I want my bearded dragon comfy

Also, the tank is 48 inches long do I need to get a 48 inch long tube light fixture for this? Or smaller?

Hi! So first I'm going to recommend not using a heat pad, heated rocks, etc. Bearded dragons regulate their body temperature using something called the "parietal eye" located on the top of their heads. You've probably seen it - it's a tiny circular bump on top of the head between the eyes. So beardies can determine light/temperature changes from above with this parietal eye and will gape or move to a cooler environment when they get too hot. However, they're not so good at monitoring temperature from below. If they're laying on a heat source, they won't be able to tell when it gets too hot and they can get burned as a result.

Second, can you give some details regarding the temperatures of the tank? You said the basking temp is 90F, but what are the warm side, cool side, and nighttime temperatures like? And how close can your beardie get to the heat source in their basking spot?

Hi there! Thank u for your help.

The basking temp is 90F, warm side is 66F, and nighttime is 74F I know all this isn’t right! He was originally in a 20 gallon tank, and the temperatures were perfect! But now he’s moved to a bigger tank, I’m having a hard time with temperatures in his newer tank!

My beardie is about 9 inches away from the basking spot heat source!

Okay thanks for the info! Forgot to ask in my last post, what are you using to record the temps? Stick on thermometers are typically really inaccurate which is why I ask. The most accurate thermometers are the digital ones with the probe or an infrared temp gun.

Also to answer your question about the UVB tube lamp - I'd get a little shorter than the length of the tank so your beardie has the option to escape the UV for a bit if they want to.

I’m using the repti digital one!! And thank you so much. I think a 36 inch tube light fixture would work? Since it’s 48 inches long!

Do you also happen to know what fixture and bulb I can buy to easily connect it inside the terrarium besides on top of the screen? I went to my local hardware but they only have fixtures where I have to install the hardware and idk how to do that I appreciate all your help!

melissamott124":152hyk9p said:

Okay thanks for the info! Forgot to ask in my last post, what are you using to record the temps? Stick on thermometers are typically really inaccurate which is why I ask. The most accurate thermometers are the digital ones with the probe or an infrared temp gun.

Also to answer your question about the UVB tube lamp - I'd get a little shorter than the length of the tank so your beardie has the option to escape the UV for a bit if they want to.

Click to expand...

I’m using the repti digital one!! And thank you so much. I think a 36 inch tube light fixture would work? Since it’s 48 inches long!

Do you also happen to know what fixture and bulb I can buy to easily connect it inside the terrarium besides on top of the screen? I went to my local hardware but they only have fixtures where I have to install the hardware and idk how to do that I appreciate all your help!

90 degrees with a 150w bulb is hard to believe. Can you post a picture of your setup? Is your fixture rated to handle 150w?

-Brandon

For best accurate temps are taken w/ a Infrared heat gun-- the digitial will work but I would get a Infrared heat gun from walmart home depot or lowes for around $10
Karrie

claudiusx":2fq8eflp said:

90 degrees with a 150w bulb is hard to believe. Can you post a picture of your setup? Is your fixture rated to handle 150w?

-Brandon

Click to expand...

Hey Brandon! I’m using the zoo med dome fixture that is up to 150 watts!

KarrieRee":3hxevb3y said:

For best accurate temps are taken w/ a Infrared heat gun-- the digitial will work but I would get a Infrared heat gun from walmart home depot or lowes for around $10
Karrie

Click to expand...

Hi Karrie! Thank you checking out the heat gun from Walmart!!

Once you figure out the temps with the IR gun, you may not need to do anything. I can get my one's basking areas up to temp with just a 75W standard flood lamp. I use a CHE to bring up the ambient air temperature in that setup. The vivarium I built below for my big guy has screened sides, so I had a hard time keeping temps up at first. My solution was to put 2x 75W lamps over his log and a cat bed heating pad under a portion of the carpet.

I agree with the other posters about the dangers of heat rocks & pads in the sense that beardies are not good at sensing temps on their bellies & can burn themselves. I specifically bought a bed that does not get hotter than 125*F at max power, put it underneath the carpet so there is no direct contact, and got a cord with a thermostat on it which I have set to cut off at 105*F. I have had it running for a while now & take temp readings from time to time to make sure everything's working. That might work for you, but I'd urge caution and testing before you implement something like this.