Worried Temperature is not warm enough

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mlggator

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I have a juvenile bearded dragon that is approximately 5 to 6 months old. He's about 13 inches or so from nose to tail. I have had him for a month.

I currently have a zoo med dual dome on the tank. I only use the day time heating bulb in this, not the night side. When I first set up, his tank was easily reaching the desired 100+ temps on his basking side. Lately it is not getting that hot. Our weather has been cooler (I live in Southern Coastal California) so maybe that plays into it. Or do I need to replace the bulb?

Also, our nights have begun to get cooler, and I am worried that it is too cool at night for him. A neighbor said she got an under the tank heater, but mounted it on the side of the tank. Has anyone ever done this?

What do you guys recommend?

Thanks,
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
No under tank heat mat!!!!! Get a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) if your tank is falling below 60-65 at nite other wise you are good - what size wattage are you using for your basking and how are you taking that temp---- stick ons are not any good for actual temps- you need a infrared heat gun or a digital probe - they can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes for the heat gun $10-12 and Petco Petsmart for the digital probe $5 both are cheap --- make sure have a actual basking temp before changing out the bulb - how old is it - it could be losing strength - mine just blow out all together - the heat mats are not any good as beardies heat from the top and not the tummy--- I would not be putting it on the side of the tank --- you can always put him in a warmer room in the house that would help as well -- the CHE's come in 75 and 100 watt bulbs and do not produce any light -- you do not want heat lights on at nite that produce light --- NO colored bulbs --- it disturbs their sleep - beardies like it dark so they can slow their metabolism -----
Karrie
 

mlggator

Member
Original Poster
Thanks for the info.

I do have a digital probe on his basking side not a stick on. I will get a heat gun.

I think the ceramic heat emitter may be necessary. The house felt very cold this morning. We are in that period of the year, where it isn't really cool enough to warrant turning on the heater, but does get lower than 65 in our house. I don't want him too cold.

The bulb I am using is the one I got when I bought him, so I've only been using it a month.

I did know about the light at night. Even though my kit came with a night bulb, I did not use it.
 

mlggator

Member
Original Poster
One more thing. If I get a ceramic heater, how do I determine which wattage is most appropriate for him?
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
As long as the nighttime temp is above 65°F, you should be OK.

What's the differential between the warm side and ambient? For example, if when the bulb heated the basking spot to 105 the room temp outside the tank was 80°, the differential was 25° What temp is the basking spot vs. room temp now? If the differential is still approximately the same, the bulb is probably OK.

One possible solution is a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) in the other side of the dome fixture.

That said, I think a better (greener) solution is insulation. Heat loss reduction is one of the advantages of a front opening enclosure vs. a top opening tank. In the meantime (it sounds like you'll be replacing the tank with something more appropriate in size at some point), I'd insulate the back & sides of the tank, and a portion of the top (you don't want to restrict ventilation) with rigid foam insulation. Inserting a scenic poster or wrapping paper between the glass & insulation will make it less unattractive.

When you do upgrade, I'd look for a 4' x 2' x 2' front opening enclosure with solid (not glass or plexi) sides.
 

mlggator

Member
Original Poster
thanks for all the advice. I will pick up a ceramic heater today for him. I plan to upgrade is terrarium in the next month or so as he grows to a 48 x 24 x 24 size.

I am sure I will be on here then as I upgrade his equipment. I just want him to be a very happy lizard.
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
mlggator":3tjxejob said:
I am sure I will be on here then as I upgrade his equipment. I just want him to be a very happy lizard.

Hi there,

Don't wait till then, we'd love to see pics of your little guy and follow along with his life too :)
A lot of us make threads in the beardie tales section, or the photo expression section where we post pics of our dragons and fun stories. It's a nice way to have memories to look back on too :)
Would be nice to follow along with yours :)

Anyways, 65 is a good number to stay above. Personally I let it drop a bit lower on occasion , but never lower than 60.
And like mentioned, don't use your night bulb. :)

-Brandon
 
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