am i doing the right thing?

[Buggsy]

Hello all, just a quick one, my 18month old girly is going through her first brumination so i am filled with questions! Mainly though it's her hidey cave. Her basking spot is 105-110 and the cool side is just above 70ish, i put a nice dark cave in there for her to snuggle in, but the temps in the cave dropped to about 65!!

I took the cave away and gave her a hidy spot, but it's still quite exposed to the light? Whever i get her out for a bath she just seem freezing!

Am i doing the right thing or should i have just left it alone? :?: :?:

 

[brazilman93]

Well first of all if your temps on the cool side are low 70's you need to add another heat source because the cool side should be around 85 during the day and 75 at night.

 

[Buggsy]

what kind of heat suppy could i use?

 

[brazilman93]

I might suggest just using a 50-75 watt infered heat light because infared heat lights are not to bright and produce alot less heat then a basking light, but i think it would produce just enought heat to get the cool side up into the 80's. Another good thing about using an infered heat light is that studies have shown that reptiles may not be able to even see this spectrum of light(although it does apear to glow red to humans) so it should not bother your bearded dragon while it is sleeping. You can purchase an infered light at any petsmart or petco, or if you want on ebay even, regardless of where you get the light it will cost about 10 bucks for the bulb. If you don't have a light ficture for another bulb you might have to purchase one, you can get one at a pet store for 10-15 dollars but i would buy one at a home improvment store because you can save like 10 bucks. If you don't want to use a light you could also use an undertank heater, but don't and i mean don't use it under the tank, bearded dragons can't feel heat on their stomachs so they don't know to move if it gets really hot so instead place it on the outside wall of the tank, it should raise the air temp by about 5-10 degrees. THe bulb is the cheaper message but either one will work.

 

[akingsley9000]

Hi,

If you havn't read it already, Denise has written an excellent article on brumation which may answer most of your questions. Here is the link: http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/

Also, beardies prefer that their hide be dark and cool when they brumate so you can give her back her hide.

Since she is an adult the ambient temp on her cool side should be 70-75F so it sounds like your temps are fine. In fact your basking spot could even be a couple of degrees cooler. Most adults prefer it to be no higher than 105F.

If you are still concerned temps are too low you can use a higher wattage basking bulb for example, you can use a 75 instead of a 60. This can be an ordinary house hold bulb.

Please do not use an inferred light. Beardies can see it and it will disrupt their sleep.

 

[brazilman93]

do not listen to him, while he is right they prefer cooler temps it is not true that that the temps should be in the 70s. let me ask you this since when does it get 70 degrees in the day even if you were in the shade. an dif you have any doubts about the infered light you can use a black heat light(cost the same) and this has been proven for them not to be able to see.