Climbing wall, too close to UV?

[ZiaDragon]

Hello all.
I'm a newbie dragon owner, but I have been trying my best to do right and set up her viv perfectly. It's been a trying process for sure. Not knowing any better, I originally bought a 40gal kit on sale. I have since replaced the junk compact UV with a Reptisun 10.0 24in. T8 bulb that spans the length of most of the tank and rigged a fixture inside. I have a 100watt basking bulb (it's the yellowish light, came with the kit, I read that white is better? So I will still be replacing that soon too). Her basking spot gets to be about 104 - 108F depending on whether or not my AC is on.

I made my own big rock wall/hide thing with styrofoam, grout, sealer, etc. I think it turned out pretty neat despite being too lazy to paint beyond the sandy grout colour. Zia (my dragon) seems to like it a little too much, as she keeps climbing the back wall and getting her nose RIGHT UNDER my UV... now I know this can't be good for her, as the recommendation is to keep them a minimum of 6inches away. So really I'm looking for any creative ways to keep her from climbing up there, without having to destroy the new rock thing I have made her? I will be getting her a big stick that spans the length of most of her viv as soon as I find one I like (I live in the desert so thick wood branches are not just laying around everywhere). I also have a hammock in the works that I am making her, so she will have plenty of other things to climb soon. But in the meantime... any suggestions?

 

[Seagarbage]

I think that maybe he needs a place to rest that is slightly higher than the basking surface. Baby beardies love to be up to 110 degrees F so you can put an upside down bowl or something in there to raise him up a little bit higher without being so close to the lamp.

Hope this helps!

 

[ZiaDragon]

Thanks for your reply! I have fiddled endlessly with the height/heat, adding books under her old rock (before I made her the new one) and I found that she didn't like it much above 108. Even at 108, she opens her mouth fairly often, which is a sign of being too hot? I will try adding something to get her up to 110F just to see if she stops the climbing. I took her out for a bit and let her run around the house and now she seems more content and hasn't climbed any more yet. I think she just gets in feisty moods. :lol:

 

[charmander16]

Looks like a nice setup, but you may just need to take that back part off. It would work well if the wall and the light were on opposite side of the tank, but as it is I'd just trim is down... and also do what SG suggested.

 

[ZiaDragon]

Just a quick update:

Thanks for the input guys! So, the day after I posted this, my basking bulb went out. The bulb came apart from the base. Ugh!! I went out and bought a 100watt zoomed basking bulb and it is just a slight bit stronger than the old one, and voila! It now averages 110F on her basking platform without any extra food dishes or props. Yay! I also found a branch and have that propped/wedged across the length of her tank... No more wall climbing! She is obsessed with the branch and spends 99% of her time on there now.
For safety's sake, I think I will still get some sculpy clay stuff and put it at the top of that ridge under the UVB so it's flush and harder for her to get a good grip, and seal it with non-toxic mod podge.

Geez it's hard to get their enclosures just right! So much fiddling and frustration. I figure I'll probably have it just right by the time she is a year old and needs a bigger viv. :lol: