Got my digital probe thermometer finally! & Baby updates!

[momo4]

Got it at Home Depot for $10, it's got a plastic probe end though, for indoor/outdoor use - outdoor uses the probe. I believe it's got a 1 degree variance, but with it being plastic, is that a problem?

Anyway, all my temps are bang on!

Baby's basking spot is 114F and low end is 87F. That's with a 100W bulb in a 20 gal tank.
Crack's basking spot is 100F and low end is 84F. That's with a 100W bulb in a 70 gal tank.

I love, love, love this thermometer! It has min/max readings too, so I left it in all night to see what the nighttime temps dropped to with our a/c on and the lowest it got right where the baby sleeps was 64.9F, but that's on a piece of slate so I know it's chillier. I'm going to get a piece of fleece to put in that corner for her to snooze on, lol...

The baby is doing amazing! I gave her some butterworms yesterday right from my hand and she gobbled them up something crazy! They were teeny tiny ones, I wanted wax worms but the store was out. She's eating her crix really well too - couldn't say how many per day, but at least 20 at her afternoon feeding - 3pmish - she won't eat crix before lunchtime for some reason, I offer to feed her 3x a day but she's only interested in the late afternoon. She's got her greens all day but she's not keen on them either. Going to have to go get something different to try with her.

Crack ate dandelion right out of my hand yesterday too! I had him out on the porch with me in the sun (it was too chilly for him the night before I guess, he didn't want to get up & was pretty cold - our first night with the a/c on in ages and I didn't leave the red light on in his tank!) so I got him up & took him out into the sun. He warmed up and changed from the awful grey/black to his bright yellow, then was perked up enough to munch on the dandelion leaf I was tickling him with, ate half of a fair sized leaf in one go! He never eats that much greens at once, so I feel lucky that he even took it out of my hand! Maybe he's spoiled & wants to be hand fed? Ugh, boys, lol!!

Anyway, that's my updates for now!

Jill, Crack & Sunflower

 

[diamc]

Hi there, thanks for the great updates. Sounds like they're both doing very well.

The probe thermometers are great, aren't they? Don't worry about it having a plastic probe, that is fine and most of them do. If I could make a suggestion though. Since you're using a 100 watt in the 20 gallon and getting temps of 114 and 87, I would suggest that you try a 75 watt household light bulb and see what you get for readings then. Or, if you're using a lamp stand, raise it up a little to help lower both of the temps. The basking temp shouldn't go any higher than 110 for a baby and the cool side temp should be 78 to 82 but no higher. Babies can get dehydrated very quickly, so adjusting the temps just a little would be a good idea. Let us know how you make out. Crack's temps sound perfect though.

 

[momo4]

I've got to rearrange the baby's tank anyway - the basking spot is almost in the center of the tank, which is why the ambient temp on the cooler side is so high. Her log is great just not the right shape for the tank, lol... she doesn't sit directly under the light, she is a few inches away from the spot I took the temps, so she's a few degrees cooler I would suspect.
I give her a little soak every day anyway, so no risk of dehydration - and she does drink from her water dish as well.

I will try the 75W bulb, don't have one here, but will grab one asap!

Thanks Diane for the suggestion!!

 

[sara24354]

Colored lights are not good for beardies. They need bright white light and only heat at night if temps go much below 65*.If you need night time heat get a ceramic heat emitter.