heating help...plz

[cheylanc]

My Dragon is currently in a 20 Gallon tank...and im just curiuos what watt of basking light i should be using. i ordered a 75W but they mistakenly sent me a 150W im afraid that maybe thats to high for just a 20 gallon and i dont want to overheat my beardie. I also didnt realize how big the bulb would be when i ordered it i have a normal light dome and the bulb actually touches the mesh lid, is this unsafe? i plan on ordering a deep dome but was wondering in the mean time if its saft for the bulb to be touching the mesh.

 

[diamc]

You're right, a 150 watt bulb would definitely be too hot for a 20 gallon tank. You may not even need a 75 watt either, it depends on the height of the basking spot.

I wouldn't recommend using the 150 watt at all and certainly not in a dome that it too small for it.

Do you have either a temp gun or digital probe thermometer so you can get accurate temp readings? The round gauge (dial) and digital strips can be off 20 degrees or more.

 

[jswjimmy]

First off I have to say our apartment is weird... With that said with a 20G long we needed a 100W bulb; This got our basking side to a little under 110 and the cool side to around 85-90. With a 75 watt bulb we were only able to get the basking side up to around 90.

We just made the move up to a 40G breeder and with the same lights we are seeing around 99 / 80F so we're just going to add a 50W heat emitter on the basking side to see if that will do it. Your requirements may change throughout the season and the tank will need to be upgraded eventually so it might be nice to have a few different bulbs just encase if it is in your budget. Trial and error (in a safe/smart manor) is the best way to find the bulb you need.