Heating issues

[KarrieRee]

Sorry, just a little confused. What do you mean by covering the top with some wood?

Put a piece of wood on top of the tank to retain heat -- but only do half the tank -- if your getting too hot of temps w/ it half covered up then go down to 1/3 of the tank

 

[PrinceH4H4T4]

Put a piece of wood on top of the tank to retain heat -- but only do half the tank -- if your getting too hot of temps w/ it half covered up then go down to 1/3 of the tank

Okay I’ll give it a shot!

 

[KarrieRee]

Okay I’ll give it a shot!

Is your tank on the floor by a window or door going to the outside?

 

[PrinceH4H4T4]

Is your tank on the floor by a window or door going to the outside?

On a thick carpeted floor near no windows or doors. It is however in my basement which stays rather cool 65 at night 72 during the day.

So I think the heat thing is under better control. I added some more thermometers in the tank just temporarily to get some more temps. And the hot side seems to be gettin up to ~91 cool side ~80. If he wants to he can climb the background and get to temps up to ~97.

Here is the new dilemma, he had this ledge that he spends most of his time on. Always sleeps the nights on it, in the morning he will jump down from it and eat, then wonder around for a bit, then back up to the ledge, he might come down once more, but is always back up there for the night.

I Havnt considered it much until I realized he seems to try and bask up there. I can home from work and he was up there gaping, he seems to really enjoy it. Problem is there is no UV there and he is just basking in the ambient heat of the enclosure. he hasn’t actually basked under the UV light/ halogens. Would love for him to decide to bask under the UV for health reasons, just not sure how to convince him to. (The ambient temp un on the ledge during the day is ~95)

I have attached a picture of him on the ledge. (Early morning, so most of the lights aren’t on yet) but I will come home from work and he will be up there happily gaping. He’s just not getting any significant UV up there.

I could move a lower strength UV uv above that area, otherwise I’m not too sure how to get him to bask where his cage is designed to have him bask.

 

[KarrieRee]

On a thick carpeted floor near no windows or doors. It is however in my basement which stays rather cool 65 at night 72 during the day.

So I think the heat thing is under better control. I added some more thermometers in the tank just temporarily to get some more temps. And the hot side seems to be gettin up to ~91 cool side ~80. If he wants to he can climb the background and get to temps up to ~97.

Here is the new dilemma, he had this ledge that he spends most of his time on. Always sleeps the nights on it, in the morning he will jump down from it and eat, then wonder around for a bit, then back up to the ledge, he might come down once more, but is always back up there for the night.

I Havnt considered it much until I realized he seems to try and bask up there. I can home from work and he was up there gaping, he seems to really enjoy it. Problem is there is no UV there and he is just basking in the ambient heat of the enclosure. he hasn’t actually basked under the UV light/ halogens. Would love for him to decide to bask under the UV for health reasons, just not sure how to convince him to. (The ambient temp un on the ledge during the day is ~95)

I have attached a picture of him on the ledge. (Early morning, so most of the lights aren’t on yet) but I will come home from work and he will be up there happily gaping. He’s just not getting any significant UV up there.

I could move a lower strength UV uv above that area, otherwise I’m not too sure how to get him to bask where his cage is designed to have him bask.

Your surface basking temps are what your after - I am not sure how to get him to bask under that light --- I would however suggest you move the tank off the floor - it is cold and drafty there and will effect temps in the tank ---

 

[TexasHix10]

Having some trouble narrowing in on my enclosures heating. It’s a new enclosure I just upgraded my guy too, and he hasn’t really basked since being in it. And the temperature readings Haven’t really gotten where I want.

Cage is 6’x3’x3’ and has decent ventilation (2 vents high on the hot side and 2 low on the cool side, to pull cool air in and dispel hot air).

Currently being heated by two 100w Arcadia halogen bulbs. After they have been on a while the ambient temperature on the hot side will get to ~85 and the cool side ~83. So their isn’t much of a gradient, I’d really like to get the cool side down to ~75, but don’t know how.

I have smaller halogens I could try if you all think that would work, or I have a computer fan I can hook up to a vent for increased flow.

Thank you in advance,
Nick

It could depend on where you live and if you have HVAC system, where you have that set. I had to make sure that the heat for the air is heating my house at a decent temp to help keep my tank warmth, this was when we had really cold weather. I also had to increase from a 100w to 150w after trying covering some of the mesh on the top so the heat would not escape quickly. If you want to try covering the mesh on top make sure it is a heat tolerance, I used aluminum foil. The other thing I have read to is the bigger the cage is, might have to use two basking lights. I have my lamps on top of the metal mesh I have, during the warmer days I adjust the height of the lamp if it got to hot and vise versa. I hope this helps you.

 

[PrinceH4H4T4]

It could depend on where you live and if you have HVAC system, where you have that set. I had to make sure that the heat for the air is heating my house at a decent temp to help keep my tank warmth, this was when we had really cold weather. I also had to increase from a 100w to 150w after trying covering some of the mesh on the top so the heat would not escape quickly. If you want to try covering the mesh on top make sure it is a heat tolerance, I used aluminum foil. The other thing I have read to is the bigger the cage is, might have to use two basking lights. I have my lamps on top of the metal mesh I have, during the warmer days I adjust the height of the lamp if it got to hot and vise versa. I hope this helps you.

I don’t actually have any mesh, it is a solid top. All the fixtures are mounted in the enclosure, and actually already using 2 heat fixtures (you can kinda see them in the pictures I’ve posted here). Thank you for the advice though!