Hello Hello!

[genskiR6]

My name is Gen and my Husband just got me my very first beardie! I'm so excited and so in love with the little guy already. He or she is named Wayne! If its a girl, then it will be a girl named Wayne. :lol: I got him from a breeder and he told me he's only about 3-4 weeks and I was petrified. I'm trying not to handle him too much because he's so tiny but I can't help it! He seems to be doing great though. He's eating crickets, about 16 or so a day, and eating his veggies at lunch. So right now, Wayne is in a 10 gal. with a basking bulb and one of the dreaded CFL UVB's that I read about after I found this site. Also a night bulb that is barely visible to keep the tank at 70 during the night (my husband thinks he lives in Antartica).

So I already have plans for the new VIV and I'm going to start the build next week. It will be a 48x24x20 enclosure with a Reptisun 10.0 running the length of the it and a basking lamp (Having trouble deciding on wattage because of depth). Also a CHE to keep the temp stable at night unless I can find a warmer spot in the house. And the rest is a secret .

So yea, thats it! Any tips?

 

[KahliLizard]

Hi! Your little guy is so cute! From what I can tell, you seem to be doing just fine with him! I would say not to do keep the heat lamp at night, but if your house is cold usually, then keep it. Hopefully others will chime in. Good luck!

 

[CooperDragon]

How low do your nighttime temps go? If they stay above 65 or so no nighttime heat is needed. If they are colder than that in the enclosure, then I recommend using a ceramic heat emitter to provide heat without visible light which can disturb sleep. Your new enclosure sounds like it's going to be great. It's a nice size. I recommend getting a T5 ReptiSun 10.0 that runs about half the length of the enclosure. I recommend

This fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ

With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/

Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

For the heat light I'd get a lamp stand or two so you can easily adjust the height of the lights in order to get correct temperatures. I would try using two lower wattage bulbs next to eachother to create a nice wide basking area and raise/lower the fixtures as needed. You should be able to use two 50-75w bulbs or one 100-150w bulb in an enclosure that size but it varies so you may need to play around with different wattages and heights.

I notice Wayne is sitting in his bath. Does he do that often? If so, I'd double check your temperatures. What are you using to measure temps? It's very important to get accurate readings so I recommend using an IR temp gun or a digital thermometer with a probe that you can move around on basking surfaces to get good readings and adjust lights accordingly.

 

[genskiR6]

Thanks you guys! Ive been taking temp reads withy gun and probe. During the day it's in the low 80's on one side and then in the basking spot the highest I read was 111°. I put him in the bath for a photo. He was not happy about it and that ended pretty quickly lol. Just thought it would make for a cute pic. As far as the night time thing goes, the lowest it gets in the house is 68°. I've actually, since the initial post, turned off the night heat. He seems to do just fine with out it and seems a bit more active when the lights turn on in the morning. Yay! One thing is for sure, he is not crazy about water. He doesn't even like it when I mist him. He would rather have soaked veggies or lick water from my finger. And thanks for all the recommendations! That's awesome!

 

[genskiR6]

How low do your nighttime temps go? If they stay above 65 or so no nighttime heat is needed. If they are colder than that in the enclosure, then I recommend using a ceramic heat emitter to provide heat without visible light which can disturb sleep. Your new enclosure sounds like it's going to be great. It's a nice size. I recommend getting a T5 ReptiSun 10.0 that runs about half the length of the enclosure. I recommend

This fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ

With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/


Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

For the heat light I'd get a lamp stand or two so you can easily adjust the height of the lights in order to get correct temperatures. I would try using two lower wattage bulbs next to eachother to create a nice wide basking area and raise/lower the fixtures as needed. You should be able to use two 50-75w bulbs or one 100-150w bulb in an enclosure that size but it varies so you may need to play around with different wattages and heights.

I notice Wayne is sitting in his bath. Does he do that often? If so, I'd double check your temperatures. What are you using to measure temps? It's very important to get accurate readings so I recommend using an IR temp gun or a digital thermometer with a probe that you can move around on basking surfaces to get good readings and adjust lights accordingly.

Why not get the 36"? Why only half the length of the tank?

 

[CooperDragon]

You could get the 36'' but I'd make sure to provide at least a few hides and shady areas. It comes down to creating a gradient of UVB exposure the same way you would with the heat. If you can provide an area of high UVB exposure and then some areas with low to no UVB exposure it helps them self regulate and get what they need rather than being bombarded with UVB everywhere in the tank. By using a tube that is half the length of the tank, you can put it on the basking side in order to create a gradient with high UVB along with the higher temps and lower UVB on the cooler side. As long as you're providing adequate basking levels of UVB along with areas to get away from the UVB as they'd have in the wild, it should be fine.

 

[genskiR6]

Ahhhhh! Gotcha!

 

[genskiR6]

You could get the 36'' but I'd make sure to provide at least a few hides and shady areas. It comes down to creating a gradient of UVB exposure the same way you would with the heat. If you can provide an area of high UVB exposure and then some areas with low to no UVB exposure it helps them self regulate and get what they need rather than being bombarded with UVB everywhere in the tank. By using a tube that is half the length of the tank, you can put it on the basking side in order to create a gradient with high UVB along with the higher temps and lower UVB on the cooler side. As long as you're providing adequate basking levels of UVB along with areas to get away from the UVB as they'd have in the wild, it should be fine.

Just an update, Ive got the structure built for the VIV and I am ordering the recommended fixture and bulb today. I wanted to thank you again for helping me out. I know Wayne appreciates it.

 

[CooperDragon]

No problem at all. Please let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions.

 

[genskiR6]

No problem at all. Please let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions.

Will do! Here's the build thread I started. It's always good to have a second set of eyes.


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