Help I'm trying to get the temp right

[spikeynwally]

I am not yet a beardie owner. We are looking to get two but we want to make sure everything in the tank is set up right first. We have a 55gal high tank, we separated it so the beardies will not be together. When they get older we will open up the tank and get another 55gal. So we are not planning to keep them together. We have a basking rock for both 10in from the 75 watt bulb. The basking spot temp is 100-102 degrees however the floor in the tank was only about 70 so against everything I read we got an under tank heater. But now where the pad is it's about 100 degrees and the rest of the floor is still 70. We are using self liner as substate and thought that maybe if we put slate down it would conduct the heat more and we wouldn't have a hot spot but and even 80ish all over the bottom of the take. We can't get our new pets until we get this right. If you have suggestions I would be very, very, grateful.

Thanks!

 

[jfm08]

i would suggest a higher wattage bulb the basking temp is can be in the 105-110 range

 

[WAFisherman]

What are you using for UVB?

I'd go with a CHE over the UTH. Especially if you have that thing stuck to the glass and have no insulation between the beardie and the glass and no thermostat to contrl the UTH. You can leave the CHE on 24/7. Hook it up to a $7 rehostat to get the temps right. Then have the basking light on a timer. And yes, get that basking temp up a little. Or if your night temps stay above 65, you can add a normal house bulb that should help get the ambient temps up a little more.

 

[spikeynwally]

I have a thermostat on the undertank heater. How much hotter should the basking spot be right now it's 102?

 

[WAFisherman]

How old are the beardies you are getting?

 

[spikeynwally]

I'm getting babies about 4 months old.

 

[WAFisherman]

Then I'd try to get the basking spots up to 110ish.

What about UVB?

 

[spikeynwally]

I have a UVB tube across the tank. I also bought 1000 tiny crickets and have them in thier own container with food and water(the water is in a sponge). It's a plastic container like they use at the pet store with a screen on the top. We have food dishes and water dishes and a fake rock to hide in on each side. We will get the Collard Greens the day we get the beardies, don't want it to spoil. Plus we got a container of Calcium without vitamin D. Is there anything else that I am forgetting?