Lighting ≠ health.?

acidburn01

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Toothless
As I've mention, Nova has been on the skids lately. Not eating, scratching like *crazy* to get out, etc. Well, ever since yesterday, she's been... scared.? Almost like something scared her. She's constantly dark, streaked up and her beard dark and she *clings* to us for dear life and just isn't super active and not scratching to get out anymore. She will still eat a few worms and I'm not sure about her salad, she throws it everywhere all the time.

We have her in a stacked 4x2x2 tank from dubia. (A cabinet, her tank, a divider, toothless' tank) and her tank being on the bottom. We have a t5 12% desert uvb tube and a 100watt thrive basking bulb. We have to put the uvb on the mesh because it didn't come with any brackets to hang it, for some reason. We are thinking adjusting her lighting to be closer to perfect would help her behavior. So here's the problem, the 150 watt is too hot, both inside and on the mesh. (We can't raise it because of the divider) the 100 watt is too hot hanging inside her tank and not hot enough on top. We tried a 50 watt, not hot enough, neither is a 25w. What can we do to make her basking/ambient temp warmer.? Right now, with the 100w on the mesh, the basking sits at 95 and the ambient 85-90.
 

shmoomunchkin

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Scooby
As I've mention, Nova has been on the skids lately. Not eating, scratching like *crazy* to get out, etc. Well, ever since yesterday, she's been... scared.? Almost like something scared her. She's constantly dark, streaked up and her beard dark and she *clings* to us for dear life and just isn't super active and not scratching to get out anymore. She will still eat a few worms and I'm not sure about her salad, she throws it everywhere all the time.

We have her in a stacked 4x2x2 tank from dubia. (A cabinet, her tank, a divider, toothless' tank) and her tank being on the bottom. We have a t5 12% desert uvb tube and a 100watt thrive basking bulb. We have to put the uvb on the mesh because it didn't come with any brackets to hang it, for some reason. We are thinking adjusting her lighting to be closer to perfect would help her behavior. So here's the problem, the 150 watt is too hot, both inside and on the mesh. (We can't raise it because of the divider) the 100 watt is too hot hanging inside her tank and not hot enough on top. We tried a 50 watt, not hot enough, neither is a 25w. What can we do to make her basking/ambient temp warmer.? Right now, with the 100w on the mesh, the basking sits at 95 and the ambient 85-90.
How old is she? My almost 8 month old shies away from anything higher than 95.

Your girl may need a higher temp. A 150 with a lamp riser that you can lower or raise for temps she likes, may be in order.
Screenshot_20230513_201102_Samsung Internet.jpg
 

acidburn01

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Toothless
How old is she? My almost 8 month old shies away from anything higher than 95.

Your girl may need a higher temp. A 150 with a lamp riser that you can lower or raise for temps she likes, may be in order.
She's about 10 months. We can't do a lamp riser because of the divider between her tank and Toothless' tank. It sits between their tanks and its almost like a cabinet in between. I can set lights on top, or hang them in the inside.

She does prefer the lower temps, 95-100 but it's just not getting her warm enough.
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Na to busy worrying to think of everything. That's why this forum is great, it's a good place to get different perspectives.
 

acidburn01

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Toothless
Na to busy worrying to think of everything. That's why this forum is great, it's a good place to get different perspectives.
I realized there are support bars on the inside of the divider so we hung the lamp dome on that, thus raising it a few inches so instead of being 115, 120 its only 106 at the highest.

Now we have to figure a way to hook the uvb light in her tank, the fixture. It didn't come with any brackets or anything.
 

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