lighting question, is this too hot?

[Megan1961]

I have a big 75 gallon tank for my beardie! He is a year old and loves to run around. I recently made him a basking spot that was closer to the lamp that he could climb on it, so i switched from the 100W bulb i was using (which made the basking spot 98) to 75W because the higher wattage was way too hot with him being closer! The basking temp now ranges from 100-110 maybe a little more and i am wondering if this is still too hot? The lamp is about 10+ inches from his basking spot, so i am kind of surprised it is still that hot.
Also i am using a temp gun to check all of this.
Any suggestions? And what are the ideal temps for a basking spot for a year old beardie?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Claudiusx]

As long as you're not over 110, you're not too hot as far as safety goes. You shouldn't be having a 10 degree+ fluctuation at your basking site though. Are you measuring from the same spot each time?

At a year old, your dragon might start liking it a bit cooler like in the 105 range, but really it's one of those things that you just need to know about your dragon. I had a 1 year old that liked it at exactly 103, and I had another who wouldn't bask at all if her temp wasn't exactly 98.

-Brandon

 

[Megan1961]

Yeah the middle of the basking spot got to 113 so ill switch, but the farther I moved out it went down to 100 if that makes sense.
He doesn't gap the whole time, but it seems a tad hot. He goes to the cooler side when too warm. Think 50W would be good?

 

[MauDragon]

I'd like to suggest using a dimmer and so you wouldn't have to change the wattage of bulbs again. You should go for a 100 wattage bulb so you can have a wider range of temperature changes when dimming. Just dim the bulb little by little 'till you get the ideal temperature. Sorry, if my English is incorrect.

 

[Megan1961]

Where can I get one at and how much do they cost?

 

[MauDragon]

I think they have one at most hardware and home improvement stores. Sorry, I don't really know because I live in the Philippines and we only have few stores. Maybe someone in your area can point you to the right direction. This is a video tutorial of how to make a dimmer switch:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e9Rk7_B8GY Credits goes to the owner of the vid!

 

[Goodtruant]

I use this dimmer. http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-TT-300H-WH-Electronics-Plug-In-Dimmer/dp/B0000BYEF6/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1369806561&sr=1-2&keywords=dimmer+switch