NEED ANSWER WITHIN 30 MINS ABOUT HEATING

[DylanFreeman]

Hey guys. It starting to get colder and colder here in Indy and i have the coldest room in the house. My 6 month girl currently has a 90w flood light (the box says 72w=92W ecoadvantage) and a 100 watt basking bulb from petsmart and that is only heating the tank to 90 degrees, but my other thermometer says her basking spot is 110 on surface. I also have a non light emitted che. Should i go and buy a new light fixture and a 150 watt basking bulb to replace the flood light? Or is leaving the che on 24/7 a better option? Help im on a time crunch

 

[DylanFreeman]

I also have a second 100 watt basking bulb. I just plugged that in so now i have two 100 watt zoomed basking bulbs going. The reason i think temp is an issue is because she has been very black all around her cage lately and just doesnt look warm to me. Any thoughts would help

 

[CooperDragon]

If you're getting a surface reading of 110 in the basking spot I wouldn't go higher than that. How are the readings in other areas of the tank? CHE is nice overnight if the ambient temp goes below 65. Are you sure the readings are accurate?

 

[DylanFreeman]

I went out and bought an Accurite digital therm. today and have had it in there for 3+ hours and 92 was the highest i got. Idk what to do

 

[CooperDragon]

Ok. 92 isn't dangerous but you'll want to boost it a bit. How far above the basking area is your basking light? Can you raise the basking area a little? If you can squeeze out a few extra degrees that way and hit 100 or so it should be fine. How are cool side temps?

 

[DylanFreeman]

I cant raise or lower basking sight. Everything is all fixed perfectly. My cool side temps are around 80 which is good. Is my next step to get a 150 watt fixture and go and buy 150 watt basking bulbs?

 

[DylanFreeman]

Hello?

 

[CooperDragon]

If your basking site and lamps are at fixed heights then yes I'd either go with a 150w (put it on a lamp dimmer if it's too much) or maybe two lower wattage bulbs right next to eachother to create a nice wide basking spot.

 

[DylanFreeman]

I might not be doing a good job explaining. I have two domes on top already, one with a 100 watt basking bulb and the other a 75 watt incadescent household that both burn at same time on basking site. Even with both, 92 is the highest it gets. I feel like going to petsmart and buying a 150 watt dome and bulb wont change much.

 

[CooperDragon]

What are the dimensions of your tank? At 19'' above the floor of my tank I was able to reach surface temps of around 104 using a 150w ZooMed Repti Basking Spot lamp in a dome fixture. If you're very concerned about temps you may want to get an IR temp gun so you can get instant surface temp readings around the tank. If you want to work with something in addition to your existing lights perhaps a heat projector like this will do the job http://www.reptileuv.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=196