Need help with lighting.

[mantronics]

I have been struggling with the lighting. I thought my temps was right on spot but she hides all day while I’m at work. I place her in basking spot before work and she stays for maybe a hour than hides. My daughter feeds her around noon and she eats, bask for a hour and hides until I come home and place her on basking spot and she stays until lights out 2 hours later. All my lighting info I filled out, or can provide info as needed, thanks. Her current location is the orange room because I thought the dog barking was scaring her.

 

[Claudiusx]

Have you used your probe to measure your basking surface temperatures yet? If you've only been relying on your IR gun for surface temps, it wouldn't hurt to move a probe down and let it rest on the basking site for 10 minutes and see what it reads. That will confirm your IR gun is accurate at least.

How long have you had Apolla?

-Brandon

 

[KarrieRee]

I have been struggling with the lighting. I thought my temps was right on spot but she hides all day while I’m at work. I place her in basking spot before work and she stays for maybe a hour than hides. My daughter feeds her around noon and she eats, bask for a hour and hides until I come home and place her on basking spot and she stays until lights out 2 hours later. All my lighting info I filled out, or can provide info as needed, thanks. Her current location is the orange room because I thought the dog barking was scaring her.

What is the screen like on your tank? Is it a fine mesh or a wide holed type? What brand and bulb are you using? Is it a T 8 or T 5? Distance and placement depend on the bulb-

 

[mantronics]

Have you used your probe to measure your basking surface temperatures yet? If you've only been relying on your IR gun for surface temps, it wouldn't hurt to move a probe down and let it rest on the basking site for 10 minutes and see what it reads. That will confirm your IR gun is accurate at least.

How long have you had Apolla?

-Brandon
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Have you used your probe to measure your basking surface temperatures yet? If you've only been relying on your IR gun for surface temps, it wouldn't hurt to move a probe down and let it rest on the basking site for 10 minutes and see what it reads. That will confirm your IR gun is accurate at least.

How long have you had Apolla?

-Brandon

I have a probe laying on the basking rock and the temps taking with both are not that far off,1-2 degrees. I do hvac, and have taken the ir gun to work to check with new certified calibrated ones. I have had her since 5/21

 

[mantronics]

What is the screen like on your tank? Is it a fine mesh or a wide holed type? What brand and bulb are you using? Is it a T 8 or T 5? Distance and placement depend on the bulb

 

[Claudiusx]

Then there is really nothing wrong in your setup, your diet looks fine too.

She could just be slowing down for a bit. Has she always acted like this?
How recent was the move to the new room?

Ultimately, if she's acting healthy, not losing large amounts of weight, and is having normal looking poos, you have nothing to worry about.

-Brandon

 

[mantronics]

the holes are large enough to stick a u-bole through it. Zoo med t5 ho 10, 36 inch I have had the uvb from 12–16 inches from basking spot trying to figure it out. 16 is where it sits now on top of cage. I have a par 38 90 halogen for basking and have used a zoo med 100w spot, trying to figure this out

 

[mantronics]

Then there is really nothing wrong in your setup, your diet looks fine too.

She could just be slowing down for a bit. Has she always acted like this?
How recent was the move to the new room?

Ultimately, if she's acting healthy, not losing large amounts of weight, and is having normal looking poos, you have nothing to worry about.

-Brandon

Her poops are once a week,Sunday or Monday. The move was within two weeks. She has never did a full day of basking like I have read. It has alway been a fight to get her to bask, that’s why I have been reading forums and trying to figure out if it’s my lights. She eats everyday, but just lays out of the light.

 

[KarrieRee]

the holes are large enough to stick a u-bole through it. Zoo med t5 ho 10, 36 inch I have had the uvb from 12–16 inches from basking spot trying to figure it out. 16 is where it sits now on top of cage. I have a par 38 90 halogen for basking and have used a zoo med 100w spot, trying to figure this out

Your screen on the tank is good for the UVB to sit on top please adjust your basking decor underneath to 8-10 inches --you have the distance set up for inside the tank -- make sure your getting basking surface temps of 95-100 watch the behavior after getting lighting adjusted and see what she does --

 

[Claudiusx]

Sounds like it's just her personality then. They all are different. You can try lowering the basking temp a few degrees and see what that does. I had an adult that would basically refuse to bask if her basking spot wasn't 98 exactly. You can try playing around with different temps and see what tends to get her more active...

.. Or, you can let be. She seems healthy to me.

-Brandon

 

[mantronics]

Her poops are once a week,Sunday or Monday. The move was within two weeks. She has never did a full day of basking like I have read. It has alway been a fight to get her to bask, that’s why I have been reading forums and trying to figure out if it’s my lights. She eats everyday, but just lays out of the light.

Sounds like it's just her personality then. They all are different. You can try lowering the basking temp a few degrees and see what that does. I had an adult that would basically refuse to bask if her basking spot wasn't 98 exactly. You can try playing around with different temps and see what tends to get her more active...

.. Or, you can let be. She seems healthy to me.

-Brandon

Ok,thanks

 

[mantronics]

Your screen on the tank is good for the UVB to sit on top please adjust your basking decor underneath to 8-10 inches --you have the distance set up for inside the tank -- make sure your getting basking surface temps of 95-100 watch the behavior after getting lighting adjusted and see what she does --

Ok, thank you

 

[mantronics]

Thanks for answering the questions and helping me with my worries. I did build up to the uvb lights and in essence lowered the basking light. She does bask for longer periods now.