I do not have a beardie yet but set up my 40gal last night. I would like to get the temperature perfect before buying one. I still want to add some more decorations to it but I can't seem to get the temperature high enough. I started out with 1 UVB 13w 120v and 1 basking lamp 75w. That combo got the cool side up to 67and the basking side up to 74. I added another basking lamp and now I am up to 74 cool side and 84 basking. How can I raise my temps? Is my lid the issue? Please help!! I would like to purchase a beardie by the end of the week if possible. TIA
I would get rid of the compact coil UVB bulb. You'll be better off with a tube style so you get a nice even spread of UV exposure through the enclosure. If you get a T8 bulb, mount it in a reflective fixture (slimline works well) about 6'' above the basking spot using command hooks or heavy duty velcro. The better choice is to get a T5 bulb with a reflective grow light style fixture that runs at least 1/2 the length of the enclosure. You can put that right on the screen top and you'll still get a decent amount of UVB exposure.
For basking lights, it sounds like your wattage is too low. If you don't have one already, get a reflective dome fixture (ZooMed makes a nice one) with a ceramic base that is rated to 150w (That larger silver one looks good, just check to see if it's rated for a 150w bulb). Get a 150w ZooMed ReptiBasking Spot Lamp or a 90w PAR38 halogen flood light and give that a try. You should be able to get away with 1 basking lamp at that wattage.