New Bearded Dragon Owner here! Help me raise the temperature in my tank!!

[kmas1312]

New bearded dragon owner here! I have a picture attached of the enclosed I have set up for him. It is a 75 gallon tank with a screen lid. Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB bulb is rigged inside the cage and the dimmable basking light is set on top of the screen lid. I tried using a 150 Watt reptisun but the basking area was only reaching 85 Fahrenheit so I switched to a indoor dimmable floodlight however it is currently only reaching 88 Fahrenheit. I also got this new basking rock climb in hopes he can get a bit closer to the light itself. I just want to see if there is any advice for how to get his warm and basking side hotter since I read it needs to be between 100-110 Fahrenheit for babies. Additionally, he is not eating much- could this be because the low temperature? Thanks! I just want to make all the necessary changes quick so I know he’s alright!!

 

[Rubble1212]

New bearded dragon owner here! I have a picture attached of the enclosed I have set up for him. It is a 75 gallon tank with a screen lid. Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB bulb is rigged inside the cage and the dimmable basking light is set on top of the screen lid. I tried using a 150 Watt reptisun but the basking area was only reaching 85 Fahrenheit so I switched to a indoor dimmable floodlight however it is currently only reaching 88 Fahrenheit. I also got this new basking rock climb in hopes he can get a bit closer to the light itself. I just want to see if there is any advice for how to get his warm and basking side hotter since I read it needs to be between 100-110 Fahrenheit for babies. Additionally, he is not eating much- could this be because the low temperature? Thanks! I just want to make all the necessary changes quick so I know he’s alright!!

Just curious what wattage of halogen flood light your using? I’m using a 90 watt GE floodlight which is really hard to find now but these one from satco are really good as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Satco-S2259-Halogen-Degrees-Dimmable/dp/B00DC06UJ0

Try it out mine are about 15/16 inches from basking surface which a really big river rock and it gets to 115 degrees.

 

[kmas1312]

Just curious what wattage of halogen flood light your using? I’m using a 90 watt GE floodlight which is really hard to find now but these one from satco are really good as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Satco-S2259-Halogen-Degrees-Dimmable/dp/B00DC06UJ0

Try it out mine are about 15/16 inches from basking surface which a really big river rock and it gets to 115 degrees.

The halogen flood light I’m using is 75 Watt- thanks I’ll look into that!

 

[Rubble1212]

The halogen flood light I’m using is 75 Watt- thanks I’ll look into that!

What’s the distance between the bulb and the basking surface? If you need a 100 watt you could use these their more expensive but last a long time.

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwian_vopon1AhUVD60GHdu4DRMYABANGgJwdg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASE-Rob4kti3jtrTtq1hH8ntQAfh8&sig=AOD64_1GIerq9YkdO5NN58cpLr0uZ5rfVw&ctype=46&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiayfHopon1AhV3FTQIHT75CkgQzzl6BAgBEBU&adurl=

If it’s a glass tank with screen on top you’ll need higher wattages. Another thing which helped me when I had a glass tank is getting another dome light fixture and just adding a regular household flood light for increasing ambient heat in the tank and it naturally numb up your basking temperatures. Get a bulb like this.

Philips BR30 Indoor Dimmable Flood Light Bulb, 620 Lumen, Soft White Light (2710K), 65-Watt, E26 Base, 12-Pack Amazon.com

 

[Rubble1212]

What’s the distance between the bulb and the basking surface? If you need a 100 watt you could use these their more expensive but last a long time.

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwian_vopon1AhUVD60GHdu4DRMYABANGgJwdg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASE-Rob4kti3jtrTtq1hH8ntQAfh8&sig=AOD64_1GIerq9YkdO5NN58cpLr0uZ5rfVw&ctype=46&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiayfHopon1AhV3FTQIHT75CkgQzzl6BAgBEBU&adurl=

If it’s a glass tank with screen on top you’ll need higher wattages. Another thing which helped me when I had a glass tank is getting another dome light fixture and just adding a regular household flood light for increasing ambient heat in the tank and it naturally numb up your basking temperatures. Get a bulb like this.

Philips BR30 Indoor Dimmable Flood Light Bulb, 620 Lumen, Soft White Light (2710K), 65-Watt, E26 Base, 12-Pack Amazon.com

Meant bump up your basking temperatures

 

[Rubble1212]

Meant bump up your basking temperatures

Are you using a temp gun to measure temperatures?

 

[KarrieRee]

Just curious what wattage of halogen flood light your using? I’m using a 90 watt GE floodlight which is really hard to find now but these one from satco are really good as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Satco-S2259-Halogen-Degrees-Dimmable/dp/B00DC06UJ0

Try it out mine are about 15/16 inches from basking surface which a really big river rock and it gets to 115 degrees.

Ok before you go changing the basking bulb please where is the probe sitting? It needs to be on the spot he sits for basking you want surface temps not air / ambient- please get a temp there before you change anything at this point -- you DO NOT want to burn him up --- answer to your question about eating --- first he will go thru relocation stress that is normal eating will be off but he should be eating something --- next his basking temps the basking bulb your using and the UVB are all going to play into his behavior ---- second please get a reflector on the UVB your UVB rays are bouncing all over that tank - the reflector is going to direct those UVB rays downward to him benefiting him -- PLEASE DO THIS ASAP- he will not eat w/ any of this corrected --- 115 degree temps are way too hot you need to shoot for a temp of 105-110 for a baby - as he gets older around 6 months or so hes not gonna want those high of temps and then will basking at 95-100 taken w/ your digital probe thermometer -- make sure your using a CLEAR bright white bulb NO daytime bulbs they have a coating on them called neoyidium that is bad for the eyes also NO colored bulbs and NO off white or yellowish - those do not emit UV and they need the UV from the bright white --- your basking temps and UVB are EXTREMELY important for your dragon -- cannot stress this enough - once this is all in order everything else will fall into place but you must get a reflector on that UVB ---- also I actually would recommend a fixture of 24" for your tank Reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia Pro T 5 w/ a 12 % bulb or a Sunblaster Nano Tech 6400 bulb ---- those are all good fixtures --- please let me know when you get the UVB so I can help you place it in the tank - they have certain distances and placement depending on your screen -- and it looks like you have a wide screen -- also I recommend getting him off the floor if you have him on the floor it is cold and drafty down there and dragons like to be able to see what is going on around them --- you can use a old dresser they make good stands you can use the drawers for the supplies for the dragon --- we can go over diet if you like as well - has he eaten any salads at all ? I know you said his eating is off so we need to get the basking temps and UVB in order first --- then work on the diet -- the UVB is going to help him absorb / synthesize the calcium he ingests
if you need websites for the UVB's please let me know I will post them for you

 

[Rubble1212]

Ok before you go changing the basking bulb please where is the probe sitting? It needs to be on the spot he sits for basking you want surface temps not air / ambient- please get a temp there before you change anything at this point -- you DO NOT want to burn him up --- answer to your question about eating --- first he will go thru relocation stress that is normal eating will be off but he should be eating something --- next his basking temps the basking bulb your using and the UVB are all going to play into his behavior ---- second please get a reflector on the UVB your UVB rays are bouncing all over that tank - the reflector is going to direct those UVB rays downward to him benefiting him -- PLEASE DO THIS ASAP- he will not eat w/ any of this corrected --- 115 degree temps are way too hot you need to shoot for a temp of 105-110 for a baby - as he gets older around 6 months or so hes not gonna want those high of temps and then will basking at 95-100 taken w/ your digital probe thermometer -- make sure your using a CLEAR bright white bulb NO daytime bulbs they have a coating on them called neoyidium that is bad for the eyes also NO colored bulbs and NO off white or yellowish - those do not emit UV and they need the UV from the bright white --- your basking temps and UVB are EXTREMELY important for your dragon -- cannot stress this enough - once this is all in order everything else will fall into place but you must get a reflector on that UVB ---- also I actually would recommend a fixture of 24" for your tank Reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia Pro T 5 w/ a 12 % bulb or a Sunblaster Nano Tech 6400 bulb ---- those are all good fixtures --- please let me know when you get the UVB so I can help you place it in the tank - they have certain distances and placement depending on your screen -- and it looks like you have a wide screen -- also I recommend getting him off the floor if you have him on the floor it is cold and drafty down there and dragons like to be able to see what is going on around them --- you can use a old dresser they make good stands you can use the drawers for the supplies for the dragon --- we can go over diet if you like as well - has he eaten any salads at all ? I know you said his eating is off so we need to get the basking temps and UVB in order first --- then work on the diet -- the UVB is going to help him absorb / synthesize the calcium he ingests
if you need websites for the UVB's please let me know I will post them for you

115 degree surface temperature is fine as long as you have a proper cool side for him to go to. It’s only 115 in a small area and then fades to lower temperatures. It’s better to give him the most options possible I have two basking areas one in the 100 range and then one with 115 he’s 4 years old and through much trial and observation he prefers the hotter temperatures and it brings him to proper body much faster than lower temperatures. There’s a lot of very experienced keepers pushing for much higher basking temperatures like 108-115 range. Check out reptifiles.com they have some really good information. I assure you 115 is not going to cook your dragon. You can get 130 degree surface temperatures on a 70 degree day if you go outside easily. In nature they bask and scuttle away they don’t sit and bask for hours on end like they do in our enclosures when you run basking temperatures that aren’t hot enough.

 

[kmas1312]

Ok before you go changing the basking bulb please where is the probe sitting? It needs to be on the spot he sits for basking you want surface temps not air / ambient- please get a temp there before you change anything at this point -- you DO NOT want to burn him up --- answer to your question about eating --- first he will go thru relocation stress that is normal eating will be off but he should be eating something --- next his basking temps the basking bulb your using and the UVB are all going to play into his behavior ---- second please get a reflector on the UVB your UVB rays are bouncing all over that tank - the reflector is going to direct those UVB rays downward to him benefiting him -- PLEASE DO THIS ASAP- he will not eat w/ any of this corrected --- 115 degree temps are way too hot you need to shoot for a temp of 105-110 for a baby - as he gets older around 6 months or so hes not gonna want those high of temps and then will basking at 95-100 taken w/ your digital probe thermometer -- make sure your using a CLEAR bright white bulb NO daytime bulbs they have a coating on them called neoyidium that is bad for the eyes also NO colored bulbs and NO off white or yellowish - those do not emit UV and they need the UV from the bright white --- your basking temps and UVB are EXTREMELY important for your dragon -- cannot stress this enough - once this is all in order everything else will fall into place but you must get a reflector on that UVB ---- also I actually would recommend a fixture of 24" for your tank Reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia Pro T 5 w/ a 12 % bulb or a Sunblaster Nano Tech 6400 bulb ---- those are all good fixtures --- please let me know when you get the UVB so I can help you place it in the tank - they have certain distances and placement depending on your screen -- and it looks like you have a wide screen -- also I recommend getting him off the floor if you have him on the floor it is cold and drafty down there and dragons like to be able to see what is going on around them --- you can use a old dresser they make good stands you can use the drawers for the supplies for the dragon --- we can go over diet if you like as well - has he eaten any salads at all ? I know you said his eating is off so we need to get the basking temps and UVB in order first --- then work on the diet -- the UVB is going to help him absorb / synthesize the calcium he ingests
if you need websites for the UVB's please let me know I will post them for you

Thanks! I’m actually working on getting a dresser for his tank to set on now so hopefully that will help the temperature a bit! I will also look into getting a reflector immediately! The UVB fixture I have installed is a 24” and the bulb is reptisun 10.0 T8. Is 10 inches okay for the distance between his basking area and the UVB light? He has been mainly eating small mealworms- he has only been eating around 3-4 a day and no salads yet. What type of greens would you recommend for a baby and how much should I give him a day? I do have some calcium powder and reptile vitamins with D3 I can put on his food as well but I don’t know if he needs those right now.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thanks! I’m actually working on getting a dresser for his tank to set on now so hopefully that will help the temperature a bit! I will also look into getting a reflector immediately! The UVB fixture I have installed is a 24” and the bulb is reptisun 10.0 T8. Is 10 inches okay for the distance between his basking area and the UVB light? He has been mainly eating small mealworms- he has only been eating around 3-4 a day and no salads yet. What type of greens would you recommend for a baby and how much should I give him a day? I do have some calcium powder and reptile vitamins with D3 I can put on his food as well but I don’t know if he needs those right now.

The tank is a 40 gallon? Please upgrade your fixture to a 24" T 5 bulb-- please get a Zoo Med or a Arcadia pro T 5 w/ a 12% bulb or a sunblaster nano tech 6400 bulb-- you will need a new fixture for the T 5- your screen looks to be a wide holed type the uvb can go on top 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor- your dragon needs calcium d 3 5 x per week lightly coated one time per feeding - vitamins w beta carotene 2 x per week lightly coated one time per feeding- I have a nutrition website I can post giving you ideas of what to feed- w/ your T 8 now lower it to 6-8 but w/ no reflector he's not getting the uvb he needs the reflector directs the rays down ward to him making it more beneficial to him-- Please No more meal worms- they are too harsh on babies stomachs- he needs a staple feeder like crickets dubiaroaches bsfl or silk worms- I recommend a combination of bsfl and dubias- I will get some websites posted for you+ your dragon needs insects every day and salads offered every morning- I will give you some ideas on how to feed- but you MUST get your uvb and temps in order first- he won't eat if they are not correct-

 

[kmas1312]

The tank is a 40 gallon? Please upgrade your fixture to a 24" T 5 bulb-- please get a Zoo Med or a Arcadia pro T 5 w/ a 12% bulb or a sunblaster nano tech 6400 bulb-- you will need a new fixture for the T 5- your screen looks to be a wide holed type the uvb can go on top 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor- your dragon needs calcium d 3 5 x per week lightly coated one time per feeding - vitamins w beta carotene 2 x per week lightly coated one time per feeding- I have a nutrition website I can post giving you ideas of what to feed- w/ your T 8 now lower it to 6-8 but w/ no reflector he's not getting the uvb he needs the reflector directs the rays down ward to him making it more beneficial to him-- Please No more meal worms- they are too harsh on babies stomachs- he needs a staple feeder like crickets dubiaroaches bsfl or silk worms- I recommend a combination of bsfl and dubias- I will get some websites posted for you+ your dragon needs insects every day and salads offered every morning- I will give you some ideas on how to feed- but you MUST get your uvb and temps in order first- he won't eat if they are not correct-

The tank I have is actually a 75 gallon! Okay I’ll make sure to do that And that website about feeding would be a great help to look at! Thanks for the help I’ll get the UVB taken care of ASAP

 

[KarrieRee]

The tank I have is actually a 75 gallon! Okay I’ll make sure to do that And that website about feeding would be a great help to look at! Thanks for the help I’ll get the UVB taken care of ASAP

Here is some websites for you
Nutrition Content ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder
www.symtonbsf.com Do not dust them -- order medium for now --- feed as many as you want on top of his salads - first thing in the morning - hand feed him a few to start hand taming him -- after about a hr or so add some dubia roaches to the salad -
www.dubiaroaches.com order the size no bigger than the space between his eyes length wise - dust them w/ calcium D3 5 x per week lightly coated ONCE per feeding --- vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week lightly coated ONCE per feeding - this will all change by a year old
you will need a bowl like this for feeding they work great to keep the BSFL in and smaller roaches please look at the chart on the website for roach size
https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
I also recommend a digital probe hygrometer -- place on the back center wall of tank it will read the whole tank

Exo Terra Digital Hygrometer | Dubia.com

Use the Exo Terra Digital Hygrometer to track the humidity levels in your reptile or amphibian terrarium, available here at Dubia.com!

dubiaroaches.com

optimal humidity 40-50% nothing below 20 and nothing over 70%