newb questions

[SargeUSMC]

Our new dragon came home with us tonight from the store where they left the lights on all the time. Now I have it home here and it's night time so the lights are off, and it's up on the stick in the basking spot. There's no heat up there at night. Do I need to be concerned? I have the UTH on the cool side set to 80 degrees or so........wouldn't it want to be there? Should I leave it up in the air on the stick?

I've read on here elsewhere that they can't feel heat from their undersides. Is that true? This one was rubbing its tum on the warm glass at the basking spot standing on the stick after I turned the light off. Once the glass cooled off, there it was...standing on the stick pressed up against the glass. It probably would have stayed there all night. I put it on the mat and it moved back to the stick.

So much to know.........

 

[LLBlue]

I am nowhere near an expert, but I don't use any heat at night. I don't think you need it unless your tank gets pretty cold at night. I wouldn't use an under the tank heater because I've read that they can burn themselves. I think that there is some type of bulb that you can use at night if it gets very cold, but otherwise I would just turn the lights off and turn them back on in the morning.

 

[SargeUSMC]

thanks, newb. This thing is sleeping like a baby up in the air on the stick. I don't want to stress it out...I moved it once and it went back up in the stick, so I guess it knows what it wants.

1 vote for no UTH...........

What you say makes sense, as their natural habitat no doubt gets cold at night, but as so many that I've talked to will tell you, this ain't their natural habitat.

How old is/are your animal(s) and what cycle do you use for lighting?

UVB how many hrs?
Basking how many hrs?

thx.....us newbs gotta stick together..........there's so much information here........it's tough to know what's "right".......

 

[LLBlue]

Let's see. My bearded dragon is about a year and a half now. I have an MVB bulb, so it has both the heat and the UVB rays. I leave the light on for probably about 12-14 hours per day.
Good luck

 

[Freeie]

Yeah no UTH.

I do mine from 6 am to 8 pm 14 hrs on and 10 hours off. Sometimes they go to sleep a bit earlier. I let mine sleep where ever they are when they finally pass out. As long as your home is above 65f you dont need any heat. Our home is always 68f during the winter. The age of mine are 17 months(got her at 3 months), 11 1/2 months(got him at 3 months), two 11 month olds(got them at 5 weeks old), 7 1/2 month old(got him at 2 months old). You always want to make sure that both the basking and uvb bulb are on at the same time never leave just the uvb on it can damage their eyes. Mine bask all day long.

 

[tank4102]

No uth, if your tanks gets under 60 degrees get a CHE/Ceramic Heat Emmiter
Also what are you measuring temps with?

 

[SargeUSMC]

didn't get under 60 a night....and last night I had the UTH off, i never came down off the stick. I have a glass thermometer with the metal back l

 

[DeweysMom]

I don't know about the glass thermometers, but it seems as though the digital thermometers with the probes at the end are the most recommended. You may want to look into that, but like I said I don't know anything about the glass ones so I don't know if they're accurate or not. I do know that the stick on ones are no good.

 

[YellowOctopus]

I wouldn't know about if they can feel heat from their undersides. However, I do leave my under-tank heater on at night, since it's colder here (I live in the northern parts of the US) and gets down to at least the mid-60s. Since Wally doesn't seem to like that (she sleeps on her basking perch at night) I think I'm going to put the under-tank heater on the same cycle her UVB and heat lamps are on and see how she likes it.

Depending on where you live and how well your home is insulated, you most likely don't need to leave a heat source on at night.

 

[sara24354]

As has been said,no UTH beardies sense heat from their 3rd eye or perietal eye on top of their heads not from below.If your house gets colder than 60-65* at night a ceramic heat emitter is what you need,it gives off heat but no light.Beardies like it dark at night so lights would disturb their sleep cycle.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Sara's right... If you must have heat at night then a ceramic heating element is the way to go. In all glass vivs, a UTH can be applied to the SIDE of the glass not under it
Janie

 

[Twobeardieguy]

I also agree.

 

[lilblack94gt]

I have the warmest room in the house and I haven't been using a light or a heater at night. The temp stays around 75-80 degrees (according to my dig therm with a probe). You say that beardies don't like light at night. Can they register the red of an inferred heat bulb????

During the day I am using a 100watt basking bulb. The temp in the 20gal tall tank I have her in now, during the day is 90-95degrees. I am planning on moving Sam to a 20gal long tank for the time being. Is the 100watt going to be too much for the height of the 20long? I have a zoo med metal mesh screen lid I was planning on sitting the light on. Or should I figure out a way to get it further from her basking spot? ( I will post some pics of her current setup tonight when I get home.

I plan on moving Sam to a 40 breeder in a few months. Since she is only about 6-7 inches, I figure I can keep her in the 20long until then. I just want to make sure that when I do move her, I am going to have the right combo of lights to keep her warm enough.