Night time heat?

[OlliesFamily]

What do y'all use for overnight heat? I was thinking of getting a red one for overnight use? 40 gallon tank

 

[JessPets]

Don't ever used colored bulbs for bearded dragons, especially at night. You don't really need any extra heat at night, unless it gets below 65º at night. If it does, use a CHE (ceramic heat emitter)

 

[OlliesFamily]

Why do you recommend not using the colored bulbs? Just curious. What about the under tank heaters that I've seen? It's a flat mat that goes underneath your tank?

 

[JessPets]

Why do you recommend not using the colored bulbs? Just curious. What about the under tank heaters that I've seen? It's a flat mat that goes underneath your tank?

Unlike a lot of animals, bearded dragons can see colors and light, which mean that it will disturb their sleep cycle and they won't have a good night's rest. It's basically like you trying to sleep with all the lights on - it's not easy, is it? Heat pads are okay, but not great. You need a thermostat, or else it could easily burn them. Also, beardies are know for not feeling heat on their stomachs, and are therefore more prone to burns. In total, a heat mat and good thermostat would cost you more than a ceramic heat emitter

 

[OlliesFamily]

Ok. Thank you so much for the information.

 

[Gormagon]

Why do you recommend not using the colored bulbs? Just curious. What about the under tank heaters that I've seen? It's a flat mat that goes underneath your tank?

Now let's do a little experiment.
Take a red bulb and put it in an overhead fixture in your room.
Everything is either shades of brown or red. This is what your dragon sees too.
Dragons prefer it pitch dark and cool (around 65° to 70°) at night so they can slow their metabolism down to actually rest. In the event that your room temps drop below 65° at night, you can get a CHE "ceramic heat emitter" and put it on a dimmer switch to control the heat output.