Too hot on the cool side?

[jwideman]

So I managed to get the hot side up to 95, but now the cool side is over 85. Is this a problem? I'm not sure on the age (rescue), but she's an adult and almost 16 inches from nose to tail tip.

 

[sweetiepie9]

How big is the tank and what are you using for heat? It could make a difference. If she's an adult she should have at least a 40 gallon breeder tank, which is 18" wide, 2' long and 18" tall. Then you have a better chance to get the temps right. Should be at least 100F on the hot side and 75F on the cool side. Need more info to determine what the issue is.

 

[jwideman]

She's our miracle baby, not just surviving but outgrowing her 20g tank. I'll be getting her into a bigger tank ASAP, of course. Heat is 60w incandescent in a brooder dome. Nighttime heat is currently a space heater until I can get another dome for a 40w CHE.
If you know how to localize the heat increase, I'm all ears. I've just added a log near her basking rock for her to squeeze under. I'll post the temp under that tomorrow.
She was stuck in that tank a long, long time, with room temperatures, no UVB, and a lettuce diet. (Petco purchase, I'm guessing.)

 

[sweetiepie9]

How old is she? It can be alot more difficult to get the temps right in a small tank like a 20 gallon. If she's an adult and it won't take long to get her a bigger tank then leave it as it is. As long as she's pooping regularly and you're giving her baths alot (I have 5 adult males & they gets baths every day, but they poop in the water & getting baths daily helps to keep them hydrated) at least 3x per week, she'll be fine until she's in a bigger tank. She does sound like a miracle & I'm so glad you took her in. Are you giving her good UVB, too? Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12% are the best tube UVB lights & she does need that to digest properly. If you're looking for food choices check out www.beautifuldragons.com under Nutrition, it's the best food list for dragons I've ever seen and I've been raising dragons since 2006.

Welcome to the world of beardies!

 

[jwideman]

How old is she? It can be alot more difficult to get the temps right in a small tank like a 20 gallon. If she's an adult and it won't take long to get her a bigger tank then leave it as it is. As long as she's pooping regularly and you're giving her baths alot (I have 5 adult males & they gets baths every day, but they poop in the water & getting baths daily helps to keep them hydrated) at least 3x per week, she'll be fine until she's in a bigger tank. She does sound like a miracle & I'm so glad you took her in. Are you giving her good UVB, too? Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12% are the best tube UVB lights & she does need that to digest properly. If you're looking for food choices check out http://www.beautifuldragons.com under Nutrition, it's the best food list for dragons I've ever seen and I've been raising dragons since 2006.

Welcome to the world of beardies!

Yeah, she gets great UVB. I'm using a reptisun 10.0 and while I can't lower the fixture (I made the mistake of buying an expensive one that sits on top of the tank, so I'm stuck with it for now) I made a slope with her rocks that she can crawl up, which puts her about 8 inches from the light when she basks.
Also, I managed to make a hide for her that is 5 degrees cooler than the cool side. She doesn't use it, preferring to sleep in her basking spot.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Good to know, at least when she's in the bigger tank you'll have more options getting the hot side & cool side to better temps. Sounds like she's liking her little tank, though, so that's good for now!