Trouble Heating a 120g

[LeoEyes]

Hello folks,

I just got a 120 gallon tank yesterday for my beardie Zair. It's so much nicer having a big tank like that for her, but I do have a problem. I'm having trouble getting it hot enough for her. I have a 150w sun glo and a 100w sun glo on the tank, but the basking spot is only getting to about 80-85 degrees. Whole the rest of the tank is a bit colder than I would like.

The other issue I have having is I have one of the 10.0 linear MVB bulbs sitting on top of the screen with the other lights. But it really does need to be closer but how in the world do I get it closer?! I suppose I could attach it inside the tank but then it wouldn't be facing the right way...

Any advice would be great, thanks!

 

[Owner of Max]

I just picked up a 150 gallon 5' X 2' X 2' tank with oak trim and a matching custom oak panelled stand off of Craigs List for $200! It also came with a whole bunch of Bearded Dragon "stuff" too.

I currently have a 40 G breeder and use a 160 W Megaray MVB, plus another light for added heat where I very the bulb wattage by the amount of heat I need to add. (wide range of temps in WI)

I haven't started setting the big one up yet, but I am definately going to follow your thread to hopefully learn along with you.

Couple questions so I can follow what you have now:

What type of lights are the 150 w and 100 w sun glo's? Where do you have them and how did you mount them?

When you say 10.0 linear MVB bulbs.....do you mean like the Reptisun 10.0 fluorescent tube type? (A MVB is a mercury vapor bulb and it's not linear)

http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-sb-160-watt-self-ballasted-flood-uvb-lamp.php

Can you put up a picture of your set up?

Looking forward to learning and getting good suggestions from your thread.

Thank you.

 

[LittleRob]

I just picked up a 150 gallon 5' X 2' X 2' tank with oak trim and a matching custom oak panelled stand off of Craigs List for $200! It also came with a whole bunch of Bearded Dragon "stuff" too.

I currently have a 40 G breeder and use a 160 W Megaray MVB, plus another light for added heat where I very the bulb wattage by the amount of heat I need to add. (wide range of temps in WI)

I haven't started setting the big one up yet, but I am definately going to follow your thread to hopefully learn along with you.

Couple questions so I can follow what you have now:

What type of lights are the 150 w and 100 w sun glo's? Where do you have them and how did you mount them?

When you say 10.0 linear MVB bulbs.....do you mean like the Reptisun 10.0 fluorescent tube type? (A MVB is a mercury vapor bulb and it's not linear)

http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-sb-160-watt-self-ballasted-flood-uvb-lamp.php

Can you put up a picture of your set up?

Looking forward to learning and getting good suggestions from your thread.

Thank you.

Wow you have a 160w in a 40gallon. Doesn't it get super hot in there. I have a 100 watt and its get good in there, temps are perfect all the way around. Cool side temps must be kinda high or no? What distance do you have that MVB at? Might get tips from this that it why i ask.

 

[lyndra]

We were having the same problem, but since switching the basking bulb to a 100W halogen floodlight bulb the temperatures have been steady.

 

[diamc]

Hello folks,
I just got a 120 gallon tank yesterday for my beardie Zair. It's so much nicer having a big tank like that for her, but I do have a problem. I'm having trouble getting it hot enough for her. I have a 150w sun glo and a 100w sun glo on the tank, but the basking spot is only getting to about 80-85 degrees. Whole the rest of the tank is a bit colder than I would like.
The other issue I have having is I have one of the 10.0 linear MVB bulbs sitting on top of the screen with the other lights. But it really does need to be closer but how in the world do I get it closer?! I suppose I could attach it inside the tank but then it wouldn't be facing the right way...
Any advice would be great, thanks!

Wow, a 150 and 100 watt basking bulbs? That seems like an awful lot of wattage. Are you using either a temperature gun or digital thermometer with probe end to check the temps? If using a digital with probe, you need to lay the probe end so that it is resting on the basking log or rock, wait about 45 min for the temp to stop rising before you get the final temp, so please make sure you're doing that if using this thermometer. If using any type of stick-on thermometer, they can be off by as much as 20 degrees so your temps would be way off.

If you're talking about a strip fluorescent UVB and need to get it within 6 to 8 inches of your beardie, you can put bricks underneath the basking area to raise it higher or use a tall log or tree root as the basking area.

I currently have a 40 G breeder and use a 160 W Megaray MVB, plus another light for added heat where I very the bulb wattage by the amount of heat I need to add. (wide range of temps in WI)

A 160 watt Megaray is also a lot of wattage in only a 40 gallon breeder. How far from the basking area is your bulb? I'm using a 100 watt T-Rex in a 55 gallon at a distance of 15" and get a basking temp of about 105. The 160 watt MVB's need to be a minimum of 18" away from the basking area.

 

[lyndra]

Yes, I currently have a digital thermometer with a probe. I put the probe right on his basking spot and wait until the temp no longer rises.

 

[diamc]

lyndra, since you're using a 100 watt bulb I thought you were probably getting accurate temps. :wink: It was actually the higher wattage bulbs that are being used that I was concerned about.

 

[lyndra]

Sorry, I misunderstood you then.

 

[diamc]

It's fine, no problem.

 

[lyndra]

Have a Happy New Year!!

 

[diamc]

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU TOO.

 

[Owner of Max]

The 40g breeder tank we have has an open top on it, so it doesn't hold much heat.

During the winter, we keep our house at an average of 65.5 F. (programmable thermostat: 63 F when we are not home and 68 F when we are home (66 F at night)) So if you figure that we need to raise the ambient temp about 40 F, you can see why it takes so much to do it. Last winter I talked with Bob at Megaray and he told me that I should be able to raise the ambient temp 25-30 F from 18" with the 160 W MVB. Knowing this, I definately need to add more heat. (If you have the MVB light going through a screen top, it will cut down the heat and UVB penetration depending on how open or tight the screen mesh/wire is)

I have the MVB directly over Max's basking rock on an adjustable stand. I am not using the screen top anymore so it doesn't cut down on the heat and UVB penetration. On the opposite end of his tank, I have a clamp on light aiming down into the tank at an angle to help add light to brighten the tank and add heat. I don't want to aim it directly down into the tank because otherwise I'd end up with another basking spot :lol: . I vary the bulb wattage anywhere from a 15W CFL daylight bulb (light only) during the summer to a 40 W - 60 W - 75 W - 100 W during the fall - winter - spring. I do what is needed to have the basking spot at about 105 F and the cool side always ends up being from the upper 70's F to lower 80's F.

With the new big tank I'm going to be setting up, (also open/screen top) I think I'm going to use a CHE on a thermostat sensing off the basking spot temp to add the heat needed to reach the basking temp even with the widely varying home ambient temps over the seasons. The tank came with a 36" double fluorescent light fixture that I'll use on the opposite end as the MVB to brighten it up. I'm considering having one of the bulbs be a Reptisun 10.0 and the other just a standard white light. With the tank being 5' long and the MVB being on the one end only, I'd feel better knowing he can get UVB throughout the rest of the tank too.

I was looking to get an enclosed type 4' X 2' X2' viv with sliding glass front doors because this would hold the heat in and not need so much wattage ($$ electrical bill), but when I found this beautiful 5' X 2' X 2' glass cage for only $200, I couldn't pass it up.