lighting/heat problem in my new tank

[ThDude]

so i went from a 20 gallon tank to a 40 gallon tank, my old temps in my 20 were around 108F, but my ones in the 40 are just hardly touching 100F. i have a youth dragon(only 2-3 months old) and he needs around 110.

right now i have a 150watt bulb which was only getting it too 97F or so. i added another bulb, a 50watt one to a desk lamp(one of the ones with the bendy necks that clamp onto things) for the moment and the temps are holding right around 103F

should i go to a halogen bulb? what should i do to get my temps right?

 

[Germ]

Can you bring the bulb closer to the screen, I seem to remember that on the 20Gal it like 6"-8" above? A 150W should have no problems heating a 40Gal unless your ambient room temps are really cold.

 

[ThDude]

i have no screen on my tank, its already right as close as it can be to the tank. as of right now its 12" from his basking rock. i got the halogen bulb and im going to try it.

my room is around 70-72F so it is quite cool.

 

[Germ]

What wattage Halogen?

 

[drgnfly2265]

A higher wattage bulb should help.....

 

[Germ]

i have no screen on my tank, its already right as close as it can be to the tank. as of right now its 12" from his basking rock.

You'll wake up or come home & your dragon will be gone & have crawled in a vent or something. I don't think you realize just how high these little buggers can jump &\or just how good of escape artists they can be. The screen isn't just there to hold up lights.

 

[Wellovelizards]

I had a similar issue with our 40. I created a basking spot only 6" away and it works great. 103-107

 

[ThDude]

i have the 75watt halogen, i believe i need less/have it further away as at one point it got the tip top of the basking spot to 116F, i took the basking sopt down a few degrees by removing a few rocks i had that made it closer to the light, staying at 109 now.

i do not have a top, the tanks 18" tall and the highist spot in his tank is 3" so unless he can just 15" straight up i think im ok, at least untill hes a little older.

i like having multi level basking spot so i will exchange the 75watt for a 50/60. 75watt is a little high.

@wellovelizard: i believe 6" away is dangerious to the lizard, i think the closest point he should be able to get to it is 12" if im wrong someone correct me.

so yea, smaller halogen bulb tomorrow.

 

[Germ]

Just needs to be far enough away, that the BD can not accidentally touch the bulb itself or the hot screen, when on the basking spot, to avoid burns. I think you may be confusing this, with the minimum 12" safe distance from a 100W MVB, for different reasons.

 

[ThDude]

Just needs to be far enough away, that the BD can not accidentally touch the bulb itself or the hot screen, when on the basking spot, to avoid burns. I think you may be confusing this, with the minimum 12" safe distance from a 100W MVB, for different reasons.

ahh, yea. that may be it.

however as it is my understanding that a halogen bulb uses less energy to get the job done so i think i will go with that if there are no bad side effects to useing one. i may just place it further away from the basking spot but keep the 75watt, all i could find other then 75 was a 40 watt.

 

[Germ]

I use Halogens exclusively for all my enclosures. Yes you are right on the more heat per Watt of power used.

 

[ThDude]

I use Halogens exclusively for all my enclosures. Yes you are right on the more heat per Watt of power used.

cool, i may not pay the power bills at my house but im sure my parents will be more hapy with less power used.

what is the hotest a basking spot should be alloud to be at?(for my age of dragon that is)

 

[Germ]

110F allows for ambient room fluctuations, it should never get above 115F. If your room gets warmer\hotter so will the enclosure & vice versa.

 

[ThDude]

110F allows for ambient room fluctuations, it should never get above 115F. If your room gets warmer\hotter so will the enclosure & vice versa.

i see, thank you. tems are from 107-110F now