Rankins Dragon vivarium temperature worries

[Smudger]

Hi all,

I'm pleased to be here. This is my first post.

My question/issue is this:

I have a 4' viv with 2 female Rankins Dragons (one brumating). During the day when everything heats up, the basking spot bulb (100w) temp is about 40C, the temp on the back left hand corner floor nearest the lamp is about 30C but the right hand corner floor temp away from the heat lamp is only about 19C.
At night time due to decreasing temperatures (about 6C and will get even colder when there is eventually a freeze) I am now swapping the heat bulb for a ceramic one (150w) to mitigate this. I reduce the temperature to a bit less than during the day. I then swap it back again in the morning. Does all this sound like a sensible approach or should these temperatures be is concerning me.

Thanks in advance.

​

 

[HoomanSlave]

Many owners find it necessary to swap out their basking light for a higher watt one during colder months. Your basking temps are fine, but your cool end temps are too low and need to be raised. A 150w bulb in a thermostat and dimmer fixture works pretty well. Using the heat emitter at night and replacing it in the morning is fine, but you can save time by buying a separate fixture for the CHE and attaching everything to a timer so that the CHE and bulb are on a constant cycle. Keeping two beardies together isn't really recommended unless you are breeding them.

 

[Smudger]

Thanks for your reply.

If I get a 150w basking bulb won't that make the basking spot too hot if I'm trying to raise the temperatures elsewhere? Or should I just lower the basking area's distance from the 150w basking bulb?

The Rankins (both female) seem to get on fine. I understand that they are more sociable than Beardies.