Temperature

[Savannah1105]

Hello, I just got a 20gal tank and a baby bearded dragon. In the tank kit it came with a thermometer that sticks to the side of the tank. I have had the lights on for about 5 and half hours and it is reading 80°. Could that be reading wrong by chance? Should I get a different thermometer and check where the heat from the bulb is coming from, such as near his log he likes to sit on? I'm new to this and still learning. Thank you!

 

[Sadie]

Hello, I just got a 20gal tank and a baby bearded dragon. In the tank kit it came with a thermometer that sticks to the side of the tank. I have had the lights on for about 5 and half hours and it is reading 80°. Could that be reading wrong by chance? Should I get a different thermometer and check where the heat from the bulb is coming from, such as near his log he likes to sit on? I'm new to this and still learning. Thank you!

Hi Savannah yes the stick on is giving you ambient temps -- please get a digital probe thermometer place the probe on the spot where your little guy sits for basking wait 10 min or so temp should read 105-110- it is very hard to keep temps in small tanks it can be done but once you get it you should be fine but you want a surface basking temp --you should have 3 temps in the tank a basking temp -- a temp of 90's in the middle and around the hot side and a cool side of the tank in the 80's -- "kits" are not really good as they put a lot of junk in them that is a waste of money - one is the UVB if your using a coil that would be in a dome fixture they are no good - I can help you get set up for the little guy the most important things in the tank are the surface basking temps of which I just went over and the UVB --and a digital probe thermometer --- so lets go over your basking bulb - it should be a clear bright white bulb usually a 75 watt will get that temp example of a clear bright white bulb is a Exo Terra Intense or a Zoo Med Repti basking bulb - a good UVB would be a Zoo Med 24" fixture this would come w/ a 5.0 bulb that would be good for your 20 gallon when you upgrade that tank which will be w/ in the next 4-6 months as they grow fast and he will grow out of it you will need to upgrade the bulb to a T 5 bulb -- so the fixture will go into the bigger tank - think of it as a investment for down the road - I can post links to what exactly you need but you need to get this stuff here -- these things I am posting will keep your dragon eating - if they are off he will stop eating and you dont want that - right now hes going thru relocation stress so his eating will be off but you want him to keep eating

 

[Savannah1105]

Hi Savannah yes the stick on is giving you ambient temps -- please get a digital probe thermometer place the probe on the spot where your little guy sits for basking wait 10 min or so temp should read 105-110- it is very hard to keep temps in small tanks it can be done but once you get it you should be fine but you want a surface basking temp --you should have 3 temps in the tank a basking temp -- a temp of 90's in the middle and around the hot side and a cool side of the tank in the 80's -- "kits" are not really good as they put a lot of junk in them that is a waste of money - one is the UVB if your using a coil that would be in a dome fixture they are no good - I can help you get set up for the little guy the most important things in the tank are the surface basking temps of which I just went over and the UVB --and a digital probe thermometer --- so lets go over your basking bulb - it should be a clear bright white bulb usually a 75 watt will get that temp example of a clear bright white bulb is a Exo Terra Intense or a Zoo Med Repti basking bulb - a good UVB would be a Zoo Med 24" fixture this would come w/ a 5.0 bulb that would be good for your 20 gallon when you upgrade that tank which will be w/ in the next 4-6 months as they grow fast and he will grow out of it you will need to upgrade the bulb to a T 5 bulb -- so the fixture will go into the bigger tank - think of it as a investment for down the road - I can post links to what exactly you need but you need to get this stuff here -- these things I am posting will keep your dragon eating - if they are off he will stop eating and you dont want that - right now hes going thru relocation stress so his eating will be off but you want him to keep eating

Thank you so much. My basking bulb is clear light 75watt. My UVB is a dome with coil light. I have researched and they say to have the longer UVB lights. I'm purchasing that today along with my new Thermometers. He is eating, loves to eat, but he glass surfs at night when I turn the lights off

 

[Sadie]

Thank you so much. My basking bulb is clear light 75watt. My UVB is a dome with coil light. I have researched and they say to have the longer UVB lights. I'm purchasing that today along with my new Thermometers. He is eating, loves to eat, but he glass surfs at night when I turn the lights off

Tank could be too warm - temps at night should be cool and dark 65-75 no colored lights at night- please get what I recommended No thrive or Zilla s fixtures please-- get the zoo med but you want a 24" fixture - and most pet stores do not carry the 24 but the 18 and 20" - I will help you set it up they have certain distance and placement- T 8'need to be unobstructed no screen a T 5 can sit on top

 

[Savannah1105]

Tank could be too warm - temps at night should be cool and dark 65-75 no colored lights at night- please get what I recommended No thrive or Zilla s fixtures please-- get the zoo med but you want a 24" fixture - and most pet stores do not carry the 24 but the 18 and 20" - I will help you set it up they have certain distance and placement- T 8'need to be unobstructed no screen a T 5 can sit on top

Okay thank you very much!!