Trying to understand

[beardie_love]

Gaping.

Why do beardies do it? I understand that they do it to regulate their temperature or however you put it. I'm wondering what triggers it? Like, do they do it when it's warm/hot? I'm trying to understand this because Charlie does it alot. It seems that he's been doing it since the weather got warmer, therefore, his temperature getting warmer? And, his mouth isn't just open all day long, it's just on and off. Help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Thermoregulation is a way of regulating body temps when it's hot, they can't sweat so they gape, kinda like a dog panting.

 

[beardie_love]

Okay, I get that now. But would he be doing it because his temps are 'high'?

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Nope.... Well what temps have you got? They do it, well i like to think cause their enjoying the heat, but if the temps are too high they will do it as well. As long as their doing it WHILE basking and not on the floor or the cool side then I'd say the temps are'nt too high.

 

[beardie_love]

Yep, he does it while basking. As for temps, I'm currently playing around with everything to up his temp. I just recently went from a 100 watt to a 150 watt bulb and the temp hasn't really changed (about 95 F).

 

[Red Ink AUS]

ODD ??? What are you measuring the temps with and how?

 

[beardie_love]

It is odd! I use a digital therm with the probe. How? I place it on the basking spot? :-\

 

[corrine]

Does your basking light have a dome reflector thing? I took the reflector off of Yoyo's light and it messed with the basking temp. I kept changing bulbs and couldn't get temps right until I put it back on.

 

[crypticdragons]

It is odd! I use a digital therm with the probe. How? I place it on the basking spot? :-\

How long after your lights come on do you attempt to get a reading?
Heat on a basking site (for the most comfortable basking sites) needs to build up over the first hour, not just on and its 105+ automatically. Like in my melamine tanks i use 40 watt basking lights and it takes about 45 minutes to an hour for the temps to reach the 100+ mark.

 

[beardie_love]

Corrine - I'm not exactly sure of what you mean by dome relfector ???

Brian - I keep it there for about 30 mins. I may have kept the therm longer there, but I can't remember. Either way, I will leave the therm there for a good while and will let you know what temp I get.

Another question - well, before I changed the 100w to the 150w, the 100w was just a clear bulb. The 150w is a soft white (because I thought that they needed this one?). I thought either bulb should've gave the correct temp because Charlie is in only a 30 gallon tank (waiting to get a new one :).

 

[crypticdragons]

wow 30 gallon tank and 150watt bulb only gets you 100 degrees? Something seems off here. Whats the distance from the basking site to the bulb? And how do you have the light mounted? Is it in a dome like this http://s3.amazonaws.com/tc-photos/11442/product/standard/504693.jpg (the metal one is the same thing).

 

[ladyknite]

batteries in digital probe therms often get old or damaged causing incorrect readings. I'd replace either the battery or the therm (whichever is cheaper) and see what you get.

 

[beardie_love]

Brian - It only gets me 95 at the highest. The distance is about 11" and the light is mounted by the clamp I have for it, it being clamped onto the tank.

ladyknite - The thing is, it reads the correct temps for my babies! I even have a backup digital therm (no probe) that reads the same thing too, for all of my temps.

 

[ladyknite]

hmmmmm.........you have a white dome. White reflects heat, but not as good as aluminium. Any chance you can lower the basking light to increase temps? You may need to add a partition across the tank in order to make it stable so it doesn't fall.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

It is odd! I use a digital therm with the probe. How? I place it on the basking spot? :-\

I did a write up on it on the habitat section.

"Using a Probe Thermometer"

Go and check it out.

 

[beardie_love]

ladyknite - I shall construct something to lower the lamp.

Francis - Okay I read it. Even to put the probe on the basking spot when it's hot, well, what if you used something to divide the probe from the hot surface? Like, say a cloth?

And again with the bulbs.. the clear and soft white one. Which one should be used? I currently have the soft white. I would think the clear bulb would give off more heat?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Clear will work... Flood lights will too, cheaper and last much longer than marketed "basking" lights.
Hope this helps you out !
Janie

 

[beardie_love]

Thanks Janie, but I think my problem has been resolved! I guess I never have left my therm on the basking spot for a long period of time. I left my therm there today for about 2 hours and I got to 102. ;D So this soft white is totally fine? Because I bought 4.

Thanks for all your help everyone !

 

[zebraflavencs]

If using those "soft" achieved that basking temp.. then yes.. you are good to go !
Hope this helps out !
Janie

 

[crypticdragons]

Thanks Janie, but I think my problem has been resolved! I guess I never have left my therm on the basking spot for a long period of time. I left my therm there today for about 2 hours and I got to 102. ;D So this soft white is totally fine? Because I bought 4.

Thanks for all your help everyone !

'takes a bow' lmao
yeah it can take time for the basking site to heat up entirely. I figured your temps had to be good with a bulb that size. Im glad it all worked out.