Heating question..

Hey guys.

I've just reserved a bearded dragon from my local pet shop and I'm very excited about getting it, as you can imagine! I'm going to pick the little fella up on Tuesday/Wednesday because I have to prepare his home first.

Initially (for about a month, at most) he will be an a vivarium of about this size,

L: 30 inches
W: 12 inches
H: 16 inches

Then, when my dad's built it, he'll be in a much bigger tank (L: 40inches, W: 25inches, H: 22inches)

Now obviously I know the first tank is pretty small but it should suit a baby 6 inch bearded dragon for a month, right?

Anyways, my main concern is that with his first tank being quite small, how will I be able to get the temperature right in the tank? I fear the spot right under the basking light will be too hot, and that the areas of the tank that should be cooler will also be too hot aswell.

Are there any ways round this you can suggest? As I've said, it'll be only a month until he is moved in to his much bigger enclosure but still, I'd like the little guy to have all the right temperatures for that small period of time.

Thanks.

First of all, congrats on the new beardie!

The smaller tank will actually suit your new baby quite well for longer than a month or two; some might actually advise you that it could be a bit on the big end for right now.

Heating shouldn't be an issue at all, but the first thing we need to know is what kind of lighting do you intend to use? Will you use a flourescent UVB tube along with a heat lamp and/or ceramic heat bulb or will you use a UVB/heat lamp combination light?

Younger beardies need higher temps than adults and while it is important to have the right temps all of their lives, it is extremely important to have the proper temps as a hatchling and sub adult.

Let us know what you've decided on as the whole setup and we can help you get it just right!

Hello mate.

I've ordered a new ReptiSun 10.0 from Ebay which should arrived soon, and for heat I was thinking of using a standard household bulb because I hear those are suitable? Really though, I'm very open to hearing what is best and then going out and buying it. If you feel there are better alternatives than a household bulb, please let me know! I'm in the UK though, so products over here might be different from what you have over there.

You will have to experiment with different wattage for the household bulb until you get it right. But they are cheap enough that you can do that easily. One thing you should get asap is a tempgun so you know the actual temperature of the enclosure. That will be your best friend in getting things correct and quickly. Don't guess on the temp. The normal thermometers that you purchase at pet stores just don't cut it.

We've noticed that if you decide to use a household bulb, the best kind are spot bulbs. They are also called directional bulbs. It is the same thing that you would put into track lighting or recessed lighting. It is triangular shaped like the made-for-reptile bulbs are. They give you a better heat gradient because the bulb is emitting it's light and heat downwards onto a controlled spot and not everywhere. With the fluorescent lighting, there wont be a problem of viewing your dragon either!

Good luck and remember to watch the amount of watts on the bulb that you're putting into your clamp lamp, if you decide to use one. A clamp lamp with a plastic socket can only handle 100 watts. If you go above that, you will need a clamp lamp with a ceramic socket.