Newbie here, with a probable newbie question too

[Gee]

Hello all,

I am going to be getting my first beardie within a few weeks after I get back from holiday and have a few queries.

FYI,

I have a 4x2x2 Viv, which came with a ceramic heat bulb and a UV tube also.

I have done a lot of reading etc, but a couple of things that come to mind are:

The UV bulb - What came with the Viv was a Exo Terra Exo Glo 10.0, which is 76cm and 25w.

Can anyone please advise if this is suitable for a baby beardy and if not, what should I purchase? I may just replace it anyway, as I am not sure how old it is and I believe they should be replaced every 6 months or so?

Second thing that springs to mind is the temperature on a night time. Saw this in another thread:

Heat should not be provided at night unless your home drops below 18*c. If it does get that cold, a ceramic heat emitter or a heat mat on the side or back of the enclosure can safely bump temps.

My house dependent on the season very likely drops below 18*c on a night, so I would need to use a heat mat going by the above. My Viv in a wooden one. Would the heat still be noticable to the beardy if put on the side of the viv? Are there any alternative methods, such as a thermostat which turns on a heat source at night if the temp goes below 18*c?


Had a few questions but had a mind blank, so will come to update the thread once I remember.

Thank you

[perfectly_flawed]

First of all, welcome to the forum.
I would replace that UVB light with a reptiSUN 10 tube. Not only is potential age an issue, but the glo bulbs are not as good as they could be on UVB output.
I would also replace the ceramic heat bulb with a bright white household flood bulb for daytime heat. Dragons do best in very brightly lit enclosures.
Many folks use a thermostat for night heat and that's fine if it helps in your case. However, they're not recommended for daytime temps - dragons need consistent light in the daytime. A heat mat on the side of the enclosure would work just fine.

[Gee]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I will be getting rid of the ceramic and getting the tube you mentioned.

I have written my queries that are concerning me if you wouldn't mind having a look?

Hello all,

I will being purchasing a beardie once I get back from my holiday in a few weeks and already have a Viv with all the neccessary equipment. However, one aspect that is confusing me a little is the heating and lighting.

At the moment I have a ceramic heat bulb and a Exo Terra Exo Glo 10.0 UV light. Now my query is around the heat throughout the day and through the night. I will address some other concerns I have, which may not come in a very logical order so please bare with me!   

Okay, firstly I understand the heat bulb for basking controls the heat in the Viv, a leaflet I have here advises the temp under the basking bulb should be around 35c (95F) and around 20-25c (68-77F) at the cooler end (feel free to correct if wrong). I have read that a normal house hold spot light will also do the job?

Now, to get the correct heat at the basking end, should I simply buy the highest watt available and purchase a dimming thermostat to regulate the heat at the basking end of the Viv? Also, how do you ensure you get the correct temp at the cooler end, does this usually fall in line when the temps are correct at the hot end?

Next, keeping the correct temps throughout the night. I have read that at night when the UV and basking bulb are off the temp should not go below a certain temp throughout the night, think it was 16c (60F). So, how do I ensure this does not happen, as my living room can get very cold in the winter? I have read that there are thermostats that have a day / night setting which will regulate the temps but this would make the basking bulb light up, which I believe can confuse the dragon, so what can I do?

Red bulb?

I have read peoples experiences of these that have used them and switched back to bright White lights and the dragons have preferred it and have been attracted to the light,(which is why I am getting rid of my ceramic bulb) so I'm not too keen on them.

Heat matt?

Got one with the Viv I bought. Can this be attached to a thermostat that will only activate the heat matt when below 16c? If so, would this be under the substrate at the warm or cold end? Or would if be placed outside the Viv? Please note my Viv is wooden.

Now for what I think is my last question for now 

I've seen posts that have suggested the only UV bulb suitable for a baby beardie is a a Repti Sun 10. But surely other brands, like the Exo Glo 10 is suitable as it emits the same level of UV?

Thank you very much!

[jbwexotics]

You can wire an inline thermostat (not sure if thats the real name, they wire in like a light switch, outlet, etc) to the heat source. You can do it 2 ways, cut the wires to the heat source and connect it there, or wire it in series before an outlet and you have a temp controlled outlet.