# how to setup thermostat probe



## joker (May 12, 2008)

hi i have been reading a few posts about temps and have a question if anyone could help?

i am getting a baby bearded dragon in about 2 weeks so i have been getting the stuff togeather for it,i have got a 3ftx1ftx16ingh high fish tank that i am going to use till i get a 4ft viv,i have got a on and off stat off ebay,a ceramic 100w lamp and holder.just though i would let you know what setup this info is for.

people in the threads i have read have said when you use a thermostat you should put the prob in the cool end but what i don't get is when you set the temp for the stat to run the ceramic lamp you set it at about 100-110f but if the prob is in the cool end it will be reading the cool end temp therefore it will put more power to the ceramic lamp making it alot hotter under the lamp and burn the bearded dragon.could anyone help?

sorry if this is a stupid question i just carn't figure it out.


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## JAG Loves Beardies (Apr 13, 2008)

I dont know but personally i would put the probe in the hot end.
And have a thermometer in the cool end.
Dont use a stat, never needed one, just a digi thermometer.:lol2:


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## piehunter (Jul 10, 2007)

I have mine at the same height of the main basking spot (hot end)


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

ok here goes

most of us use a habistat dimmer for our beardies, we all like our cool end temps to read around the 85 mark and our basking temps to read around the 105-115 mark

*the probe*

the habistat dimmers only go up to 92, so if the probe is in the hot end, our temps will reach 92 then the thermostat will kick in and stop it going any higher, we need it to reach 105-115, so this won't do for us so....

we place the probe down the cool end and set it to 85, this makes sure our cool end temps are spot on, and the bulb at the other end is so far away from the probe it stays nice and bright, and it actually goes higher than 92, it reaches well into the 100's which is great for beardies, we actually reach our basking spot temps

we use dimmers as this is less stressful for our beardies, if its too hot the bulb dims a little if its to cold its nice and bright, an on/off thermostat is like a strobe if its poistioned in the wrong place, imagine sitting in a room and somebody kept flicking your lights on and off, after a while you would be annoyed and very stressed,

hope that helps

andy


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

Have a flick through this - I've tried to explain some of the basic principles of stats in it:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/newbie-advice/124203-guide-thermostats.html


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## LFBP-NEIL (Apr 23, 2005)

This may help..

Where do i place the thermostat probe?

There is diagrams.


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

pink said:


> This may help..
> 
> Where do i place the thermostat probe?
> 
> There is diagrams.


For a beardie I'd go with the second of those diagrams, but probably set the probe to 28-29C...


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## joker (May 12, 2008)

hi thanks alot guy's this has helped alot its cleared up why the probe goes in the cool end and its cleared a few other stuff up for me aswell thanks again


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## joker (May 12, 2008)

hi again just thought i would tell you i am going to use a ceramic lamp so it won't stress the bearded dragon out,that should work ok with a on/off stat shouldn't it ?


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

joker said:


> hi again just thought i would tell you i am going to use a ceramic lamp so it won't stress the bearded dragon out,that should work ok with a on/off stat shouldn't it ?


I would strongly recommend not using a on/off stat with a ceramic heater. The on off stats like they say, switch on and off causing the ceramic to expand and retract and at a much higher chance of cracking, and also they will expire much quicker. The best stat to use for a ceramic is a dimmer/pulse apparently not an on/off. The ceramic will last much longer this way.: victory:


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

joker said:


> hi again just thought i would tell you i am going to use a ceramic lamp so it won't stress the bearded dragon out,that should work ok with a on/off stat shouldn't it ?


People usually recommend Pulse Stats for ceramics...

Personally I would have said that a ceramic would stress out a beardie *more* than using a lightbulb. Ceramics tend to cause cages to be pretty dim (the only light comes from the UV tube) - remember beardies come from an environment where you need sunglasses to go outdoors during the summer!

All heating needs to be turned off at night for a beardie to allow the temperature to drop so the beardie's metabolic rate can also drop. For something like a forest-dwelling gecko that has fairly constant day / night temperatures and likes a somewhat dim cage, ceramics are perfect. For a diurnal animal that likes bright light and needs a large nighttime temperature drop, I wouldn't say ceramics are particularly suitable, and are likely to cause stress to the animal...


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

HadesDragons said:


> People usually recommend Pulse Stats for ceramics...
> 
> Personally I would have said that a ceramic would stress out a beardie *more* than using a lightbulb. Ceramics tend to cause cages to be pretty dim (the only light comes from the UV tube) - remember beardies come from an environment where you need sunglasses to go outdoors during the summer!
> 
> All heating needs to be turned off at night for a beardie to allow the temperature to drop so the beardie's metabolic rate can also drop. For something like a forest-dwelling gecko that has fairly constant day / night temperatures and likes a somewhat dim cage, ceramics are perfect. For a diurnal animal that likes bright light and needs a large nighttime temperature drop, I wouldn't say ceramics are particularly suitable, and are likely to cause stress to the animal...


I'd say they would be ok surely as long as there is a substantial UV bulb in there to provide daylight as reptile allegedly cannot see red light from heat bulbs anyway.


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

Hardwicki said:


> I'd say they would be ok surely as long as there is a substantial UV bulb in there to provide daylight as reptile allegedly cannot see red light from heat bulbs anyway.


I'm talking about spot lights, not red heating bulbs. Beardies can see red as well; I don't know if they are aware of it as they are of regular lights, but they can certainly see it...

There's a massive difference between a single UV tube and the sun; I use extra non-heat lights in my cages as well as the UV and heating bulbs, and it still doesn't come close to being as bright as a desert is.

For a desert-living animal such as a beardie, you want to get the cage as bright as possible to stimulate natural behaviour and help them to set internal day / night cycles within their bodies. A UV tube plus a spotlight will make it much brighter than just a UV tube, which is why I'd recommend using spot lights rather than ceramics for beardies.


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

HadesDragons said:


> I'm talking about spot lights, not red heating bulbs. Beardies can see red as well; I don't know if they are aware of it as they are of regular lights, but they can certainly see it...
> 
> There's a massive difference between a single UV tube and the sun; I use extra non-heat lights in my cages as well as the UV and heating bulbs, and it still doesn't come close to being as bright as a desert is.
> 
> For a desert-living animal such as a beardie, you want to get the cage as bright as possible to stimulate natural behaviour and help them to set internal day / night cycles within their bodies. A UV tube plus a spotlight will make it much brighter than just a UV tube, which is why I'd recommend using spot lights rather than ceramics for beardies.


Learn something new every day. There you go Joker, Hades seems to know his beardies. Which are best the blue daylight spots or just your regular white ones?


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

Hardwicki said:


> Learn something new every day. There you go Joker, Hades seems to know his beardies. Which are best the blue daylight spots or just your regular white ones?


I personally would stick with the white ones - the sun's not blue, and the closer you can get to daylight the better!


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## bmth girl (Apr 18, 2008)

Think I have mine sorted now , the probe is half way along the middle of the viv and the temps seem ok...just worried that if the hot end got too hot on the basking spot they would not have the sense to move away and burn themselves...as I have read never to use heat rocks as they are dangerous for them as thay get burns to the skin?....(still a little confused ...its the same old thing " too many cooks......"


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## jaf2212 (May 10, 2008)

I would advise against the ceramics, I've just removed mine after a week as my beardie hasn't been the same without the bright light


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

bmth girl said:


> Think I have mine sorted now , the probe is half way along the middle of the viv and the temps seem ok...just worried that if the hot end got too hot on the basking spot they would not have the sense to move away and burn themselves...as I have read never to use heat rocks as they are dangerous for them as thay get burns to the skin?....(still a little confused ...its the same old thing " too many cooks......"


Hot rocks can burn the bellies of dragons, but because you would also have heat coming from above, it would quickly realise that it was too hot, regardless of how (in)sensitive its belly is.


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## joker (May 12, 2008)

hey thanks for the advise everyone. i will see if i can go and swap it tomoz.The idiots at the pet store where i bought it from said it would be fine show's how much they know!i will tell them tomoz. i have got a red heat glow bulb i bought before i got this ceramic one will that do its 50w do i need to get a more powerfull one for a 3ft fish tank or should i go buy a spot light one and if so should i get the normal colour or the blue one (so many things to think about lol )i will still use this on/off thermostat till i can get the money togeather for a dimming or a pulse one,sorry about all the question but i just want to make sure i get everything sorted before i get the little chap


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## zukomonitor (Nov 11, 2007)

Hi there, 

HADES is definitely the man in the know when it comes to BD's

from personal experience the brighter the better, use a clear/white spotlight - you will be looking at a 60w for a 3ft tank

the probe needs to be placed in the cool end with a dimming thermostat.

the whole point is to create a thermal gradient, if you achieve the cool end temps then you know your beardie can cool off if needs be. basking temps only become a problem in even larger tanks that are for monitors etc.

get your cool end temps right and you are on to a winner, obviously ventilation has a part in this but you get my drift.


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## bannyian (Jun 13, 2007)

hi just to check my setup is ok, i have a ceramic heater, a uv tube and a normal light tube for a bearide, by the way i just used 2 digi thermometers and positioned my probe once i had the correct heating at each end, to do this i temporarily fixed it to the viv and checked temps b4 i got the beardie


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