# Bearded dragon



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

I have my tank set up and went to get my dragon from Pets at Home the woman said she needed tempture results before she could sell me my dragon i brought a alarm thermo and have set it up in the tank the hot end and another one the cold end, the heat is not staying the same the alarm is sounding that it is to hot or to cold i have been making a record for a few days and it is not settling the avarge heat is 35.7c at the warm end and 36.5c at the cold end off a night time when i turn everything off except the heat rock then the tempture goes down to 22.4c warm end and 22.3 cold end, please help as my son as been waiting so long for his dragon and i was hoping to go and get the dragon on Tuesday but if the tempture is not right she is not going to let me have the dragon.


----------



## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

hello,

What kind of tank do you have, I'm guessing from you mentioning pets at home that you have an exoterra terrarium?
If so these are not ideal for bearded dragons i'm sorry and would recommend you return the terrarium and get a wooden vivarium. the reason i say this is because glass does not hold heat well so this is why you can not achieve the temperatures necessary for a bearded dragon which are 115 fahrenheit at the 'basking spot' which is a area high heat which can be created with a tight spot household bulb in a ceramic bulb holder attached to the roof of the enclosure the heat bulb also has to be plugged into dimming thermostat which is a safeguard incase your vivarium gets too hot, the rest of the temps should fall into place if you can achieve the above temps for the basking temp if you have the right vivarium. also you MUST get rid of the hot rock as these are known for damaging bearded dragons bellies as they can only sense heat from above and will lay on the rock forever without moving because they do not recognize heat from below, this is why you need the bulb as it resembles the sun.
hope this helps.


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

We're going to need a few (lot) more details on your setup.

Like Chris said; sling the heat rock as they're not for beardies; or just use it as a rock and don't plug it in.

1 - what size is your viv
2 - is it wood or glass? (doesn't matter too much but glass is harder to hold the heat).. although i'm going the opposite way to Chris; as you already have your tank / viv i'm going to guess that you had it before going to pets at home?
3 - how are you heating it?
4 - do you have a thermostat?
5 - where are you measuring the temperatures?
6 - what are you measuring the temperatures with?
7 - do you have any pictures of the set up so we can advise on it.
8 - what UV lighting do you have?


The ideal answers are:
1 - it's a 4x2x2 (w*h*d)
2 - it's wooden with glass sliding doors
3 - a spot bulb on a thermostat
4 - yes, it's a dimming thermostat with the probe located towards the cool end / middle
5 - basking spot, hot end and cool end
6 - with digital thermometers / an infra red temperature gun (analogue dial ones are crap and can be out)
7 - yes, it's *here*
8 - i have a 12.0 (or 10.0) UVB tube that goes the length of the viv and the beardie would be able to get within 8 inches of it.


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

Meko i have all the correct things you put in your yes list, so what do i replace the rock with anything or nothing? The woman at Pets at Home said i need the rock???

i have the tempatures in Centragrades and not farenite so not sure at the moment the warm end is 30.1c and the cold end 25.7c but the heat lamps switches off when it gets above 35c.

Chris i do have a wooden viv as i got it from a reptile shop as i did hear that the glass ones where no good.


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

whereabouts is the probe for the thermostat? it sounds like it is too close to the basking spot.

The best layout is to have a raised area near the bulb; this way the beardie can get nearer to the bulb and have a basking spot of around 115f / 45c (ish), as you need a basking spot, hot end and a cool end. If your probe is too near the bulb then it'll send a message to the thermostat telling it to cool down well before it gets hot enough (Habistat Dimmers only go to 32c). 
Just play about with the probe till you get the right basking spot and right cool end temperature.. All the rest will fall in line.


you don't need to replace the rock, just don't plug it in. Nocturnal animals usually pick up heat from their belly (off hot rocks / the floor) and dimurnal (like beardies) pick it up from above.


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

The prob is 6inchs below the lamp i just converted it and it is 78.4f in cold and 85.1 in the warm and have unplugged the heat rock.


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

that'll be why, move it to the opposite end. The probe doesn't go high enough to hit the basking temperature so it's going to start to cool down before it's hot enough.
you might need to play about before you get the right heat.


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

so do you mean the same side as the lamp but the other end of the viv??? sorry im new to all this lol


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

wherever in the viv that it needs to be so you get the right basking spot and cool end.


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

Yeh i have two one either end, im hoping it will be settled by Tuesday otherwise the woman in Pets at Home is not going to let me have the dragon and its driving me mad lol. What is the correct tempature so i know because she seems to have been telling me different things?


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

you have two what at either end?


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

two tempature props one in the cool area and one in the warm area the temps at the moment are 81.9f in the cool area and 86.9f in the warm area


----------



## VARogers1 (Mar 5, 2010)

How big is your viv? If it's too small, then you won't get the temperature gradient. It should be 2 foot for a baby beardie (bear in mind you'll have to get one twice as big once he gets older!)


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

Yeh it is the right size viv, i think the woman at the shop told me to put the tempature props in the wrong place as the heat seems to have settled, im a bit confused about the heat source as the woman at the shop said a heat rock but ive been told no, so when i turn the lights off at night where is the dragon going to get its heat from?


----------



## baggylettuce (May 3, 2010)

if you have a dimmer thermostat then just turn the uv light off at night and then turn the thermostat down to so then when the temp goes down the light will light up slightly in the night to keep the temps right try get it around 70 ish at night. also go to a reptile shop not pets at home and ask to see their set ups and get them to help you they will help you more and provide you with better information then pets at home


----------



## barneysmum (Mar 27, 2010)

beardies dont need any night time heat its actually better for the temp to drop quite low for them which replicates their natural temperature pattern.
i agree with the heat rock advice and have noticed they have loads on the shelves at pets at home tut tut.
with a little playing about with the probe position you should get your readings to pacify the shop assistant. place something under your basking light for beardie to stretch out and bask on the heat rock would do it.
good luck with it all and i hope you get your wee beardie,shame your so far away as i have 17 babies at the moment lol


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

Thank you all for your advice looks like i have sorted the tempature problem, i have a log under the basking light is that ok. Im going Tuesday and not leaving without him otherwise im just going to look for someone in Tamworth that as one will let you know when my new arrival is here cant wait. xx


----------



## LloydEvans (Aug 18, 2010)

Should never buy anything to do with reptiles at pets at home... A) Prices are sky high B) Most of them haven't got a spec of experience and just read from a book.. Go to a reptile specialists store..


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

I brought all my stuff from a reptile specialist, im just getting the dragon from Pets at Home.


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

baggylettuce said:


> if you have a dimmer thermostat then just turn the uv light off at night and then turn the thermostat down to so then when the temp goes down the light will light up slightly in the night to keep the temps right try get it around 70 ish at night. also go to a reptile shop not pets at home and ask to see their set ups and get them to help you they will help you more and provide you with better information then pets at home


tell you what, pm me your address. I'll nip round to yours during the night and keep turning your bedroom light on and off when you're trying to sleep.


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Nikola said:


> Thank you all for your advice looks like i have sorted the tempature problem, i have a log under the basking light is that ok. Im going Tuesday and not leaving without him otherwise im just going to look for someone in Tamworth that as one will let you know when my new arrival is here cant wait. xx


A log under it is what most others use; either a log or a rock so the beardie can get closer to the basking light. 
If you look in lizards > pictures or habitat > pictures you'll be able to get an idea of how everybody else has theirs set up.


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

Thanks for your advice Meko i have found a reptile specialist so im going to give them a call today, i turned all the lights off last night but when i woke up this morning around 8ish the sun lamp had come on is this right?

Lol and thanks for the cheeky reply at the end. : victory:


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

what's the lamp plugged into? have you got it on a timer?

you usually turn all the lights off at night and on in the morning, but if you use a timer for the lights you can set them to come on when required.


----------



## Nikola (Aug 23, 2010)

*viv tempature*

I have it plugged into a ThermoControl II and it is set to 30c with 5 eitherway


----------

