# Finally finished but need help!



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok I now finished my bearded dragon setup but I'm not sure where to set up the temperature probes for the thermostat and the thermometer. To get an optimal reading here is a picture of the finished setup


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi mate,

You want the stat (dimmer stat?) probe at ground level in the cool end of the viv, ideally you want two themometer probes, one in the cool end and one in the basking spot.

Cool end wants to be between 75f and 85f, the basking spot any where from 105f to 115f will be fine. 

Jay

P.S. not too sure how well that expanding foam will stand up to a Beardie digging away at it : victory:


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Yes it's a dimmer stat and I have a 100w bulb. I will it another go when I get home from work. I was trying yesterday but I had the stat probe in the middle of the viv as you can see in the pic thanks


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

It can take a few days of adjusting the stat to get the right temps, you have to leave it all day, check temps, adjust no more than an 1/8 of a turn up or down at a time, leave for another day...etc.

You will find it easier with a smaller bulb, I us a 40watt in the summer, and a 60watt in the winter, these give me the temps I need without the stat being used : victory:

Jay


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

I have move the stat to the cooler side the problem I'm having now is that when the bulb first comes on the temperature shoot up above 70deg C is that normal?


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

ale36 said:


> I have move the stat to the cooler side the problem I'm having now is that when the bulb first comes on the temperature shoot up above 70deg C is that normal?


70c, that's hot! Here's my setup guide, see how you get on with this.

　
I had my viv up and running for about a month before I got my chap, so you should give yourself time to let the viv settle in. You want a 4’x18"x18" or a 4’x2’x18" viv, You will need a spot light for heat, The trick here is to get the lowest watt bulb that will get the temps you want without the dimmer stat kicking in, have the stat as an emergency backup only, set the stat to kick in at 120f, the reason for this is beardies are sun worshipers, they like it bright, do not be tempted to use, ceramic, moonlight, or red/infra red bulbs. You want to place the spot light holder dead centre of the ceiling and a quarter of the way along, have a gap of around nine and a half inches between the bulb and the basking rock/log. What you are looking to do is create a basking area of around 115f at one end; this should give you a temp. Of around 80f at the other end. 
　
You shouldn't need any heat at night as long as the temp. Doesn’t drop below 60f for any length of time.
　
Place the probe for the stat about a quarter ways along the viv from the cool end, against the back wall, and about an inch off the substrate, you do this because you need to control the temps. From the ground as this is where bds spend most of their time. Place a digital thermometer in the basking spot, (use the probe as the temp will heat the L.E.D too much and it will become unreadable), turn on your spot, (should be on a timer to come on for about 14 hours in the summer, down to 10 hours min in the winter, there should be NO lights on at night), and adjust the dial on the stat until you get your temps right. Tip here is to set the stat to its max and leave it all day, if it can't get hot enough then put a bigger bulb in, but not so big as to have the dimmer stat permanently dimming the bulb. If it gets too hot turn down the dial 1/8 of a turn, and then leave it until the same time the next day. Keep adjusting until its holding around 115f; this might take a few days of playing around.
　
Now the UV. If you can, get the Reptisun 10.0%; otherwise go for the Arcadia 12%. You will need a 36" tube with the necessary starter, also fit a reflector as this doubles the UV output. Place The tube dead centre about 2/3 the way up off the floor on the back wall, place wood, rocks, anything he can climb on to get to within a couple of inches of the tube, don't worry if he can touch it, it won't harm him. I have wood placed in the middle and the hot end of the viv; this gives him the choice of where he can get his UV.
　
I also include a 2%/2.0 uva lamp in all my vivs, though this light is not "strictly" necessary, I believe the animal will benefit from not only the uva these lamps give off, but also the colour of the light (6500K natural sunlight) these lamps give off. The viv will also look much brighter for your viewing pleasure. 
　
Here are some links to a uv guide sheet, these are the three pages you want to read in full to get a basic understanding of why uvb is important, and why your beardie has to be close to his/her uvb light source.

UV Lighting for Reptiles: How much UVB do reptiles need?

UV Lighting for Reptiles: UVB Fluorescent Tubes Test Results

UV Lighting for Reptiles: Fluorescent Tubes and Reflectors
 
Have a small water bowl and food dish in the cool end, to keep humidity down, and stop the food drying out too quickly.

Jay


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok so I'm guessing I need a lower wattage bulb maybe a 60w?( Was told to use 100w) replace the bulb turn the stat to the max? Check the temperature gets to 115? if it gets too hot try a lower wattage bulb perhaps? :s


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

ale36 said:


> Ok so I'm guessing I need a lower wattage bulb maybe a 60w?( Was told to use 100w) replace the bulb turn the stat to the max? Check the temperature gets to 115? if it gets too hot try a lower wattage bulb perhaps? :s


That's what I would do, I don't like the stat dimming my bulbs as it makes the viv too dark, remember Beardies come from deserts where the light from the sun reaches 120,000 lux, a 100watt spotlight will be lucky to put out 10,000 lux, so having it dimm as well is even worse.

I have my stat as an emergancy backup to dimm the light if the temps get over 120f, but a 40/60watt spot isn't hot enough to make this happen, so the light never dimms : victory:

Don't forget you can decrese the distance between the light and basking spot to increse the temp in that area without over heating the rest of the viv : victory:

Hope this makes sense

Jay


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

i agree with pendragon. this is how i set my viv up. i actually made it so i can adjust the distance between my bulb and basking spot aswell. so it if need to make the basking spot hotter or cool i can make my bulb closer or further away, 

i use a 60Watt bulb to heat my viv.


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok so I got myself a 60w bulb and the temperature is shooting up above 70deg C which is the max my thermometer can read! The stat is set to full shall I get a lower wattage bulb i.e. 40w or is there another solution!


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

ale36 said:


> Ok so I got myself a 60w bulb and the temperature is shooting up above 70deg C which is the max my thermometer can read! The stat is set to full shall I get a lower wattage bulb i.e. 40w or is there another solution!


70c is 160f! That's hot, I can't see how the temps are getting that high? Looking at the pic I would say the bottom of the bulb is about 10 to 12 inches from the basking spot, this should be fine.

What is the temp in the cool end in Fahrenheit? 

Jay


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

the front of the bulb is at 9" from the front of the bulb to the basking area, the cold end is at 82F, and the wall by the basking area is about 103F:bash: the whole thing had been on for about 3hours now:bash:


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

ale36 said:


> the front of the bulb is at 9" from the front of the bulb to the basking area, the cold end is at 82F, and the wall by the basking area is about 103F:bash: the whole thing had been on for about 3hours now:bash:


Ok, that's not so bad, 9" is perfect, try going down to a 40watt, if that's still too hot then maybe go for an R63 instead of an R80 : victory:

At least the cool end is ok : victory:

Jay


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

ermm sounds dumb:help: but whats the different between the 2? the both the sime size screw?


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

ok got a 40W R63 buld today been running on full blast since 6pm the temperature have come down a but is still too hot, Basking spot is now stable at 137F:bash:/ and the cold end stable at 80F can some one tell me what im doing wrong?:whistling2:


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Any one? Perhaps a moderator can move this thread to the lizard section???


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

I notice that you have lots of vents at the top of the viv, do you have any at the bottom?

Have you tried leaving the doors open an inch or so to see if it's a lack of ventilation?

To be honest it's a long shot, if you have temps in the 137f range at one end, and a drop of 57f to 80f in the cool end over a distance of only 24"? this seems impossible to me. I've just tried reading the temp of my 40watt r80 at 1/4 of an inch from the bulb and got a temp reading of 128f, but as soon as I moved it back by one inch the temps dropped to 122f and dropping. I would say it's impossible to get temps that high from 9" away.

Have you tried a different thermometer, they can be faulty : victory:

Jay


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

i have the probe laying directly under the bulb, is this where it should be?or should it be so its not touching the foor, as this can absorb the heat?? its really confusing


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

ale36 said:


> i have the probe laying directly under the bulb, is this where it should be?or should it be so its not touching the foor, as this can absorb the heat?? its really confusing


It wont make any difference, I would try a different thermometer, I recon yours is faulty : victory:

Jay


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Pendragon said:


> It wont make any difference, I would try a different thermometer, I recon yours is faulty : victory:
> 
> Jay


So i ordered another 2 thermometers last night tough i get single probes ones so i can compare the diference between them, but i really don't think that it is anything to do with the thermometer, Can Any one start think of anything else just in case the thermometer are right!


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

I still can't get the temperatures right the thermometers are fine and I'm still gettin temperatures too high at basking spot


----------



## Nodders (May 11, 2009)

Might be a silly question , but from what you are saying , is the stat turned down all the way and still getting these high temps ?

Try this from a low start on the stat .

slowly turn your stat up until your light comes on. Then leave it alone until the light starts to dim. Check your basking spot temp . It will probably be too low for basking the temp .

Slowly turn it up again, just enough so that the light stops dimming .Then wait until it starts to dim again. Check your temps .

Keep Tweaking the stat until your basking temperature hits the temps you need .


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Nodders said:


> Might be a silly question , but from what you are saying , is the stat turned down all the way and still getting these high temps ? .


No I have the stat all the way up! :s


----------



## Nodders (May 11, 2009)

ale36 said:


> No I have the stat all the way up! :s


So why is'nt it turned down ? Or does that dim the basking light immediately ?


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

I have turned it down now and I'm slowly turning it up everytime the bulb dims, I should be getting there soon I hope. But is it then ok for the bulb to come on fully in the
Morning when it first comes on?


----------



## Nodders (May 11, 2009)

ale36 said:


> I have turned it down now and I'm slowly turning it up everytime the bulb dims, I should be getting there soon I hope. But is it then ok for the bulb to come on fully in the
> Morning when it first comes on?


Yeah once you have the right temps everything will be okay


----------



## Nodders (May 11, 2009)

So , did you get it sorted ?


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Not yet got home from work not long ago and not in the mood to fiddle around all evening. :s I will let you know hoe I get on once I try again!


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Nodders said:


> So , did you get it sorted ?


I belive i am a little turn up away from getting it right!  have two thermometer under the basking spot one is reading 44.1 & 41.2 The cold end has two probes as well and it's reading 28.8C & 28.6C


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Forget my last post. I thought I was that little close to getting it right until the last few days. I haven't changed anything well maybe twiddled a bit with the thermostat but nothing drastic but now the temperature in my hot end can stay constant I think is due to the warm weather. I had it all running today and after a good few hours everything seemed fine until tonight when I walked in my room to turn it all off and noticed the basking spot is at 33.2C and the cool end is reading 30.2C. Please help me I was hoping to get my bd some time next week


----------



## GeeUK (May 2, 2011)

I work in degrees F and not degrees C. Been on too many American sites!

Can you tell me:

Where have you got you thermostat probe?
What is the temperature range on the thermostat?


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

GeeUK said:


> Can you tell me:
> Where have you got you thermostat probe?
> What is the temperature range on the thermostat?


The thermostat probe is on the middle of the cold end about an 1" or 2" from the ground. The range of the stat goes from 64F to 92F. Please help I rly want my lizard!


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Any one?


----------



## GeeUK (May 2, 2011)

Have you got a thermometer on the basking spot? If so, simply adjust the temp on the thermostat before you get the desired temp which is around 105-115F for a baby beardie.

The temp you set on the stat won't be the temp you will see at the basking end, because the probe is in the cold end of the Viv, however you have to do this because the max temp on your stat is not high enough.

There is about 30F temp difference between the basking end and cold end, so set the temp to about 80-85F and adjust accordingly until you get the right basking area temp.

Let the temps settle down, don't worry if they go a bit higher than what you want midday etc.

Just keep adjusting until you get the basking temp you want. If the bulb dims too much or goes out, get a lower watt bulb.

Once ya basking temp is set, you'll probably find the other temps fall into line.


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

I have done all this however I found out that last weekend was quite warm and made the basking spot light go off completely so the temperature at got end dropped to the temperature set on stat. Would that be ok to happen during hot days?? The bulb I have there already is a 40w!


----------



## GeeUK (May 2, 2011)

It's best to have the light on at all times really. Not sure why that is happening, seems you are using a low watt bulb as it is.

I use a ceramic so hopefully someone else can advise.


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Could it be a lack of air circulation? I have 6 vents on the viv but 3 of them are at the back and face the wall and the other 3 are 2 on the front and one on the side!


----------



## GeeUK (May 2, 2011)

I only have about 4...I think...maybe 5 and my humidity and temps are fine.

3 at the top and 2 at the bottom.


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

For the love of god man, post up some "in focus" pics of your stat probe, what it is set to and where it is, your spotlight, your thermometer sensors and the temps they are showing.

I still hold by what I said, god knows how many pages ago, that what you are saying makes no sense what so ever, so post up some pics of these crazy temps that no one else in the world but you can achieve with only a 40watt spot light, and lets get this sorted once and for all, and if we can't get your temps down may I suggest you throw the viv in the bin and get a cat : victory:

Jay


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok here are some pictures hope you can help me. I came home and this are the temps I found!
Cold end








Cold end probes








Stat probe








Basking probes and temps
















Stat









If you like any more pic or information please say so. I really want to get this sorted


----------



## GeeUK (May 2, 2011)

I don't see anything remotely close to 70c and you have had this on all day? Unless you had it in F, rather than degrees celcius?


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

I have overcome that bit. I can get the temperatures on the basking spot to be 45c and stay like that for a while however as the days get hot and so does the viv the light and temp seems to go down and I get the readings shown in the pics.

As I'm writing this the bulb has come back on and the basking seem to be getting with in the required temp. Which takes me bk to my previous post asking if it is ok for the basking area to drop down and the bulb to go off for a while!


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

The temps in the cool end are fine, the bulb dimming is a result of the spot light heating the viv too much and the stat kicking in and lowering the temps by turning off the light. This is ok, but it's better if it can be avoided.

Did you ever mention how big the viv was, and how close is the viv back to the wall, the vents wont work if the viv is pushed up against the wall : victory:

Jay


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

we all had the same problem in the hot weather. you can expect your cool ends to be cool. if the ambient air temp outside your viv is in the 30's. I had the exact same problem with my viv which run absolutly fine, until we have excedingly hot weather, whhere the air temp outside the viv is nearly the same as the ambient temp at the hot end.


----------



## ale36 (Dec 1, 2010)

Thank you all guys my temperatures seem to have settle now. I drilled another vent on the cold end of the viv to aid air circulation and this seemed to have cured the problem. 
Now I would like you all to meet YOSHI


----------

