Finally got my baby BD!!

I just got my lil dude (or dudette?), and its aawsome!! Hes already ate some crickets, and doing very well! I named it Reggie:D Its about 2 weeks and 4 1/2 inches long :)
Here are some pictures: (Sorry if some are a bit blurry)
1. http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ent=Reggie.jpg
2. http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nt=Reggie2.jpg
3. http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nt=Reggie3.jpg
4. http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nt=Reggie4.jpg
5. http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nt=Reggie4.jpg

Im just having one problem- His cage is infornt of a window, so hes getting natural sun plus the special light, but I cant get the temp up to 100, or even in the 90's. Its at 88 and wont budge. Ive even got the undertank heater on to try to get it to help, but I cant get it to. What should I do?

It looks like a class tank....You may not want it by a window because it will literally cook him..But wait for others advice I could be wrong on that..

How long have you had his cage set up? Like heat pad and light on for?

He is very cute...They grow very fast...It is like overnight

Ive had it set up for about three hours- and it wont cook him becasue there is lots of ventilation and technicaly hes in canral air :) lol. I wouldent put him there if I wasnt 110% sure he wouldent be ok. My problem is the opposite- I need it warmer! It wont got over 88, and I know its supposed to be between 95-100..

First of all, what are you measuring your temps with? and for my BD, I had to use a higher wattage of basking bulb to get the temps high enough, and in the winter, I might have to suppliment that with a CHE that's hooked up to a thermostat.

For babies they need 105-110 and about 85 on the other side. UV light is also filtered through glass, so he's not getting anything beneficial from being by the window except the possibility of a temp spike, a/c or no a/c.

I would recommend a mercury vapor bulb from www.reptileuv.com. They are only $40 and will last years, whereas the fluorescents don't even last 3-4 months. They produce heat and UV.

You can also go to WalMart and get a 40w Flood bulb. They get temps nice and toasty. They are around $4-$5.

Also, never use heat pads with Bearded Dragons. They sense heat from above(using their "third eye") and wouldn't know if they were getting burned or not(like snakes and hot rocks).

A thermomoter in the cage, I just opend the window a little and it went up to 91, and looks like it might keep going up :) Im going to keep a watch on it. And by the time winter comes hell be in my 50 gal, so he'll have a higher watt bulb.

If you can, snap a picture of your whole setup.

What brand, wattage, etc. light are you using?

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

For babies they need 105-110 and about 85 on the other side. UV light is also filtered through glass, so he's not getting anything beneficial from being by the window except the possibility of a temp spike, a/c or no a/c.

I would recommend a mercury vapor bulb from www.reptileuv.com. They are only $40 and will last years, whereas the fluorescents don't even last 3-4 months. They produce heat and UV.

You can also go to WalMart and get a 40w Flood bulb. They get temps nice and toasty. They are around $4-$5.

Also, never use heat pads with Bearded Dragons. They sense heat from above(using their "third eye") and wouldn't know if they were getting burned or not(like snakes and hot rocks).

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Alright thanks, Ill unplug that right now- and it is off. And yea, Im going to get one of those mercury vapor bulbs then, and it looks like that will help. And it is ok if it gets filterd out I guess, because I still do have the uv light on, but at least its helping a little with the temp. Cause with the heat pad off (and of course, it is staying off), itll go down, so the suns still helping the lil guy out.

Heres a picture of his enclosure (you can see him on the floor, eating crickts), and you can kind of see the light. The light it a 20 Watt (but it says on the case it equels out to 75), and its a Desert Coild-Lamp from ESU Reptiles. The replile store by me that Im at all the time said I should get it for a 15, and theyve always led me into the right direction. Id be lost without you guys and them :)
http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...eggiescage.jpg

The mercury vapor bulbs are INCREDIBLY expensive at pet stores($65+). I would order it online($40 + shipping at reptileuv.com) and just get the $4 flood bulb at WalMart for now.

What kind of UV bulb do you have now?

I would be careful with a MV bulb in smaller enclosures.......they are generally high wattage bulbs(100W+) and can easily bake something if not ventilated properly.

Personally, I would go with a desert type 10.0 fluorescent bulb and a low wattage ( 60W or less) heat bulb until you get that guy into a bigger enclosure.

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Originally Posted by mischevious21

Heres a picture of his enclosure (you can see him on the floor, eating crickts), and you can kind of see the light. The light it a 20 Watt (but it says on the case it equels out to 75), and its a Desert Coild-Lamp from ESU Reptiles. The replile store by me that Im at all the time said I should get it for a 15, and theyve always led me into the right direction. Id be lost without you guys and them :)
http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...eggiescage.jpg

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Maybe you missed me post it- but I do have a dessert light, but is it ok for now untill I get the murcury one? And yea, I will order that online. Thank you very much for all the help, by the way :)
Oh yea, and in the quote incase you didnt know what I meant by 'a 15', I mean that hes only in a 15 gal, for now.

What % of UVB does it put out? Should be a 10.0

And I know with the MVB's, they have to be at a minimum of 18 inches away, or they get too much UV.

I would go on reptileuv.com and read their studies on the outputs of the different uv lights. It's pretty cool to read.

You can always just use what you have now in conjunction with the 40watt flood bulb until you move him to the bigger enclosure(just so the UV light is adequate).

Hmm.. It only puts out 7%.. Should I go get a new bulb?

Becky speaks the truth :)

I'd reccomend the reptisun 10.0, and then go to home depot etc and get a lamp dimmer, the one you plug into the wall then add your light to it. Also get a 40 or 50W halogen bright white flood light its gonna be small but they work great.

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Originally Posted by chris B

Becky speaks the truth :)

I'd reccomend the reptisun 10.0, and then go to home depot etc and get a lamp dimmer, the one you plug into the wall then add your light to it. Also get a 40 or 50W halogen bright white flood light its gonna be small but they work great.

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I agree, I use the reptisun 10.0 for all my indoor enclosures. I use a Mercury Vapor too but that is for my green house and only in the winter and it is high above the cage so it is not too close/intense. I design plastic net / screen cages for outside. I have some beardies that spend most of the summer outside. Nothing beats the real deal, :sunny: Sunlight! But make sure there are lots of shady hide spots. I alternate my beardies so they always get some real sun. Brings out the color and they love it! Mother nature knows best. Good luck with the new beardie.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mischevious21

Im just having one problem- His cage is infornt of a window, so hes getting natural sun plus the special light, but I cant get the temp up to 100, or even in the 90's. Its at 88 and wont budge. Ive even got the undertank heater on to try to get it to help, but I cant get it to. What should I do?

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I used to use ceramic heaters but they get REal HOT and I have burnt myself and melted contacts on lamp and bulbs :( . Now I just use 100watt light bulbs for heat on a timer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chris B

Becky speaks the truth :)

I'd reccomend the reptisun 10.0, and then go to home depot etc and get a lamp dimmer, the one you plug into the wall then add your light to it. Also get a 40 or 50W halogen bright white flood light its gonna be small but they work great.

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Does the lamp dimmer increase the heat and/or UV that the light produces? Im sorry- I feel dumb asking questions like this, but if I didnt then I wouldent learn I guess. lol.

Your gonna just want to put a lamp dimmer on the halogen, the UV just plug into the wall socket. The lamp dimmer is gonna let you control your temp's on the basking site. For example, you have a 50w halogen flood, and its heating up to around 120* once you add the dimmer it will allow you to drop the voltage to it to make it around where you want it. If you want if you have any light bulb's at home you could use those too, 60 watt, 75 watt etc. Just make sure they're they normal white light bulb's. Any more question's dont hesistate to ask.

Thank you so much! Yea, that would be perfect! Only one more question on the subject: Does the halogen light produce any UV, or will I just have to use a differnt light for it?

Halogen will produce UVa but your still gonna need the reptisun Uvb bulb. So on the basking side will sit your lamp with the halogen, and then horizontaly will sit the uvb hood. I'll take a picture of my setup later tonight to show you.

Alright, thank you :D

HES sO CuTE!1!11!

He's a cute little guy, have fun with him.

Listen to the bulb advice...it's important. I had a 10.0 on my 20gal when mine was a little one, then got the mercury vapor for around $35 (I love to compare prices) online when I moved him to the 55gal. My only other suggestion would be to get him away from the window ASAP. It may seem like a good idea, but temps can spike way above 110 in a window faster than you realize. I once had my leo gecko tank next to the window and luckily noticed the problem fast enough to save him from overheating. And that can even happen in winter, so find another place for him soon. Otherwise, looking good. :)

Wheres the uvb??? Glass sifts all the uvb right out of the light

Sorry!!! Should have read the post first!!!