Finishing off DIY Bearded Dragon enclosure - lighting and heating Q's...

[Macca_75]

Hey all,

I thought I posted this but couldn’t find it so here I go again.

I’ve got the wood sitting in the garage and will get it together this week sometime. My house is usually kept at around 17 degrees or warmer (little kids at home most of the time). On occasion we might all be out all day and have the heater off.

I (will soon) have an enclosure for a Bearded Dragon that measures 1200 x 550 x 550. I’m planning on using a JET-005 controller for the following reasons (unless someone convinces me otherwise)

1. Day/night feature so I don’t have the heat the tank 24x7
2. Built in light timer for the UV light
3. Dimming heater controller.

I plan to use a ceramic heat lamp and 1 x 3’ UV tube.
Questions:

1. Would a 75W heat lamp be enough or should I get the 100W heat lamp? I’m guess if not required the controller will only run the lamp at < 100% anyway so why not put the extra grunt there – just in case it’s needed
2. Is 1 x 3’ UV tube enough for say 8-10 hours/day?

I also plan to use 2 x plastic rectangle vents, a low one near the lamp and the other up high on the opposite side.
Am I missing anything else in terms of what I need? There will be a hiding hole that will double as a basking spot under the heat lamp and a nice thick log/branch I will find somewhere the climb and sit on.

Thanks again.

 

[DisturbedDave]

When you say ceramic heat lamp, do you mean heat emitter? or a basking lamp with ceramic base?

What you should have in there;
- Ceramic heat emitter being controlled off the thermostat
- UVB tube no more than 30cm from its basking spot
- Basking lamp run off same timer as UVB tube.

Doing it this way means you aren't relying on the basking lamp to heat the enclosure, and you can choose your wattage to get the ideal basking (surface) temperature of your rock/branch that the basking lamp is heating. Whilst the ceramic heat emitter is taking care of heating the rest of the enclosure. This will also give you the option to heat the enclosure at night if needed (on very cold nights you may want to stop the enclosure from getting under a certain temp).

 

[Macca_75]

When you say ceramic heat lamp, do you mean heat emitter? or a basking lamp with ceramic base?

What you should have in there;
- Ceramic heat emitter being controlled off the thermostat
- UVB tube no more than 30cm from its basking spot
- Basking lamp run off same timer as UVB tube.

Doing it this way means you aren't relying on the basking lamp to heat the enclosure, and you can choose your wattage to get the ideal basking (surface) temperature of your rock/branch that the basking lamp is heating. Whilst the ceramic heat emitter is taking care of heating the rest of the enclosure. This will also give you the option to heat the enclosure at night if needed (on very cold nights you may want to stop the enclosure from getting under a certain temp).

Thanks Dave - so i need 3 electrical devices?
I wasn't aware I needed the basking lamp and het emmiter. I thought the ceramic heat emmiter would keep the enclosure at a temp and warm the basking spot at the same time and the UV was required for the animals well being.

 

[DisturbedDave]

Reptiles, especially dragons, are attracted to bright light, this generally means heat for them. Ceramic heat emitters don't 'throw' heat, they just radiate it. So you will find that the basking surface temp will be not much different to the rest of the surface temperatures in that part of the enclosure.
Basking lamps will give you a circle of heat where it is aimed, and you will find your beardie will spend a lot of its time there. It is best to have your UVB closer to this basking area seeing as thats where your beardie will be. Best to keep its hide away from this area and use a rock or branch as a basking area, otherwise your hide could turn into a mini oven.

Some people don't use a heat emitter at all, depending on where they live, and they use the basking lamp to heat the enclosure during the day, and let it cool down naturally over night, but this means a higher wattage lamp, and correct distance from basking spot to achieve the correct basking temp. IMO, this is a much harder way to achieve your goal. A heat emitter and proper wattage basking globe is much easier.

 

[Macca_75]

Reptiles, especially dragons, are attracted to bright light, this generally means heat for them. Ceramic heat emitters don't 'throw' heat, they just radiate it. So you will find that the basking surface temp will be not much different to the rest of the surface temperatures in that part of the enclosure.
Basking lamps will give you a circle of heat where it is aimed, and you will find your beardie will spend a lot of its time there. It is best to have your UVB closer to this basking area seeing as thats where your beardie will be. Best to keep its hide away from this area and use a rock or branch as a basking area, otherwise your hide could turn into a mini oven.

Some people don't use a heat emitter at all, depending on where they live, and they use the basking lamp to heat the enclosure during the day, and let it cool down naturally over night, but this means a higher wattage lamp, and correct distance from basking spot to achieve the correct basking temp. IMO, this is a much harder way to achieve your goal. A heat emitter and proper wattage basking globe is much easier.

Thanks - that sort of info makes sense when you read it in plain english. Perfect.

So - 100W emitter, how many watts for a basking lamp (make the assumption of 25-30cm's from the top of a log or something), and a 3' UV lamp is enough?

Cheers

 

[DisturbedDave]

100W would be perfect. I'm running 100w on mine and it's a bit bigger in capacity, it will dim when it's at temp anyway, so not a problem.
I'm running a 60W basking lamp on mine, directed onto a piece of slate (rock will hold the warmth for longer, your dragon will still like this area even after the lights are off). I would start with a 60W, and adjust accordingly to get the right basking temp.

You won't fit a 4ft tube into that enclosure, so 3ft is fine. Make sure it is a 10%UVB rated tube, and position it closer to the basking side of the enclosure. Make sure it is no further than 30cm from the basking area, any further than this and the UVB strength drops rapidly.

 

[Macca_75]

Thanks.

Next question - what brand/model of
1) Ceramic emmitter
2) Basking lamp
3) UV tube

I know it's a little bit of personal preference, but if enough indivudals use the same brand/model it must be OK.

 

[DisturbedDave]

Personally, I use ZooMed for everything, but you're spot on, it's personal preferance.

My setup:
ZooMed 150W ceramic heat emitter (yeah just realized I have 150, not 100)
ZooMed 60W basking light
1 x 3ft ZooMed UVB
1 x 3ft standard fluro for extra light
Advanced Reptile Thermostat (Dimming + Day/Night function)

I run both fluro's and the basking light on the timer on the control for 12hours a day
Ceramic heat emitter is run off the thermostat, so is active 24hrs a day, but I set night time temp drops so from 8pm it stops heating, and comes back on in the morning.

PLEASE don't forget to cage your heat emitter, and basking globe if it is within reach, but DEFINITELY the heat emitter.