ok i went to our local pet shop that stocks reptile equipment, and after looking at all the stuff for offer a person came over and asked if we wanted help, he then told me a uvb tube is what keeps them warm and that i need a heat mat. i thought i needed a full spectrum uvb tube but he told me i need a desert one. im now really really confused, and also wandering what keeps my beardie warm at night, seeing as he was trying to sell me to light emitting things to keep them warm, but i have to turn the ligths off at night - dont i?

arrrrrrgggggjhhhh!!!!

A UVB tube doesn't emit enough heat to keep a beardie warm at all, they need to bask so just a heatmat wont suffice either.
In their natural habiat they'd bask under the sun, therefore they need a bright white spot bulb.
At night, you turn the lights off, correct.. It's not likely that you will need any heat source at night to be honest, unless kept in a shed or garage!

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omg thank you so much, its kinda what i figured but had to check to be sure! stupid man at reptile shop, didnt have a clue what he was on about, i kinda figured he might be talking nonsense when he told me i needed this Huge basking lamp that was for igwanas!

you are right they need to know when it is night time but most important of all you need a good quality 10% uva/uvb tube positioned in a place approx 12 inches from the bd on during the day and a separate white basking lamp connected to a thermostat. heatmat can be used at night but i would not put it directly in the viv but underneath it really depends how cold your room that the viv is in stays at during the night after heating gone off.... our 2 bd's have a 100 watt halogen spot bulb each, connected through 2 thermostats set at around 105/110 and a cool end of around 70 when the lights go off at night we put a blanket over the viv stack to help retain heat but it never drops below 70 ..

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1 wife
2 teenagers
2 beardies "Sid" and "Jez"
1 argentinian tegu "Terry"
1 royal "King"
lots of fish in the pond

oh and a mother in law

our beardies have a uvb bulb a heat mat and also a spot bulb all on a thermostat at nite reg just has hs heat mat on low just to keep him slightly warm thru the nite, diff ppl wil have diff methods tho i fnd my way is suffice and hhas worked for many healthy years,

The setup for my adult (getting a tiny beardie next week wooo!) is with a UV bulb on during the day and a spot bulb on during the day. This provides the heat and the UV. As the sun goes down and it turns to night, the light turns off because I have it on a timer.

During the night, I do have a "basking heat panel" attached to the ceiling of the viv which is set on a thermostat. It doesn't usually turn on as the temps are ok but living where I do, the temps in the house are sometimes quite low at night. So if it gets too cold, the heater comes on a little just to keep it from getting dangerously cold.

Spot bulb = on a timer and a thermostat with probe at the cool end.
UV bulb = on the same timer as spot bulb
Panel heater = on a timer (to start when the lights go out) and with a thermostat with the probe in the middle of the viv.

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- Reptiles -2.2.0 Rhacodactlyus ciliatus1.1.2 Pogona vitticeps1.2.0 Eublepharis Macularius0.1.0 Elaphe guttata guttata- Mammals -0.2.0 Octodon degus1.0.0 Oryctolagus cuniculus2.0.0 Cavia porcellus1.0.0 Canis lupus familiaris- Wanted now! -1.1.0 Varanus acanthuras brochyuras0.1.0 Rhacodactlyus ciliatus1.1.0 Eublepharis Macularius- Wanted eventually -0.0.1 Chamaeleo calyptratus1.0.0 Elaphe guttata guttata0.0.1 Brachypelma smithi0.0.1 Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens

My pet hate: it is impossible to be heterozygous for RAPTOR.