[GodLikeDemon]

Am I right in thinking that you have the choice of heating a Beardies viv at night by either using a red bulb or a heat mat on the back of the tank? Or what other meathods can you use?
I'm not sure yet what temperature the beardies room will be and the flat in general is usually a reasonable temperature even though there isn't a heater in every room (I might get a thermometer this weekend to check the room before adding extra heating to beardies viv). So would it not allways be necessary to add night time heating if the room temp is adiquate(sp)?


Set me right guys. I'd like to get all my info right I get the equipment and the BDs.

 

[mike515]

well get a heat source and a thermostat just in case of extreme temp drops. I use a recorded thermostat for my ceramic heater and it aint been on for six months over night, but its there just in case something goes wrong


When i say recorded. its a fancy electic prob connected to a computer which records when on and off, and for how long. The computer controls something or other which turns the heater on or off

 

[leila]

yes you are right I personally use red bulbs for my animals at night ( altho I don't own a beardie) but have in the past.
I have had no problems using red bulbs for my animals at night but heatmats
would work well too altho I am not sure how hot they will get as when I have used heatmats in the past they haven't been very good.

 

[crosby]

With our beardie we have a 100w coloured bulb running 24x7 to provide the heat which is controlled by a dimming stat. Of a night when the UV light is switched off I adjust the stat to lower the temp slighlty.

 

[GodLikeDemon]

Thanks guys, all good options. Thanks for the advice.

 

[GodLikeDemon]

I know this might seem like a silly question, but just to clarify.....
....when people say to stick a heat mat on the back of the tank, do they mean LITERALLY on the back of the tank on the outside or on the back wall of the tank on the inside? Would the mat being on the inside risk burning the Beardie?
Also I'm planning on having a 100W spot bulb on the basking spot on a dimmer stat do you also need a stat on a heat mat? Also a dimmer or another variety? I've seen several different types of stats on various websites.

Hopefully getting my viv this week. The shop I'm getting it from can sell it with or without the equipment (bulbs, fixtures, heat mats, etc) So I might get the full set up and make any necesary changes to certain items later on.

Thanks for the help so far guys.
Chris.

 

[Razaiel]

You need stats on all the different types of heating device - whether it's a mat or CHE. Personally I prefer CHE I've found the mats can sometimes have hot spots and the one mat I do have at the moment I'm swapping for a CHE after xmas as the temp of it seems to vary wildly. The best stat I've come across is the pulse proportional - they are much steadier and keep the temps more accurately. You'll need a digital thermometer (sorry, can't remember if you said you've got one already) best with a probe so you can measure both warm and cool end ambient temps simultaneously. A temp gun is good for getting accurate temp of your basking area.

I've got an ordinary household bulb in my rankins dragons' enclosure I've heard that some of the spot bulbs (particularly narrow beam ones) can burn a lizard. For my new monitor viv I'm going to get 3 low wattage halogen floods as people seem to recommend them a lot for heating the basking area without heating the ambient temperature too much.

 

[DeanThorpe]

Hello.
The mat goes on the back wall on the inside for a wooden viv.
The beardie shouldnt burn itself no, no more than we would burn ourselves on a radiator on the wall.. if we sit next to the radiator cos we are cold we might scrape it occasionally but not rest our hole body weight on it... as opposed to a hot rug or carpet..which we would be..which is why its best not to put the mat on the floor.

**If you get one dimmer stat you could do this:
Daytime:
Have both the heatmat and the bulb plugged into the stat.

Nighttime:
remove the bulb from the stat [plug i mean] and switch stat down to night temps.


I was goin to sugest leaving the mat on and puttin just the bulb on the dimmer but you dont want the heatmat to keep temps up and the basking bulb to rarely be on high.
Was also goin to sugest puttin the Bulb on without the stat and just the mat on the stat assumin the bulb alone wont quite heat the viv and certainely not over heat and the heatmat can help get it right up to temp and then dimm or go off etc.
Both of the above [blue text] would prolyl work, but until you are used to the monitoring of the temps and the animals, at which point you can try something different for a day and see how it goes its best to stick with option one **at the top of the page.