Too big?

[BDMOM]

I have an Exo Terra 36x18x36 in terrarium. The canopy takes two tubes (Exo 10.0) and two halogen bulbs. I have a mini dome with two 75 Watt basking bulbs. Temps are 102-112 at the basking spot which is very high. Cool side is 83-89. Measured with a temp gun.
Is my beardie getting enough UVB? She's only 12 wks old and I've had her 16 days and she seems to be doing fine. Eating (crickets), bathing and handling well. Though she's not big on veggie's just yet.

 

[Germ]

No way to tell without Pics to see the setup. Sounds like a nice really big enclosure. In my experience, nothing is too big, most times problems blamed on size for a youngster stem from clutter. If you have had it for 16 days & it has acclimated well, size should not be an issue. Also hard to say without being specified which dimensions are what.

 

[BDMOM]

No way to tell without Pics to see the setup. Sounds like a nice really big enclosure. In my experience, nothing is too big, most times problems blamed on size for a youngster stem from clutter. If you have had it for 16 days & it has acclimated well, size should not be an issue. Also hard to say without being specified which dimensions are what.

I'm terrible with media so I'll try to post pics. Enclosure is 36Lx18Wx36H. There is a long branch that reaches the top of the tank from the floor, 2 hides (1 cool, 1 hot), her veggie bowl and that's it. She just seems so small to be in there! Thanks for letting me know it's okay. Will post pics soon.

 

[Zen ReptileZ]

I'm terrible with media so I'll try to post pics. Enclosure is 36Lx18Wx36H. There is a long branch that reaches the top of the tank from the floor, 2 hides (1 cool, 1 hot), her veggie bowl and that's it. She just seems so small to be in there! Thanks for letting me know it's okay. Will post pics soon.

I'd agree that as long as it is acclimated and seems to be fairing well in all areas, give it all the room possible with the appropriate temps and UVB. Sounds like they are all good for a youngster like that!
Congrats on your new dragon!

 

[Germ]

I'm terrible with media so I'll try to post pics.

This may help ... Picture Posting Tutorial

 

[BDMOM]

This may help ... Picture Posting Tutorial

Hopefully this will work for the pics. http://profile.imageshack.us/user/bdmom/

 

[Germ]

With Image Shack, you have to manually copy the area hi-lited in blue & paste it in the thread in order for the picture to show in the post, but it adds an Image Shack 'Plug'.

What are you calling the basking spot? It looks like it has access to much hotter temps than that, at the top of the stick. Tall enclosures are generally quite hard to heat, provide effective UVB distance & generally not suitable unless your fixtures are hanging inside. If that rock platform is the basking spot it is not receiving any UVB at all, it is Much to Far away from the bulb. Hard to visualize the bulb setup inside the canopy too.

 

[BDMOM]

With Image Shack, you have to manually copy the area hi-lited in blue & paste it in the thread in order for the picture to show in the post, but it adds an Image Shack ad/blurb.

What are you calling the basking spot? It looks like it has access to much hotter temps than that, at the top of the stick. Tall enclosures are generally quite hard to heat, provide effective UVB distance & generally not suitable unless your fixtures are hanging inside. If that rock platform is the basking spot it is not receiving any UVB at all, it is Much to Far away from the bulb. Hard to visualize the bulb setup inside the canopy too.

The basking spot is near the top of the stick where the coil is. She goes right up after she eats. The Exo 10.0 UVB's (2 30inch bulbs) are approximately 8 inches directly above the basking spot. Are you saying she's getting no UVB from them? I haven't had a problem heating the enclosure with 2 100 watt basking bulbs and the two halogens in the canopy.

 

[Germ]

The Exo 10.0 UVB's (2 30inch bulbs) are approximately 8 inches directly above the basking spot. Are you saying she's getting no UVB from them? I haven't had a problem heating the enclosure with 2 100 watt basking bulbs and the two halogens in the canopy.

No, I am saying ...

If that rock platform is the basking spot it is not receiving any UVB at all, it is Much to Far away from the bulb. Hard to visualize the bulb setup inside the canopy too.

And I am saying that anything much below the middle of the coil is receiving no usable, effective UVB, no matter how many 10.0s you put up there.

We can only go by what you tell us, when the info varies from post to post, it is difficult to help.

I have an Exo Terra 36x18x36 in terrarium. The canopy takes two tubes (Exo 10.0) and two halogen bulbs. I have a mini dome with two 75 Watt basking bulbs. Temps are 102-112 at the basking spot which is very high. Cool side is 83-89. Measured with a temp gun.

I find it very difficult to understand how the basking spot 8" away from 2 100W basking bulbs supplemented by 2 Halogen bulbs of unknown wattage only gives you a temp of 102-112F, yet 3 feet away & below, it is 83-89F. Which is why I thought that the platform, where the BD is sitting in the pic, may be where you are taking the measurement from. Makes me question if you are using the temp gun properly at the coils. Are you holding the Temp Gun within 1" of the coils when you are taking the measurement of the coil surface & pointed directly at them from the top?

 

[BDMOM]

No, I am saying ...And I am saying that anything much below the middle of the coil is receiving no usable, effective UVB, no matter how many 10.0s you put up there.

We can only go by what you tell us, when the info varies from post to post, it is difficult to help.I find it very difficult to understand how the basking spot 8" away from 2 100W basking bulbs supplemented by 2 Halogen bulbs of unknown wattage only gives you a temp of 102-112F, yet 3 feet away & below, it is 83-89F. Which is why I thought that the platform, where the BD is sitting in the pic, may be where you are taking the measurement from. Makes me question if you are using the temp gun properly at the coils. Are you holding the Temp Gun within 1" of the coils when you are taking the measurement of the coil surface & pointed directly at them from the top?

Hi Germ. Thanks for your replies. No, I haven't been taking the reading within 1" of the coils as you described, at the basking spot. It's after lights out now, so, I'll do that first thing in the a.m.. The halogens are very small bulbs w/in the canopy (35 watts). There is a fan in the canopy too...perhaps that and the way I've been taking the readings at the basking spot are off? I'm going to have to find a way to make the Exo work and am considering taking the canopy off and mounting the UVB inside the tank. I'll let you know how the readings come out in the morning....thanks again.

 

[Germ]

Check the temps after they have been on for a couple hours ...

 

[richard]

if i may, dragons need more of a footpath than that allows. most proper uvb is measured between 12 and 15 inches and a properly sized tank with proper lights will "self" regulate a cool side. in my opinion that tank is too tall for the dragon to get any uvb unless he climbs high and as dragons get older, they get lazier. thats why most use tanks that are no more than 18 to 20 inches tall but also at least 36 inches long for adults. im just saying.

 

[BDMOM]

Germ...the temp gun read 135 at the top of the basking spot measured as you instructed. On the floor, hot side is 96 and cool side is 84. Thanks for helping me learn the proper way to take the measurement with the gun!

 

[BDMOM]

if i may, dragons need more of a footpath than that allows. most proper uvb is measured between 12 and 15 inches and a properly sized tank with proper lights will "self" regulate a cool side. in my opinion that tank is too tall for the dragon to get any uvb unless he climbs high and as dragons get older, they get lazier. thats why most use tanks that are no more than 18 to 20 inches tall but also at least 36 inches long for adults. im just saying.

The tank is 36 inches long so her foot path should be okay. Right now she's a climber so I'll just watch her closely as she matures and if needed, make the change to a shorter tank. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Germ]

Germ...the temp gun read 135 at the top of the basking spot measured as you instructed. On the floor, hot side is 96 and cool side is 84. Thanks for helping me learn the proper way to take the measurement with the gun!

YW - It is a common mistake. Not every one knows that most, not all, but most temp guns have a 1:1 ratio. Meaning that if you are attempting to take the temp of an object 1" wide you must be within 1" & pointed directly at the center of it, an area 3 feet wide - within 3 feet from it & so on. As shown in the pic ...

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So it is important to check the ratio of the infrared thermometer that you are using. If you are too far away, you are taking an average of the areas behind it also, giving false readings.

So in this case, you must drop your basking spot until it is at a distance that will give you temps in the vicinity of 110F, but then, that will likely get you too far from the UVB for it to be effective. If you play with less wattage bulbs, it will affect your cool side temps. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, so to speak.

10.0 UVB bulbs, according to most manufacturers have a Maximum effective distance of 20" from a NEW unfiltered bulb (Nothing between the bulb & animal, no screen).

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Exo-Terra Repti-Glo - claim the same distances.​

Unless you have a good quality UVB meter, you have nothing else to go by or reference to. Then you have to take into consideration that effective UVB range dissipates quickly as the Bulb ages, which is why they must regularly be replaced even if they still shed light. Another huge consideration is that, when filtered through a fine screen, the effective/usable UVB is reflected/blocked as much as 40%-50%. Two bulbs does not increase the effective range/distance, just increases the amount/strength of UVB within that range. So when filtered by a screen it is recommended that the basking spot be within 8"-10" from the screen with the UVB bulb directly above it.

This is why such tall enclosures are not recommended & are difficult to achieve proper effective, usable UVB & temps at the same time.

Good Luck