Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 4 baby bearded dragons in a 55 gallon tank. When the normal basking light shuts off at night, I turn the infared light on which is 100watts to keep them warm at night, about 85 degress. When I turn on the red light, they all go crazy, they scratch at the walls and corners of the tank. I was thinking that maybe they don't like it, and they are trying to get away from it. Anyone have something similar happen the them. I'm leaving the light off just incase.

Thanks

hmmm maybe they just dont liek the glow ina sence huring there eyes, cause my one and half year old male cant use any kind of light for him at night, he stays awake staring at it, and runign around trying to dig his hea din his sand, so i just let him sleep room tempitures, (i dont have an ac) so coldest he gets is about... 67 to 70 dagrees and in winter i have the heater so i dont bother with night time heat really it never drops past 70 in my room lol,

I use a 150 watt ceramic heat emmiter 24/7 and a 150 watt mercury vapor during the day to reach required temp. The che has no light just heat. For your 55 gallon I wouldnt use more than a 100 watt che. I use it because I keep the ac very cold but if youre room temp is 70 or higher with no ac draft you probably dont even need one.

Thank you for the advice, I'm leaving the red light off for now on. I have ac, but I closed all my vents in my room, The tank is currently sitting at 80 deg with no lights or heaters, but it's a little to warm for me to sleep at night. I can live with it, as long as my babies are ok...

80F at night is also too warm for your dragons. Nighttime temps should be 70-75F but can go as cool as 65F.
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PHLdyPayne

when you hear "infra-red"....think heat, NOT light. When you see that light bulb that Zoo-Med sells that they call an infra-red light and it produces red VISIBLE light....laugh to yourself. Yes the light does produce infra-red heat, and the red visible light is just a novelty of the light bulb.

For beardies, if you want extra heat at night (which is not needed unless temps get below 55F....thats right i said 55 F!) use one of the ceramic bulbs. beardies are diurnal, and therefore need the darkness at night.

I say 55 F is the lowest temperature because the temperature in the australian dessert drops in the low 50's and beardies have been doing pretty well surviving there for a while.
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a free range dragon is a happy dragon