Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I get how you guys say that Bd have sentitive stomache but I know a local breeder that has used them and never has any problems.... But the deal and why does everyone say no to heat rocks for BD.... Like what is the worst that could happen?

you could danger your beared dragon ... becuase they could get burned from this kinda sorce ... its no good .

anyone in there right mind would stop using them right away atlease i would think so why risk .. hurting such a pretty cool reptile ? from such a dumb item sold on the market ?

good luck .. use a heating bask ? well i would prefer it over the top of the cage ... its safer.

christina

The problem with hot rocks is if they malfunction. A Bearded Dragon cannot sense heat through their stomach so if the rock get too hot they stay on it until they are severly burned or die.

I really don't understand why anyone would want to use one though. I never have. Dragons are used to getting their heat from the sun above. So the natural thing would be to reproduce this and you have a lot of options. Basking spotlamps come in a wide variety of wattage, or you can use standard light bulbs for heat, or it you don't want the light you can use a creamic heat emmitter.

The worse that could happen in using heat rocks is it cooks your dragon from the inside out, killing it.

The negative view on using heat rocks came from older type models which often didn't heat evenly, thus parts were much hotter than others, there was no easy way to control how hot they became and the fact most basking reptiles do not have accurate ways to judge heat coming from underneath. Lizards like bearded dragons measure heat from an organ located between their eyes. They instinctively climb or use basking sites with direct sunlight shinning upon them to naturally regulate their body temperatures. Once they are warm enough, they move to cooler shaded areas. Heat rocks really don't serve much purpose for a day active lizard. Though having a warm rock to bask on is fine, heat rocks tend to produce too much heat and dragons don't move off them, if their basking light isn't producing the amount of heat they require to regulate their body temperatures. Thus, they lay on the rock longer then safe for them, often suffering severe burns, especially if the heat rock shorts out or otherwise over heats.

Newer models of heat rocks often have built in thermostats which can be used to regulate the heat they put out. This does make them safer to use. However, I still feel they are useless for day active lizards like bearded dragons. They judge their heat exposure from light intensity and heat rocks just do not provide the right stimulus for lizards to use to know they are getting the heat they need. Bright basking lights are what dragons need to warm their bodies.

Considering the cost of heat rocks, I feel they are not worth the money paid for them when you can get all the benefits of a warm basking spot which reaches the correct temperatures with an appropriate watt household light bulb. A securely stacked pile of natural rocks and or bricks will serve just as well as a warm rocky basking spot for a bearded dragon to bask on. Rocks are much cheaper than heat rocks and have no chance of over heating. Just make sure the rocks are secure so they don't slide and possibly injure your dragon, especially if it tries to crawl underneath the rocks.

I won't use heat rocks for several reasons. They cost to much. They are not needed for bearded dragons. They can short out or over heat, even with a thermostat built into them, or just connected to one. And lastly, they are too low anyway, to serve as a good basking spot.
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PHLdyPayne

Wow that's good info....Thanks SO you need one bulb that produces UV and one that is a basking spot (CHE or a Basking bulb. for the heat source.

You need to provide UVA, UVB, and heat.

UVB: You can either get a UVB flourescent or Mercury Vapor Bulb. Mercury Vapor Bulbs provide UVA, UVB and heat. But they must be mounted facing straight down and should be no closer than about 24". I use UVB flourescents. The Zoo Med Retisun 5.0 is good up to a distance of 12". A 10.0 should be used for distances up to 20" or if using a fine screen top.

UVA and heat can be provided by Basking spot lamps or regular household bulbs. Just be sure to measure the temp. at the basking spot. It should be about 105. The heat should directed at one end of the enclosure to creat a warm and cool end. The cool end should be about 75.