Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I did not have my Uro this time last winter so have not dealt with lower home temps as I am now. I get my new little guy in about a month so I have been checking out my temps during these coldest days.

I want to get my cool side warmer but am at a loss as to how.

here is the deal:

my temps using a digital therm with probs are:
-1. cool side > 74-80F
-2. basking site > 112-120F (120 was with a brand new bulb and proper range for a 6 month old)

-infared temp gun pointed down onto basking site > 112-120F

ambient temps with infared held midway up tank:
-1. cool > 74F
-2. mid > 80F
-3. hot side > 96F

It is a 40gal breeder with a 125W basking, 100W right next to it for addtnl heating and UVB the rest what is left. I also have a smaler under tank heat pad on the cool side.

I was wondering if I should replace the 100W basking light with a ceramic heater and if that would produce more heat.

Any ideas????
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150-200 tropical fish

3 African Clawed Frogs (1 olive and 2 albino)

and Luca will be here soon... male Ornate Uromastyx

- Mike
Morris Cty, NJ

- in memory of Magnus (male Uromastyx Macfadyeni)
he will always be my little boy

Is it possible to scootch the 100w light a little toward the cool side? Or do you have room to add one more small dome with a lower wattage light?

I finally had to put a small light on the cool side of Arthur's cage to get the temps up out of the 70s. I think it was a 40w halogen in a 5" dome. This is in a 75 gallon tank sitting on cold hardwood, too - you would probably need less to raise it.

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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
1.2 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

hey

no... no more room to add another light. i have thought of having a 'removeable' ceramic heat source on the fwd top since mine opens on the entire front end... hinged in the middle/

do you take your whole top off to access the inside? i usually leave mine open the entire day when i am around to pet, say hello and have some interaction.
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150-200 tropical fish

3 African Clawed Frogs (1 olive and 2 albino)

and Luca will be here soon... male Ornate Uromastyx

- Mike
Morris Cty, NJ

- in memory of Magnus (male Uromastyx Macfadyeni)
he will always be my little boy

Mine's actually very, very awkward to get into. They're pretty wild, too, so I don't bother them much. I'm trying to figure out how to go about making some tops for each side of the cage that are stable, suitable for my lighting, but also easy to use for age access. If I ever figure that out, I'll let you know!

As for temps, I'm not sure what else to suggest. I've never used ceramic heat emitters. Is there any part of the top that can be closed off (assuming it's a screen top)?

Good luck! I hope you can get it working right!
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
1.2 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

well... i went out today and bought a 150W ceramic heater. when i got home i found out my holder is only rated to 100W (the one the 100W light is in) so i do not get to test out the new temps just yet. i will hook this into my rheostat and expect my temp probs to be solved since i can keep it on 24/7 if need be. i know the 150W ceramic heater is high on wattage (next to a 150W basking light) but since i am using the secondary 100W basking light and not hitting proper winter temps i went for it as i can regulate the temps with my rheostat.
-----
150-200 tropical fish

3 African Clawed Frogs (1 olive and 2 albino)

and Luca will be here soon... male Ornate Uromastyx

- Mike
Morris Cty, NJ

- in memory of Magnus (male Uromastyx Macfadyeni)
he will always be my little boy

Hey, you know, I don't think I ever mentioned - GOOD FOR YOU for setting everything up well in advance and being prepared for Luca's arrival!!! Big pat on the back for you! That should make his transition as easy as possible!
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
1.2 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Thanks! I am just trying to avoid whatever went wrong with Magnus. I did not have him during this cold part of the year so am using this op to get it all right before next winter when a prob could arise. Plus this guy is gonna be younger so that has me worried since I travel so much -it all has to run as planned on timers. LOL
-----
150-200 tropical fish

3 African Clawed Frogs (1 olive and 2 albino)

and Luca will be here soon... male Ornate Uromastyx

- Mike
Morris Cty, NJ

- in memory of Magnus (male Uromastyx Macfadyeni)
he will always be my little boy

I used to have Ra in a 40 gallon breeder tank and was able to get some good temps with a 150 watt basking bulb, and a 100 watt infrared heat bulb from Home Depot (it is a Philips brand infrared heat bulb) that throws off A LOT more heat than the infrared heat bulb sold by petstores. I also had a UVB tube for UV light.

Here's a pic of my old setup (a retes stack is GREAT for a uro's thermoregulation process). If the cool is still too cool (I also had an undertank heater), you can put a light fleece blanket or towel over the top of the cool side of the tank.

Hope this helps

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1.1 Mali Uromastyx (Ra and Isis)
1.1 Satanic Leaftail Geckos (Diablo and Samael)

hey sunfox.. don't u live in florida? ha ha... it is sooo cold here in NJ that i decided to keep the 150w. not to mention the fact that my house heat is on 60 at night and 65F days. i def do not like it as warm as a Uro! am thinking with that wattage avail i can heat the little guy up as much as he needs! i would not try it w/o the rheostat for sure. will let u guys know my temps when i get it running again maybe over the weekend when i can monitor it. am sure there are some other cold houses out there with Uro's in them.
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150-200 tropical fish

3 African Clawed Frogs (1 olive and 2 albino)

and Luca will be here soon... male Ornate Uromastyx

- Mike
Morris Cty, NJ

- in memory of Magnus (male Uromastyx Macfadyeni)
he will always be my little boy