Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Are beardies prone to nose rub or anything like that? I'm getting a subadult male and the cage I've built for him now is 36"lx18"wx18"h (don't worry, I've got plans for a bigger one when he grows). I was going to put a screen panel on the cooler side to help let heat escape faster, because it is a glass tank and I just didn't want him injured.

This is my first "desert" species, and my second question is what specific brands and lighting products do you recommend. My other animals have been doing great with Zoo-Med's PowerSun bulbs, but the trouble is I can't get more than an 89 degree F basking spot even with their 160w bulbs, which is what I usually buy. I've heard good things about the Zoo-Med 10.0 fluorescent and I'm considering that, but what basking bulb would you recommend for my specific cage.

Thanks a ton,
Jon

I use a 100W as my 75 gallon's basking light and the temps are over 100...

Make sure you are measuring the actual basking spot temperature NOT the air temperature in the basking area. This is a common mistake for beginners.

Use a temp gun or an inexpensive indoor/outdoor digital thermometer (with probe). Place the probe on the basking site where you think your beardie will spend time...let it set for several minutes to get an accurate reading.

"Dial" or "strip" thermometers are NOT ACCURATE!

Make sure you have a UVB source...a UVB flourescent or a Mercury Vapor bulb--beardies need lots of UVB to process calcuim. (this is in ADDITION to dusting food with calcium supplements (every other day) and vitamin supplements (once a week).

If using a flourescent UVB light make sure it is within 10 inches of the basking area--UVB has limited range.

HTH
DM

I'm using my $25 Temp-Gun AND a $150 infra red temp-gun (by another brand) my dad bought for his hobbies. And the actually perch I plan for his basking spot is 89.5 degrees f or around there.

Bearded Dragons, I have found, usually nose-rub, when they can see their own reflection staring back at them. Without it, I'm sure they wouldn't do it much at all. What about just adding some vents instead of a whole side?

I think your thermometer only goes to 89o because that is really low for a 160W bulb. 100W could get above that easily. Leave yout thermometer on the spot

I'll be using a 10.0 Compact Florescent, a 48" 2.0 Florescent tube, and a Exo Terra Basking light bulb for a heat lamp. I'll have to find out what wattage to use based on how much heat the other two lights generate, since florescent bulbs can add a few degrees of heat. This combined, should provide enough UVB to reflect of the melamine into the lower parts of the cage since it is quite high.

This is the cage being prepared. As you can see its not finnished and is without a lid. Next week I'll grab some more photos. A few more brances and some varying height to ground will help.

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1.1 Bearded Dragons
1.2 Maroantsetra Panther Chameleons
2.0 Long Tailed Grass Lizards
0.0.1 Giant Mellers Chameleon
0.0.2 Kenyan Pigmy Chameleons
500 Escaped Crickets

How far away is the basking spot from the basking light? If the distance is great, that could be why you are not getting a good basking temp. Are you using a hood at all? I have used 125W outdoor flood light bulbs and was able to keep the basking spot around 115F easily in a 5'x2'x2' cage.
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PHLdyPayne

The PowerSun bulb is in a big ceramic dome fixture (I believe by Zoo-Med" It's about 12"-14" away from the basking spot.