Hi!
Sorry to post here but I've been searching for this info for the last 4 hours and haven't found anything and in about 8h, we are going to buy all necessary items for the Bearded Dragon first terrarium.

1 - We are going to buy a IR Heat Glo because it can also keep the terrarium warm at night. Its size is 19.5 x 9.8 x 12.5 (I believe it's a standard size) and I'm wondering if:
- 75w would be enough for a terrarium this size?
- and can I use a light intensity switch (you know the ones you control light brightness?) to tone it down for the night time?
I need to order a decent terrarium thermostat from abroad and in the meanwhile I must find a way to control temperature.

2 - We found this Arcadia Fluorescent Lighting Controller which we could also use later in the final terrarium.
There are 3 models (18 watts, 25 or 30 watts and 36 or 38 watts) and no one can tell if the more potent models (25/30 and 36/38) can use less potent lamps or if they just use those wattage lamps only.

3 - I've read that those thin liquid crystal thermometers are not accurate. Sometimes temperatures are off by more than 5 degrees. Is this true?

Thanks!!
Ricardo

Hello,

It might be enough, then again, it might not be. We could speculate as to what we think might be enough, but we would only be guessing. The wattage of the bulb will need to be played with and regulated with a thermometer. The ambient air in the tank is depictive of the ambient air in the room as well as the heating elements in use. Since everyones homes are different, and the temperatures fluctuating, its impossible for us to say with certainty if that is or isn't enough.

I use dimmer switches on a number of my lights. Not only will they effect how much light is produced, but they can be used for heating elements to increase and decrease the electrical current to the item. That will raise and lower temperatures.

Are you going to be lighting the cage with flourescent lighting or is that going to be in use with a reptisun or some other UV producing tube lighting?

If it is for the UV lighting, you don't require a controller. You will want that flourescent to shine as bright as it can so the dragon gets the optimal amounts of UV from the light. In comparison to Mercury Vapors, s[pecifically the Megaray, the tube lights push out very little UV. No need in decreasing it further.

Thats a good question. I personally have never bothered to use them. I have found that a digital thermometer with a probe is much more efficient for monitoring the enclosure temperatures. Any store that has outdoor thermometers for sale, (Walmart,Target,Kmart,Etc.) will carry a digital model with a probe. The ones I use are around $10-$12 a piece.

The probes I am referring to are used to monitor both indoor and outdoor temperatures at the same time. The probe goes out a window or something while the base remains inside. These are great for monitoring both the cool and warm end of the enclosure at the same time and with one device.

Hope that helps.

If the night time temp is does not go below 70 degrees it is not necessary to have nighttime heat. Its ok for Bearded Dragons to go through a cooling down period at night. You can also use a Under Tank Heater (under tank heater) on the warm side of the tank to aid in night heat is necessary.

__________________
MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

It's for the UV light. That Arcadia gadget is just a fitting (like this one) for the fluorescent tubes, the difference is that it's flexible and not rigid, I can use tubes from 15" to 36". It doesn't control intensity.
My doubt is about the wattage. If I buy the higher wattage model, can I use lower wattage tubes? For example, can I use a 15w tube in the 30 watts model?

Thanks =)

Just a follow up for someone that might have the same doubts.
- The 100W lamp was the best choice. With a dimmer, it can be safely used for day and night temperature setting.
- There are several Arcadia controllers which one with it's own wattage setting. They should be used with the appropriate wattage lamps (i.e., a 14w tube for the 14/15w model, a 25w tube for the 25/30w model, etc).
Using a smaller wattage lamp (for example: 14w) in a higher wattage model (for example 25/30w) will reduce the lamp lifespan. It's not possible to use a higher wattage lamp in a smaller wattage model because it can't start the lamp. I got this info from the manufacturer.
- The thin liquid crystal thermometers don't seem to be very accurate. I will only confirm this with a proper digital thermometer but so far it seems that way.

You are correct. The tape thermometers record the temperature of the glass wall of the tank, not the air temp inside. With an aquarium full of water this works because the entire tank is temperature wise a solid object.
This is demonstrated by touching the window glass in your home with your hand during cold weather. The temperature of the glass is NOT the temperature of the air in your home.
Unless you live in an igloo!

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

That's one of the reasons why I only glued a tiny portion on each end, leaving almost all thermometer unglued with the original tape. Air flows in front and in the back of each thermometer but still... temps seem off.