If you use stones and pebbles you must make absolutely sure that they are far too big to get in the dragons' mouth. Otherwise they get swallowed and you have the same risk of impaction.
Lizards open their mouths for several reasons. To cool down when overly warm sort of like a dog pants, to threaten, or the worst case due to respiratory problems. make sure that there is no wheezing sound, esxcess mucous or bubbling when they breathe.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I was going to say that it simply sounds like they are too hot. Do you have a temperature gradient in the cage, so that they can escape to a cooler area if they are too hot?

But Merlin brings up a good point. If it is a respiratory problem, they'll need to be seen by a vet, so watch them carefully for any signs of distress.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

yes I think it is too hot too, the people at the store said I HAD to get the 150 watt heat bulb and now that I have 2 thermometers the hot side is hot!!!

MY QUESTION NOW IS should I mount the heat lamp higher above the tank??? or should I get the proper bulb??


the hot side was getting close to 100 at times but the cool side has always been at 80!?

are they know to swim to the bottomw of the tank when they are hot??? because the youngest one keeps diving down to the bottom :| ?

Pet stores in general will tell you anything that you want to hear to get you to buy - and buy the expensive stuff.

For you as the owner, the goal is very simply to get the temperatures to the right levels, and keep them there.

If you want to continue to use the bulb you have, mounting it higher may work, but you should really just get a lower watt bulb. It'll save you on your electricity bill, too. You can supplement a low watt bulb with an under tank heater if it starts to get too cold, which I don't think will be a problem. In my opinion, under tank heaters actually make it easier to regulate the temperature than basking heat.

Do they know the bottom of the pool is the coolest point? Probably. It may be that they just like to swim that way, but most likely if they are hot they are going to gravitate to the coolest point. It sound like you need to cool down that side of the cage a little more as well. Try to get around 75 degrees on the cool side, and 80-85 degrees on the hot side. Make sure that they can rest in both places, which may simply involve putting a rock in the water that they can rest on. At night the temps should go down. Night temps are about 75 degrees on the warm side. Do you have something you can heat the cage with at night that doesn't emit light?

__________________
"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

What kind of bulb is it? Is it a UVB emiting bulb or just a regular basking light?

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

it is a sun glo basking light (150watts)

and I have a small under tank heating pad but it is the smallest one they sell I believe. i have had it for years but never used it!



you have to keep in mind 75% of the tank is water; should I put it under the water or land?

I would switch the water and the land side, so its 25% water and 75% land. Thats too much water. Also instead of trying to clean the tank, if you put in a simple tub of water, like a dish tub for them to swim in, its much easier to remove and clean. OR if you keep the water set up like you have it now, maybe place a large rock they can sit on, like a little island.

Welcome.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

it sounds like alot of water, but I have a waterfall in the corner, and lots of branches and placed for them to sit and bask.........i have been told to use the kitty litter box many times but I am not sure if they are male or female yet so I tried to make enough room for them both to do their own thing!!! another reason I put alot of water is so that they cant get a clear run at the glass(hopefully slow down the nose rubbin)!

No, actually, you're right. They love water, and they need a lot of it. As long as they have plenty of places to climb out of the water and bask when they don't feel like swimming, it should be fine. I'd actually really love to see a picture of your set up.

Putting the under tank heater under the water will help increase the humidity, but you need to be careful, because it's harder to regulate the temperature of the water, and if the water gets too hot it can be very dangerous to your dragons.

If your dragons are staying in the water right now, they probably really like the temperatures in it. I'd leave it for now. You want the water to be cool, but not icy cold, so just keep testing it and making sure it's okay.

On the other hand, with the amount of soil/rocks between the Under Tank Heater and the dragons, it actually may not be contributing to the heat at all. Turn it off for awhile and see if the temperatures in the cage change. If they don't change significantly, it may not be actually reaching them. If it does, then that's probably in a good place, under the soil. A change in basking light will probably make all the difference.

__________________
"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

i was almost going to make the entire tank water but I wanted to put some live plans in and didnt want them always in the water(speaking of which; and suggestions on plants would be great)


the under tank heater I have is not under the tank yet, i was planning on using it in the winter if the water got too cold but might be a good idea in case it gets cold overnight.

I HAVE 3 NEW QUESTIONS(well I have many but I will spread them out)

first, what side would you recommend I make the basking(hot) side??

second, I keep noticing during the day my smaller WD is usually hiding somewhere or completely under the water, but as soon as it becomes evening, comes out and is playful. so I guess my question is ; is it common for them to become more active in the evening????

third, i have 2 WD's but I am not sure of their sex. at first I thought they were both males because they stayed away from eachother, and the big one kinda bullied the smaller one. but lastnight I noticed the bigger of the 2 making a hand signal(kinda like....follow me guys) amd then a few minutes later I looked back and the smaller one was on the larger ones back

so im asking would 2 males do that???

i was assuming they would both be fighting all the time if they were males but what do I know!!!! im the noob


thanks