As you all know I recently purchased a water dragon. I believe the eating issue is resolved and he seems more active. I purchased a ceramic heater for his viv, but if I turn it off during the day the alternate heat source isn't sufficient to keep the ambient temp between 80 and 90. Is it bad to leave it on all the time?? I mist his viv twice a day to help keep the humidity up once around 8 am and again around 6 pm

I would less stress to place it on a thermostat to control the temps. But it could be that it never turns off If you're using a low wattage Ceramic Heat Emitter. With the temps in my house I have a 100w Ceramic Heat Emitter running 24-7 for my Ball Pythons and it keeps the temps within the proper range for summer and winter. Though with higher wattages of good insolated caging (glass caging stinks for heating) I would place it on a thermostat.

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Since a Ceramic Heat Emitter puts out only heat and no light it can be on all the time.

The real answer to your question is determined by what the temps in the enclosure are doing. Whether it is getting too hot with it on or not.
I have my Ceramic Heat Emitter's on thermostats.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

i monitor the temps when im home and it never seems to get above, 85 which is why I leave it on constantly, of course when I finish the new viv all this will change lol.

You really need to know what it is doing at all times. You might be surprised at how much it fluctuates.
I suggest a digital thermometer with a minimum/maximum readout. cost you 10-15 bucks. That way you will know if the temperatures are getting out of the acceptable range when you aren't there or are asleep. And the kinds with the remote probe will let you monitor both the warm and cool areas of the enclosure at the same time.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

thanks for all the info

Just to clarify. You mentioned a ceramic heater.
You are talking about the device you screw into a ligh bulb socket aren't you?
That is a ceramic heat emitter.
A ceramic heater is a vastly different device for heating small room areas and should ever be put inside a tank.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

yes im talking about the emitter the one that screws into a light bulb socket and it is mounted outside the viv pointing inward so that my dragon cant touch it even by accident. i dont want to get seared

yes, i have my heat emitter on a thermostat. It never goes about 83 degrees, and then it has a heat drop, so it never goes above 75 at night.

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

I'd definately recommend a thermostat. Make sure you place the probe near the top of your tank. Here's an example.
BAH-1000 Reptile Thermostat Has Been Redesigned Utilizing an IC Smart Chip For Controlling Cage Temperature