Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[agh100]

Hi

I have just purchased a 4ft x 18 x 18 viv and am considering getting either a bearded dragon or leopard gecko's.
Think I'm not veering towards the beardie as they seem a bit more interesting.

Just a couple of questions:

Is my viv fine for 1 adult beardie?

I have a 100w spotlight and a separate dimmer heat, this is what the shop said would be fine, is this OK?

Do I need a heat mat as well as the room can get cold at night?

What should I use as substrate? The shop used bark chippings, is this OK?

Can I use branches or pieces of slate from the garden to decorate the tank, or would these contain dangerous bacteria?

Thanks for any help
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Cheers!

[Jonie]

[alastair]

you need to make sure the light is a UV bulb,and set the tank up so there is a thermal gradient. If the room is cold you definately need a heat mat for the night. Mine is 1/3 the size of the viv.
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so many morphs, so little money
1.1 Beardies
2.1 Homo sapiens jnr
0.1 royals owned by mikey

[agh100]

Thanks for replies.

I think the bulb I have is just a standard 100w spotlight.
Do I need to have a special bulb for reptiles? I thought the point of the light was just to provide heat and that a UV tube would provide all the UV required.

I've heard of ceramic bulbs being used, what are the advantages of these?

If I get a heat mat, should this be on every night or just cold nights? and should this go under the heat light or the other end of the viv?

Thanks
_________________
Cheers!

[alastair]

didnt realise you had a uv as well. if so,as you say, the spotlight is just there for heating and should be fine
I have my heatmat in the middle of the viv, with the light at one end. The idea being to have a hot end, warm middle and cool end. seems to work ok.
if you get a thermostat, then you dont need to worry about switching the mat on and off. A thermostat is also a safety device to stop the viv overheating and i would always use one.
Afraid im not sure about the ceramic bulbs.
Hope this helps
_________________
so many morphs, so little money
1.1 Beardies
2.1 Homo sapiens jnr
0.1 royals owned by mikey

[agh100]

OK

just been speaking to a local reptile shop, they suggest not to use a heat mat but to get some sort of ceramic reptile radiator to keep the Viv warm at night.

Also I've heard some people say to use a coloured bulb for heat, as this can be left on 24 hours a day.

It's confusing as different people give different advice!
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Cheers!

[felix93]

Heat mat is not ideal because bearded dragons disgest their food from basking. And I think I have read on the bearded dragons chat forum that heat mat can burn their tums if the heat mat is over heat. You need to have a combine light buls or one UVB and one basking light. If your house is not warm enough at night, get a night light or ceramic bulb to keep the viv warm. I use ceramic bulb and thermostate to control the temp, so it just swtiches back on at night if the viv is getting too cold. Play sand meant to be the safest of all the substrate but if the beardie you are getting is only a baby, use kitcher paper to be on the safe side. Hope this helps.

[alastair]

agree, it is confusing. there are many different ways of doing it.
How you provide the temperature is probably not too important, so long as you ensure that the temp range is correct, that you provide a hot spot and a decent gradient so your animal can thermoregulate. as long as your setup does all that you should be ok.
Something else occured to me-make sure that your viv is not in direct sunlight. If it is, it can heat up to lethal temperatures, like a greenhouse.
Sorry if this sounds patronising, I didnt realise and nearly killed mine when they were new
_________________
so many morphs, so little money
1.1 Beardies
2.1 Homo sapiens jnr
0.1 royals owned by mikey