Ways to raise the heat?

[ColinAbi]

I have a 6x3x3 cage and I have a 100 watt power sun UVB heat bulb. The basking spot is about 85 f and I was wondering how I can make his basking spot hotter.

 

[Josh]

What type of heat bulb are you using? For me personally, I use fluorescents for my UVB (long skinny tubes) and I use ceramic heat emitters or incandescent (traditional bulb-shaped lights) for heat. To increase the temp you either need to increase wattage or decrease the distance between the bulb and the basking spot. Some people put wire mesh cages around their bulbs if it is close enough for the reptile to possibly touch and get burned.

 

[Logan]

use a 160wt powersun imstead of a 100

 

[ColinAbi]

Ok I just used my infared temp gun and here is the temps : Basking-92 Warm side- 84-89 Cool side 81-82. Are those temps ok for a baby tegu?

 

[Little Wise Owl]

In my opinion, the basking spot should be 100-120F. My tegu prefers to bask at 120 if available. You can up the basking spot temp by raising the basking platform.

 

[ColinAbi]

What is a good material to raise the platform?

 

[Little Wise Owl]

Do you have a picture of his current set up?

 

[Rebecca Stout]

A huge rock. Or best yet, a shelve. I'm waiting to see if I have this issue. I"m betting I might cause mine is 4 foot high. So I'm prepared for the last minute installation of a simple shelve with a ramp going to it.

 

[Little Wise Owl]

Here's an example of a simple raised (Rete's Stack) basking spot

(Not my pic, just an example)

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Oh wow. I'm about to see if I need a shelf when I'm finished my cage sat. I was nervous because I thought okay, once I nail that shelving in, its pretty much permanent etc. What if its off. Oh what a pain in the butt. Lol. But something like this, is adjustable. I could do it temporary at the very least to figure out where to put the shelf. I can't believe how many times I miss the obvious or can't use common sense. I'm SO GRATEFUL for this board so I can come here and ask for advice, bat around ideas, etc, and always, always am warmly recieved. Thanks.

 

[RickyNo]

Get real bulbs

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Thanks for the pic. I am going to have two floods. Three for cluster lighting when she gets big. I notice your floor is much closer to the ceiling than mine will be though. Dont your floods create a "hot spot" (beam) in teh center being so close like that? I thought people spread them out several inches. Thats what one of the diagrams about lighting says to do.

 

[Rebecca Stout]

For anyone that is reading and wants to know, get Par 38 halogens (sorry technically not floods like I stated above). I dont know what wattage yet ... I was told to start low at around 65 and see how it goes. I still think I'm going to have to raise the basking area like the guy that started this thread.

 

[RickyNo]

If your floor is a lot farther away from the lamps your going to have to build something for them to climb on to get closer. I had a bulb go out and the only replacement bulb I had was a lot lower wattage than what i needed. I aimed them closer to eachother for now so I could achieve my desired basking temps till I get to home depot on monday.

 

[ColinAbi]

I am going to build a small ramp soon.

 

[Matt Lesh]

i use a 150 wat repti halogen bulb and that gets 2 feet away from the bulb to an easy 110 degree basking spot

 

[Matt Lesh]

and if you have a hot day it can get to an easy 120 degrees these bulbs burn HOT

 

[ColinAbi]

Is that only for heat though?

 

[ColinAbi]

I need one with UVA, UVB, heat, and light.

 

[Matt Lesh]

yea for my enclosure i do a halogen next to a 160watt mercury vapor bulb