Hard time maintaining hot spot

[ccole93]

My tegu is currently hibernating in a 40G tank. I think my ceramic heat emitter is 100W but it doesn't bring the basking spot up past like 75 degrees. It's currently freezing cold where I live and I've been turning on the space heater to help raise the temps but I can't figure out how to raise the temps any further. Maybe 150W? I bought one of those wire clamp lamps but it seemed to make it worse.

 

[KritterKeeper]

Use an actual light bulb for the basking spot with a dome light fixture..

 

[ccole93]

That's what I did for a long time but I had even worse results.

 

[KritterKeeper]

I dont think CHE are made for basking. That doesnt make sense that it was worse. Whats your setup like? Do you have the light on top of a screen? I can get my basking spot over 100 with a 60watt household bulb and a dome fixture. How are you measuring the temps?

 

[ccole93]

Yes it's on top of the screen alongside the UVB bulb. I use a spot thermometer and have a few of them set up throughout the tank.

 

[KritterKeeper]

Thats probably your problem. That will cut down on the heat getting through and the screen will also block some of the UVB. Clamp the basking light on the side and hang the UVB or set it across the top even but there shouldnt be anything between the light and the lizard.

 

[ccole93]

So should I take off the entire top then? The UVB is clamped to the side of the tank but the screen is still between them and I couldn't figure out a way to clamp the heat lamp so it just rests on top. I'm worried he'll leap out of his tank.

 

[KritterKeeper]

Well i would..how tall is your tank? I know my columbian is a jumper but i didnt think argentines were big on jumping but i could be wrong..
What kind of UV bulb are you using?

 

[ccole93]

Oh man... I think it's a foot and a half tall? It's just a Zilla tank from Petsmart. Yeah he has a Lizard Ladder ledge so he can get closer to the UVB and he uses that to propel himself up. Over the summer he kept jumping into the screen... it was kinda weird lol. I'm using a 26W Tropical ZooMed bulb.

I also just put a regular household lightbulb in to see if it makes a difference. Might as well give it a shot again. Someone told me CHEs are great for basking.

 

[TeguBuzz]

Get a proper enclosure that isn't one of those screen top fish tanks, maybe then your temps will be easier to maintain.

 

[ccole93]

It is proper. It's a reptile tank. I'm not putting my tiny baby tegu in his six foot enclosure yet and I'm not shelling out $350 for a Vision cage. Thanks for not helping at all and being rude.

I got the spot up to 90! A few people are telling me to use Powersun or wire a GU bulb.

 

[TeguBuzz]

It is proper. It's a reptile tank. I'm not putting my tiny baby tegu in his six foot enclosure yet and I'm not shelling out $350 for a Vision cage. Thanks for not helping at all and being rude.

I got the spot up to 90! A few people are telling me to use Powersun or wire a GU bulb.

Rude? Buddy - a glass tank sold in petsmart or petco labeled "For reptiles", isn't actually for reptiles. Especially ones that require higher humidity. Your fish tank was not made for a tegu. How large is your tegu? You said you've had it since summer? He's probably outgrown the fish bowl you have him in. You want rude? I can give you rude. My first comment was direct. Your clearly uneducated on tegu matters. Ceramic heat emitters for basking? Youve got it all wrong. Invest in proper lighting - a power sun, like others have told you.


Your fish tank may house a bearded dragon, or something along those lines, but that's it.

 

[chitodadon]

No that's not a proper enclosure u need a wooden on atb least 7x3x3 fornyour they wit a 160w powersun and constant humidity of 60%

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[ccole93]

My tegu is small enough to rest comfortably in the palm of my hand. He is less than a foot long, thus, his 40 gallon tank is the perfect size. Don't call me "buddy"; I'm a grown woman, not your drinking pal. He has been hibernating since November and has not grown an inch in that time. Chill out and get over yourself. No one learns these things automatically, which is why I'm asking questions. I don't need you jumping down my throat with derogatory comments.

Same to you, chito. He's less than a foot long. There's no way he's going in his adult cage yet. Aren't you the one that burned your tegu to death in the bathtub? If so, I definitely don't want advice from you. Do any of you know how to read or do you prefer being assholes?

 

[TeguBuzz]

Drinking pal? I read your username - ccole93. I was assuming your a 93 kid. How am I supposed to know youre a grown woman? Chill out? Get over myself? Honey - I'm as chilled as can be. I am merely stating that your enclosure is wrong, and I will stand by that. Unless you have a humidifier/fogger constantly running, there is no way you will maintain the proper humidity levels. Unless you're misting every hour.

All in all, do as you wish. I would do things differently. Building a wooden enclosure of a smaller size would have been more proper and would have cost you less than your 40 gallon.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

It's incredibly hard to maintain proper temps and humidity in a 40 gallon fish tank. It is much easier to maintain them in a proper wooden enclosure. Chito, I feel like this is a pot kettle black situation since your 3.5 foot tegu was in a 50 gallon tank for a year. For a grown woman Ccole93, you sure don't take advice well. Please just calm down and try to see the advice without taking any comments personally.

 

[ccole93]

I do have a fogger running, along with a room humidifier. Humidity, space, and the health of the animal are of no concern. The cage works to perfection. I own a Brazilian rainbow boa that will die without 80%+ humidity. I know how to take care of the pets I own, but due to the cold weather and trying to wake him from hibernation, I've encountered difficulty with the heat.

No, it wouldn't have, because I got the cage for free.

This is why I hate asking for advice on these forums. You're all ridiculously rude and turn around and tell me I'm just not able to take "constructive criticism." Guess what? It isn't that hard using a 40 gallon tank. As aforementioned, I keep a BRB in one!

 

[TegusRawsome80]

So essentially you don't know how to care for the animal(keep it's temperatures right) yet you know how to care for all your animals. Wow, this is a new one. I don't really know what to say to you. Getting a free cage doesn't mean you got the cage you should be using. I don't view anyone's comments as rude except for yours. Chito's advice probably shouldn't be taken with any validity but wasn't rude.

 

[ccole93]

His temps were PERFECT over the summer. LIKE I KEEP SAYING, it's been cold and he's been hibernating for four months so things are off and it's hard getting it back up to snuff. I just wanted some help. The cage works fine so please stop harping on me about it. I've already built him an eight foot cage. Now it's a waiting game until he's big enough to move.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

Well the cage is the problem. I doubt he'd have any issue in a larger cage. The theory that animals that live naturally with no boundaries would have a problem in an 8 foot space is ridiculous by the way. Your cage worked in the summer because it was hot enough that it didn't need to hold a lot of heat. Now it's not summer and you're confused why it's not working.