Temperature Gradient

[Halogen]

How can I fix my cages temperature gradient? On the high end it can get around 105 ish but the low end only gets low 90s. During the night it gets around 70 degrees which is good (I think). Its a wooden enclosure with multiple holes on the side. Any suggestions?

[jdheff1982]

How can I fix my cages temperature gradient? On the high end it can get around 105 ish but the low end only gets low 90s. During the night it gets around 70 degrees which is good (I think). Its a wooden enclosure with multiple holes on the side. Any suggestions?

Sounds like the heat lamp is flooding too much of the enclosure. How high above the enclosure is the lamp? You may need to lower it or angle it away from the cool side.

Need some more details:

* How big is enclosure and can you provide pictures of it?
* What are you using for heat and what wattage and what kind of fixture?
* Any other lighting used? Any fluorescent bulbs used?

Depending on the how ventilation is, the cool side may need more of it. My enclosure is an all glass terrarium type. It has sliding front glass and screen tops. It is a 36 x 18 x 12. I can get the basking end up to 110* F and the cool end in the mid to upper 70's. When lights are off, the whole enclosure cools down to ambient room temp. Usually low 70's.

[Halogen]

Its a 4ft by 2 ft wooden cage with sliding glass doors. Im using the zoomed 100w light bulb for heat and there is a UVB light rod thing in front.

[jdheff1982]

I would try to relocate that fluorescent tube outside the enclosure. They do produce heat and it could be contributing to the problem. Where is the ventilation? What are you using to check temperatures with? Air temperature will be different than at the ground. If you are relying on the stick on temp gauges, you might want to invest in something like this: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/17092-zoo-med-reptitemp-infrared-temp-gun-thermometer. This will give you readings from the bottom of your enclosure. Heat is always reflected up.

[Halogen]

Well I think my heat lamp just broke after only 2 months of use so thats nice. For temperature measuring, I use the ZooMed thing (not sure what its called but its a rod thats connected some wire thats connected to a device) . But now with my lamp broken its 70 on the cool side and around 80ish on the warm end. For venelation I use a set of holes on each side of the tank.

[jdheff1982]

Well I think my heat lamp just broke after only 2 months of use so thats nice. For temperature measuring, I use the ZooMed thing (not sure what its called but its a rod thats connected some wire thats connected to a device) . But now with my lamp broken its 70 on the cool side and around 80ish on the warm end. For venelation I use a set of holes on each side of the tank.

The Zoomed device you have is their thermostat. It is designed to have a heat source plugged into it and set the desired temp. The probe is to tell the thermostat whether to turn on the heat or not. It is best used with something like a ceramic heat emitter. This way, you can use the tube light as the main lighting while the thermostat regulates the basking end.

[Halogen]

So I tried removing my old broken light bulb and it came out of the socket thing but not all of it. The bulb came out and I noticed a wire was broken (I assume thats the problem) but the rest of the bulb is still lodged in there.

The white disc is the socket and you can see the gray thing that the bulb was attached too. I didn't build the tank so I don't really know if I can remove the white disc. I plan on getting a ceramic one from ZooMed but anyone have a reason on why it broke after only 2 months?

[jdheff1982]

Bulb got too hot and melted the solder holding the screw cap on would be my guess. Light bulbs need to breath to prolong their life.

Try unplugging light socket and try getting the cap out with plyers. The socket should be screwed into the top.

[Halogen]

So I replaced the socket with a new one and put in a ZooMed 60w bulb yet it doesn't seem to heat the terrarium. The tank is still in the 80s on the hot side. The lightbulb is hot after its use so I'm not sure what the problem is.

[jdheff1982]

So I replaced the socket with a new one and put in a ZooMed 60w bulb yet it doesn't seem to heat the terrarium. The tank is still in the 80s on the hot side. The lightbulb is hot after its use so I'm not sure what the problem is.

How far above the basking spot is the bulb? 60w may not be strong enough. I have a 65w ceramic bulb about 10 inches above the slate basking spot and it easily reaches 110* F. It is also attached to a thermostat. The cool side is ambient room temperature. Are you using a dome with the light? The dome would help reflect the light and heat into a more concentrated area.

The basking spot needs to be about 95* to 105* F; however, the air temperature might be cooler. The whole tank should not be the same temp. Reptiles need hot and cool areas for proper temperature cycling.

[Halogen]

Well I saw it increase to at least 90 degrees so I thinks ots starting to work. I don't have a dome setup but I don't think a dome would fit in my cage. Thanks for all your help