Can your turn down a ceramic heating bulb with a dimmer, making it give off less heatIm getting a bearded dragon soon, just wondering if i can turn it down If its too hot during night time temps, speciously in winter months.thx.
Lighting: Bearded Dragons require full spectrum lighting for 12-14 hours a day. I happen to use the Reptisun 5.0 or 8.0 fluorescent bulbs. There is also other brands available such as the Reptiglo or lumichrome bulbs. These fluorescent bulbs should stretch the length of your Beardies enclosure and your B.D. should be able to come within 6-8 inches of the light. The UV light should be placed over the cage and not directed through the glass, glass will deflect the UV rays. Follow the directions on the package of the bulb for replacement frequency. Heating and temps: To produce heat and a basking spot in your enclosure you can use either a ceramic heat emitter, a reptile basking light(red, blue or white) or just a plain old household lightbulb. The best fixture for any of these choices is a porcelain dome light fixture. This type of fixture is a must with a ceramic heat emitter due to the amount of heat they produce. The temperature for this basking spot you created should be around 110f for juveniles and can be around 95f for adults. Allthough I don't recommend any temps above 110f, within a few degrees of these basking temps will be sufficent. The cool side of the enclosure should be around 85f during the day. Once again within a few degrees of this temp is just fine. Night time temperatures can fall as low as 65f. It is fairly easy to keep your night temps above this even in the winter. If you can't keep your temps above this you may want to consider buying an under tank heater (UTH) for night time use. Using this just during the evening hours will help create a warm spot for your Dragon to sleep. DO NOT use heat rocks as these can cause serious burns on your animals underside. A thermometer on the hot side and one on the cool side will make sure that your temps are in the range they should be in.
