"Ambient" tank temperature?
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 6:37 pm
Hello! I am getting ready for a new blue tongue skink...very exciting 
I have a question about tank temperatures. I have a 55 gallon 4 foot long tank. On the far corner is the basking area which is about 95-100F...and the far side is room temperature (75F)...what should the middle be? It's in the very low 80s near the basking area and then drops to 75...I would say the majority of the tank is between 75-78 except for a few inches past the basking light. Should the ambient/middle temperature be higher? I don't want him to be too cold...if it needs to be up a few degrees I was just gonna get a second smaller incandescent lamp but if you guys think the 75-79 range is okay for the middle then I don't want to spend more money, haha...
I just wasn't sure because different websites say different things. I know BTS can tolerate lower temps well, esp at night, but I don't want him to "tolerate," I want him to be comfy. Thanks! Wish I could have gotten a shorter tank to be honest but I got this cheap ( < $50) from Craigslist so can't complain, haha.
Edit: I had a second question while I'm thinking about it...I bought a large zoo med cork bark log thing as the basking area. Will this be okay? Should I put a flat rock on top of it or will it bask fine on just the log?
I have a question about tank temperatures. I have a 55 gallon 4 foot long tank. On the far corner is the basking area which is about 95-100F...and the far side is room temperature (75F)...what should the middle be? It's in the very low 80s near the basking area and then drops to 75...I would say the majority of the tank is between 75-78 except for a few inches past the basking light. Should the ambient/middle temperature be higher? I don't want him to be too cold...if it needs to be up a few degrees I was just gonna get a second smaller incandescent lamp but if you guys think the 75-79 range is okay for the middle then I don't want to spend more money, haha...
I just wasn't sure because different websites say different things. I know BTS can tolerate lower temps well, esp at night, but I don't want him to "tolerate," I want him to be comfy. Thanks! Wish I could have gotten a shorter tank to be honest but I got this cheap ( < $50) from Craigslist so can't complain, haha.
Edit: I had a second question while I'm thinking about it...I bought a large zoo med cork bark log thing as the basking area. Will this be okay? Should I put a flat rock on top of it or will it bask fine on just the log?