BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Okay I am freaking out right now
My mercury vapor heat bulb cannot get the basking section of my bts's terrarium over 90 degrees, heck, it can barely manage 85 degrees. Should I buy a ceramic heat bulb or is there a mercury vapor heat bulb that can get the basking section over 90 degrees? Keep in mind that the bulb would be about 2 feet above the ground and that it cannot be moved closer. I also added a heat pad for a 20 gallon tank for added temperature but it has not worked so far.

Any tips? I'm at my wit's end.

P.S, I am looking for a good brand for a mercury vapor heat bulb. I previously used the one from Lucky Herps but is there a more reliable brand out there?

How's the temperature gradient in the rest of your enclosure? Is there any way you could raise the basking spot a bit to bring it closer to the light? When I used mercury vapor bulbs I've always used zoo med. They're a bit expensive but worth it in my opinion. There's a warranty (which I've never had to use so I don't know how customer service is, but it's there) and it's a trusted brand.

The Temperature gradient is currently from 85-70 degrees. It is fine in the low section of the tank but the other side needs improvement. Any tips?
Also, is flunker's "sun spot" heat bulb any good?

What kind of tank do you have and how big? If it's glass you might need a higher watt bulb, those don't insulate very well so your wattage needs would be higher than someone with a pvc or wooden enclosure.

A quick fix until you get a new mercury bulb (assuming thats what you want to stick with) would be to replace your current bulb with a regular household bulb for the time being. In my enclosure a 100 watt mvb gave off heat comparable to 75-100 watt household bulb. As long as it's not the LED kind because those don't give off heat. You'd be able to at least get the temperatures right while you wait for a new bulb, even if there's no UV rays.

If you'd rather make it work with your current bulb until you can get a new one is raising the basking spot so its at least at a temperature where he can digest his food. Even raising it up a little goes a long way with how hot it gets. Your gradient is on the low side though so I wouldn't leave it like this as a permanent solution.

I'm not sure if someone will have any better suggestions though, since all mine require replacing the bulb. You can get zoo med bulbs through amazon as well as chain pet stores.

Edit: I didnt see your question about flukers, but I've never used it so I can't say from my experiences. Everyone I've encountered has used zoo med, sometimes I see someone using exoterra. I've never used exoterra though, but it seems more comparable to zoo med than the flukers one

What wattage is the bulb and how high above the basking spot is it? This info will help us greatly.

I use a 65w ceramic bulb and it sits about 10 inches above the basking spot which uses slate. I have no problem getting it to 95* F and above.

EDIT: I just read where you said the bulb is about 2 feet above. You really need to find a way to get the lamp closer to the basking spot. 2 feet above is a lot of space for the heat to dissipate. If it is absolutely impossible to get the basking spot closer to the lamp, you may need to fabricate a special lamp shade that would focus the light and heat better. Something like tall coffee cans connected together would work as long as they have the shiny interior.

Can you provide us with pictures of your setup?

Okay so I need a new heat lamp then. Also, where did you get your slate from and how much was it? I can't find any in my area

SleepyCheesy wrote:Okay so I need a new heat lamp then. Also, where did you get your slate from and how much was it? I can't find any in my area

I bought mine from Lowe's. They were able to cut it down to the shape and sizes I needed to floor a 36x18 enclosure. That was for a BD at the time. Now, I use 2 pieces of slate on top of a cut down 11x17x3 box as the basking spot/hide. You will find the slate helps a lot in maintaining basking temps. Plus, it helps keep the nails filed down.

EDIT: Lowe's has a nice selection of slate: https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=slate+tiles. The darker colored slate is what I use.

I'm not sure that you need a new lamp unless yours doesn't have a dome on it. I agree it really helps to focus the heat. Mine made a +5-10 degree difference on the basking spot when I put a dome on it. To me it sounds like overall you could benefit from a higher wattage, though, but you're a bit limited with MVBs

I use a dark colored slate in mine as well with a 75w about 15 inches away from the basking spot. I sit the slate on top of his regular hide to raise it.

It was VERY hard to find slate in my area when I was looking, you might need to order it online.

Lots of landscaping, garden, hardware stores (ace hardware etc) will carry cheap slate.

Hang the MVB you have pendulum style from the tank lid/ceiling and adjust the distance from the bottom of the MVB to the basking spot until you achieve your desired basking spot temperature.

It's unlikely your BT will leap onto the MVB , or stand up to touch it.

...... I can't see why this is a problem . All you need is a ceramic e27 socket (with or without reflector dome) and hanger c-screw or cable clip or two and some cable ties.