Heating Questions Regarding Lamps and Heat Pads

[araquanid]

I'm going to be getting a blue tongue soon, but before I do I want to have my setup ready. I have read lots of different forums and such on the matter of heating and lights, but I still don't feel I have a solid answer.

My questions are as follows:
-should I use a heat pad or a basking lamp (or both?)
-what should I do for heating at night? I live in a cold climate, so I don't want no heat for the tank at night, but I wouldn't be able to sleep with a light on (and the tank has to be in my room)
-is a UVB light necessary if I give my skink vitamin supplements?

[kingofnobbys]

I'm going to be getting a blue tongue soon, but before I do I want to have my setup ready. I have read lots of different forums and such on the matter of heating and lights, but I still don't feel I have a solid answer.

My questions are as follows:
-should I use a heat pad or a basking lamp (or both?) <<< my two EBTS are in 4ft x 2ft x 2ft timber vivs with sliding glass front doors - holds the heat in very nicely.

for each I run a 26W UVB150 in a nanohood for UVA & UVB + a 80W Philips par38 clear colorless incandescent (basking a few hours (I aim for 35 deg C at the basking spot , after feeding and for the cooler days only , I am in the natural range of EBTS so this simplified things for me) + a 7W heatpad under tiles under their jumbo hubba huts (In the cool zone) which is controlled by an external thermostat set to 34 degC and these run 24/7).

My photoperiod year round in the BT vivs is 16h per day.

Others will do differently.
-what should I do for heating at night? I live in a cold climate, so I don't want no heat for the tank at night, but I wouldn't be able to sleep with a light on (and the tank has to be in my room) <<<< I recommend a ceramic heat emitter for you skink's viv overnight if it gets colder than 20 degC overnight.
-is a UVB light necessary if I give my skink vitamin supplements? <<<< IMO YES !
...better off giving lots of UVB and pure calcium powder on the bugs or food (depending on the age and development of the skink , and the amount of UVB will be dependent on the species of BTS , Easterns need 5%UVB, Northerns need 10%UVB, no sure about Indonesian BTSs suspect 10%UVB + high humidity too for them
Giving vitD3 fortified calcium can result in poor absorption/metabilisation of the dietary calcium (is rate limited and like a buffered solution --> gout like problems , vitaminosis D3 and hypercalciumia = BAD! ) .

Set up the viv BEFORE you get the skink , and I recommend only Arcadia or Exo Terra or Zoo Med for UV light sources (compacts, T8 or T5HO tubes, or MVBs), I'd steer clear of shop brands and neodymium basking globes (UVA globes) and coloured globes.
A reflector hood for the UV source , mount under the lid if you have a modded glass tank.

My FIRMEST advise , buy a baby or juvenile (under 3 months old) skink , less chance the breeder or shop have screwed up it's long term health this way , and they are also a lot of fun and very much more inquisitive and interactive as young skinks than as a mature adult skink or older juvenile.