BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hello! I'm planning to move my northern into a larger setup, but it'll be a wooden vivarium so I can't use an under tank heater any more. I plan to now use a ceramic heat emitter at night along side a basking light in the day, but I'm worried about her climbing up and burning herself on the heat emitter (she likes to climb) . So my main question is, how should I go about preventing that? I've seen some people use mesh cages, would that work?
Also, I am building this viv myself so I can get a custom size to fit my space, so what would be the best way to install the lights?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me!

CalistaL wrote:Hello! I'm planning to move my northern into a larger setup, but it'll be a wooden vivarium so I can't use an under tank heater any more. I plan to now use a ceramic heat emitter at night along side a basking light in the day, but I'm worried about her climbing up and burning herself on the heat emitter (she likes to climb) . So my main question is, how should I go about preventing that? I've seen some people use mesh cages, would that work?
Also, I am building this viv myself so I can get a custom size to fit my space, so what would be the best way to install the lights?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me!

Hi CalistaL,
I got one of the cages for around my Ceramic heat emitter, Ventress (my bluey) showed a little interest in it at first (looking up at it and flicking his tongue lots) but has got used to it now and doesn't seem to have any interest in it.
If you get a large enough one even if your bluey did climb on it I don't think they would manage to reach the heater itself so that should be okay, although i'd be cautious about them falling if they climb up to the lights? maybe yours is more proficient at climbing than ventress...he's such a Klutz. But just thought it might be something to consider... Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will have some input for you soon

You could make custom pain of glass that sits on the bottom of the vivarium snug with the walls then place an under tank heater face up on the glace. Then fill in with the substrate. Framing stores should be able to make a pain of glass with the edges dull for you.

On second thought perhaps it is a bad idea to place the heater right side up. The sheet is all encased in plastic so moisture shouldn't be a problem, only that rubbing of rocks and scratching could expose electrical current. So maybe have it turns over and add spacers so that there is a gap for the cord.