BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi everyone,

So just as some background, I converted a 50 gallon aquarium into a terrarium for my BTS Gizmo. I currently have deep dome heat lamp and a UVB tube but that's all I have so far for heating. Daytime temperatures are: basking spot of about 90, hot side is about 83-86, but the cold side is about 69-71. Middle space between the two sides is about 73-75. I know this lower temperature is good for night but i just worry about it for the day.

The options I thought of:

1. Get a second deep dome? Thought I'm not sure if that will help the overall temperature or just make another basking spot.

2. The terrarium does have a UTH fitted underneath (as before my BTS i had my python in there), but i dont use it as my BTS loves to burrow and I'm worried he will get hurt if he digs down and sits on the glass. I do have a thermostat to control it so I could set it to a fixed temperature that's lower and safe, but I still worry if hit sits on it for a long time that he might burn. Any thoughts?

3. My next thought was to 'raise' everything up closer towards the lamp. I tried increasing the amount of shavings but with the burrowing he is still that much farther away. So i thought about putting something in as a raised 'fake bottom.' I don't want to use wood because i know what you mean worried with the humidity it will rot and it would be hard to clean. I had thought about styrofoam but im worried he might eat it. Then i thought about a plastic or glass shelf/bin but i dont know if there are any products like that for terrariums that can support the weight and heat.

Trust me i know this is random but does anyone have any thoughts, know any products, or have any suggestions in order to raise the temperatures?

Thanks

A UTH on a reliable thermostat will not overheat. I do not use UTHs but some do.
A higher basking platform, such as a hide cave with a flat top bringing basking area closer to lamp.
A higher wattage bulb may just solve all. Just make sure your fixture is appropriately rated.

splashy07 wrote:A UTH on a reliable thermostat will not overheat. I do not use UTHs but some do.
A higher basking platform, such as a hide cave with a flat top bringing basking area closer to lamp.
A higher wattage bulb may just solve all. Just make sure your fixture is appropriately rated.

Thank you for the suggestions. With regards to the basking spot, is a warming basking spot enough to compensate for the rest of the tank being cooler? I know they regulate there own temperatures so i suppose if he's cold he would just go back in the heat but you know Mom's, we always worry

Yes, we do worry. As long as they have a hot basking spot the temps in the rest of the cage do not matter (within reason). The more of a gradient you provide, the more natural it is for the animal.

splashy07 wrote:Yes, we do worry. As long as they have a hot basking spot the temps in the rest of the cage do not matter (within reason). The more of a gradient you provide, the more natural it is for the animal.

Thanks very much this was very helpful