Heating Question

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Stixas
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Heating Question

Postby Stixas » Wed May 13, 2020 9:12 pm

Hey guys,

I have a question about the heating of my glass terrarium I’m getting next week.

It measures 150x50x50cm or aprox. 59x20x20 inches.
I am going to have front sliding doors, ventilation strip at bottom-front and one on top.

The bedding is going to be a mix of 3 things: forest floor bedding (cypress mulch), spaghnum moss and plantation soil.

There will be a 120cm (47 inch) Arcadia uvb 6% t5 tube kit running along the length as well as 2 ceramic sockets with reflector caps. One on the right of the tank and one on the left.

The left one will have a DHP on a day/night dimming thermostat with slate stone below for the basking area.

But now im not sure what to do for heating on the right side.
Should I put another DHP on a thermostat but with a lower temp setting or something else?

Its going to be for a Tanimbar skink. So the hot end about 35 degrees celcius (95 Fahrenheit) and 25C (77F) at the cool end. I want the temp at night to minimum 22C (72ish F).
But since its a longer tank i still want to maintain the heat gradient and maintaining the temps in the whole enclosure.

The room the tank will be in is a stable 20,5C (68.9F). During the day it goes up to 24.5C (76.1F) currently but in the summer last year for example it went up to 39C (102.2F).

I hope I gave sufficient information for the help question I’m asking.

Thanks in advance!
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mb606587
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Re: Heating Question

Postby mb606587 » Thu May 28, 2020 9:40 pm

I think you'll be fine with heat just in the one zone. Your skink will do well at room temperature so long as a basking spot is provided. If you do decide to add additional heat, just be mindful that the tank doesn't overheat, especially in those summer months you mentioned.
Purplebeast7 & Co
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Re: Heating Question

Postby Purplebeast7 & Co » Fri May 29, 2020 8:33 am

I'm not an expert but from what I've researched i have found that in large enclosures it's best for the lizard to have an option on whether or not he/she wants to be warm or cool so i would just stay with the one side but for winter it would be good if you got a night heat light for that side unless you are going to breed, in that case you should:
- For the first week of winter take the lights (including basking spot) away and give him/her they last feed until winter is over
- For the second week, take away the rest of the heat
- For the remaining of winter allow him/her to reduce their body temp and begin brumation
- Check on him/her every two to three days and weigh him/her to make sure that he/she is losing weight
- Two weeks before winter add heat back (but not the lights)
- For the last week of winter add the lights back and give him/her his/her first meal before breeding
- You might need to clip his/her nails because he/she might not of been moving around as much therefore her/his nails would not have been filed by the rocks
Hope this helped :D

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