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just a quick basking temp question...i've got my blue under a 160 watt PowerSun thats 16 inches above him but the temps on the ground hover at around 95 degrees with it reaching about 100 on the surface of the basking rocks. i know i've read that temps should be around 100-105, so what if anything, do i need to do?

chris and diego

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I guess the obvious answer is to move the basking spot closer to the bulb or move the bulb closer to the basking spot. Another suggestion would be to position a second light right next to the first and experiment with bulb wattage until you get the desired temp. BTW, my Tegu regularly uses a basking spot of about 120.

Billy

>>just a quick basking temp question...i've got my blue under a 160 watt PowerSun thats 16 inches above him but the temps on the ground hover at around 95 degrees with it reaching about 100 on the surface of the basking rocks. i know i've read that temps should be around 100-105, so what if anything, do i need to do?
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>>chris and diego
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>>Cage Pics

Go to home depot or something and get a rough surface DARK tile to put under the basking light.

Like I said before, I'd like to raise basking temps but it's not a good idea to get another PowerSun, is it? Too much UVB can be fatal i've heard. Would I be better off then with a ceramic heat emitter then together with the PowerSun, and would that provide my blue with everything he needs?

chris and diego

ps...what'd you guys think of the pics?

Yeah I had already assumed that's why you didn't want to put the light closer. That's the reason I said use the dark tile, it's a way to raise the surface temp a little without putting the light closer. Too much UV can cause skin cancer in people for instance. I don't know about reptiles but that's why the companies say don't put closer then X inches away. These mercury vapor UV lights do put out intense UV if it's too close. You could always just add a regular incandescent basking light too. Pics look good!

I didn't make it clear in my other post that if you add a second light, make it a regular spot or something else with no UV. As far as UV killing them, I would think that would be an issue only if the animal is forced to stay under the lights. You also might want to consider switching over to a fluorescent bulb for UV and regular spots for heat to give you a little more flexibility in adjusting your temps. Great pics by the way - I love your setup!

Billy

>>Yeah I had already assumed that's why you didn't want to put the light closer. That's the reason I said use the dark tile, it's a way to raise the surface temp a little without putting the light closer. Too much UV can cause skin cancer in people for instance. I don't know about reptiles but that's why the companies say don't put closer then X inches away. These mercury vapor UV lights do put out intense UV if it's too close. You could always just add a regular incandescent basking light too. Pics look good!